Talk:Biography

Discussion

Just testing whether this is the appropriate place to discuss the Biography page.

Getting started

Obviously, biographical info has been published in several books - not the least, in TRFZB; how do we propose getting this data online here? Is this something that someone must enter into the database? Or does the stuff exist in cyberspace already?

Let's start off modestly

We can always go into greater depth biographically-wise later; I think for now a concise biography would be sufficient.

For that, yes, someone would actually have to type stuff inhere! ;-)

--KillUglyRadio

Starting point

This could be a starting point: http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/chronology/index.html

• 1940-1964 From Baltimore to Cucamonga
• 1965-1969 The Mothers of Invention
• 1970-1972 Hot Rats/Mothers/Wazoo
• 1973-1975 Discreet
• 1976-1980 Zappa/Barking Pumpkin
• 1981-1984 Them Or Us
• 1985-1993 The Last Tour
• 1994 et sq. The Zappa Family Trust

- emdebe

Agreed

Agreed, and I'm about to add these subheaders to the biography page.

--KUR

What belongs here?

Should we have musicians and recording session details in the biography when we have pages for all that stuff e.g...

c. August, 1962 PAL Recording Studio, Cucamonga, CA: Paul Buff (guitar, organ, drums, saxes), Dave Aerni (bass), Mike Dineri (sax), FZ (comb) - recorded Heavies (Aerni/Buff) (intro heard in Nasal Retentive Calliope Music) on We're Only In It For The Money) and The Cruncher (Aerni/Buff).

Can we check and resolve and/or explain variations in dates etc when adding to the wiki. e.g. The above biography listing gives 1962 but our pages for Heavies/The Cruncher (with no musicians listed) gives 1964.

Dunk 00:48, 11 Jun 2005 (PDT)

"Should we have musicians and recording session details in the biography"... No
"Can we check and resolve and/or explain variations in dates etc"... Yes
The Wiki way of working is not always, er, working... Someone puts something on a page, then someone else picks it up, cleans it up, extends it, and puts everything in the right place... We wish! So, probably we need to do it differently... --Emdebe 08:08, 11 Jun 2005 (PDT)

Resignation

Ok!

I give up!

Perhaps when Emdebe has decided just how he wants this wiki to be we lesser mortals might be able to come back to it and make some contributions but at the moment it is just too much hassle even trying to get some understanding of what he wants where and why.

Dunk 16:27, 11 Jun 2005 (PDT)

Dunk, what's got into you? I understood that you pointed out that the biography section was going the wrong way. I agreed, because it was actually going nowhere. So, I put its current content below ("scratchpad"), so we could restart the biography page from (almost) scratch. Nothing was deleted. Nobody got hurt. What's the problem?

emdebe 16:52, 11 Jun 2005 (PDT)

---

S C R A T C H P A D

Frank Vincent Zappa was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 21, 1940. His father was an immigrant from Sicily with Greek/Arab origins. His mother was born in US - her mother was from Sicily and her father from Naples. Baltimore had a large Italian immigrant community and Zappa was not an uncommon name. Indeed it seems to be quite common for Zappa's to be named Frank, Francis, or Vincent.

c. 1941-44 Zappa family lives in the Army housing facility at 15, Dexter Street, Edgewood, Maryland

c. 1944-50 Zappa family moves to Opa-Locka, Florida, then back to Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland

c. November 1951 Zappa's father took a job at the Naval Post-Graduate School in Monterey, California, so the family spent the next couple of weeks driving over 2900 miles across the US in their Henry J.

c. 1951-52 Zappa family moves to Pacific Grove, CA

Summer 1953 Monterey, CA - Keith McKillop's summer percussion school - Mice (first FZ composition)

c. 1953-54 Zappa family moves to Pomona, CA

1954 Zappa family moves to El Cajon, CA - FZ enters Grossmont High School, San Diego, CA

1955 San Diego, CA - The Ramblers: Elwood "Jr." Madeo (guitar), Stuart Congdon (piano), FZ (drums) + others

April, 1955 Grossmont High School, San Diego, CA - While at ninth grade FZ wins county Fire Prevention Week poster contest

