Jeff Simmons

Jeff Simmons, aka Robert Sumpner Jr. (along with another half dozen psuedonyms), first came to the attention of Frank Zappa as a member of the Seattle-based group Ethiopia (they won a Seattle "Battle of the Bands" at The Moore Egyptian Theater. The prize was a recording contract with Straight/Bizarre Records) when they opened for The Mothers Of Invention at a concert in Seattle. They - Ethiopia - were part of the legendary Bizarre "Gala Pre-Xmas Bash" on December 6 & 7, 1968 (along with The Mothers, Larry "Wild Man" Fischer, The GTO's, and Alice Cooper) at the Shrine Exposition Hall in Santa Monica. Soon afterwards, they broke up.

Simmons was then signed to Straight to do two albums: one was a - mostly instrumental - soundtrack for the obscure biker film "Naked Angels"; and the other "Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up". Zappa contributed generously to the 2nd album, under the pseudonym LaMarr Bruister. (FZ wrote the title track - which he later recorded for Joe's Garage Act I, co-produced the album - with engineer Chris Huston, played lead guitar on 'Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up' and 'Raye', and co-wrote Wonderful Wino with Simmons).

Simmons was then tapped by Frank to play bass for a one-off "Hot Rats" concert, and soon after to join The Mothers. Though he played both bass and guitar in the MOI, Jeff considered himself to be primarily a keyboardist.

Jeff Simmons provided bass, guitar, and/or vocal for Chunga's Revenge, Waka/Jawaka, Roxy & Elsewhere, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6, and Playground Psychotics; also for the Beat The Boots series disks Freaks & Motherfuckers (BTB), Unmitigated Audacity (BTB), Piquantique (BTB), Disconnected Synapses (BTB), Tengo Na Minchia Tanta (BTB), & At The Circus (BTB).

Jeff can be seen in the Zappa movie The True Story Of 200 Motels.