c. 1955 FZ enters Mission Bay High School, San Diego, CA

December 21, 1955 FZ talks with Varèse's wife by phone

1956 Zappa family moves to Lancaster, CA - FZ enters Antelope Valley High School

August 12, 1957 Varèse sends a letter to FZ while he's in Baltimore, MD

c. 1957-58 - The Blackouts

• The Blackouts (as listed in "The Real Frank Zappa Book"): Wayne Lyles (percussion & vocals), Terry Wimberly (piano), Wally Salazar (guitar), Fred Salazar (trumpet), Johnny Franklin (tenor sax), Carter Franklin, FZ (drums).
• The Blackouts (as listed in Greg Russo's book): Wayne Lyles (percussion & vocals), Terry Wimberly (piano), Wally Salazar (guitar), Fred Salazar (trumpet), Ernie Thomas (trumpet), Dwight Bement (tenor sax), Steve Wolfe (sax), Jerry Reuter (sax), Johnny Franklin (tenor sax), Carter Franklin, FZ (drums), Jim "Motorhead" Sherwood ("The Bug" dancer).
• Antelope Valley High School Big Band: Wayne Lyles (percussion & vocals), Terry Wimberly (piano), Wally Salazar (guitar?), Fred Salazar (trumpet?), Ernie Thomas (trumpet), Dwight Bement (tenor sax?), Steve Wolfe (sax?), Jerry Reuter (sax?), Johnny Franklin (tenor sax), Carter Franklin (?), FZ (drums).

1958 William Ballard lets FZ conduct the school orchestra - String Quartet, including: "A Pound For A Brown (On The Bus)", "Sleeping In A Jar"

c. 1958 The Blackouts from The Lost Episodes - Wayne Lyles (voice), Terry Wimberly (voice), Elwood "Jr." Madeo (voice), FZ (voice)

c. 1958 The Blackouts break up

c. 1958 FZ wins California statewide art contest with his painting "Family Room"

June 13, 1958 FZ graduates from High School

Married Kay Sherman December 28, 1960. Moved to G Street, Ontario

c. 1961 FZ audits a course on composition by Karl Kohn at Pomona College, Claremont, CA

c. 1961 FZ rents a white Fender Telecaster from Ontario Music Center, G Street, Ontario.

May, 1961 Ontario, CA - The Boogie Men: FZ - lead guitar, Doug Rost (rhythm guitar), Kenny Burgan (sax), Al Surratt (drums)

mid. 1961 FZ auditions Don Preston for a lounge band

June, 1961 FZ hired to write The World's Greatest Sinner (The Film) soundtrack

c. 1961-62 (during three months) Pomona, CA - Rex Jakabowski (guitar, harmonica, vocals), FZ (guitar), Ronnie Williams (guitar), Joe Perrino (piano), Dwight Bement (tenor sax), Al Surratt (drums)

c. 1961 FZ buys a Fender Jazzmaster

c. 1961 FZ meets Paul Buff and begins to work at PAL Recording Studio, Cucamonga, CA - recording of Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance from The Lost Episodes: FZ (guitar), Danny Helferin (piano), Chuck Foster (trumpet), Tony Rodriguez (alto sax), Caronga Ward (bass), Chuck Grove (drums). It's From Kansas from Lumpy Gravy may have been recorded here as well.

November, 1961-early 1962 [ten months] Tommy Sandi's Club Sahara, San Bernardino, CA - Joe Perrino & The Mellotones: Joe Perrino (piano), FZ (guitar), Dwight Bement (sax) + others

November, 1961 Chaffey Junior College, Alta Loma, CA: 8-piece rock'n'roll band including: FZ (guitar), Dwight Bement (various instruments)

Early December, 1961 Chaffey Junior College, Alta Loma, CA: 20-member chamber ensemble

December 17, 1961 Chaffey Junior College, Alta Loma, CA: Pomona Valley Orchestra (55-member) conducted by Fred E. Graff

c. 1961-62 Living Room in Ontario, CA: Ronnie Williams (voice), Kenny Williams (voice), FZ (guitar): recorded Ronnie Sings?, Kenny's Booger Story and Ronnie's Booger Story, all from The Lost Episodes.

1962 - The Masters - PAL Recording Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Paul Buff (probably drums, bass, piano), Ronnie Williams (guitar), FZ (guitar): recorded Breaktime (Williams/Buff/FZ)

1962 The Masters - Sixteen Tons (Travis) / Breaktime (Williams/Buff/FZ) (Emmy E 1008)

c. May, 1962 Don Preston's Garage: Don Preston - keyboards, films, assorted percussion (including a bicycle), Bunk Gardner - woodwinds, Buzz Gardner - trumpet, Vic Mio - bass, Jack Lake - percussion, + FZ - films, percussion

c. August, 1962 PAL Recording Studio, Cucamonga, CA: Paul Buff (guitar, organ, drums, saxes), Dave Aerni (bass), Mike Dineri (sax), FZ (comb) - recorded Heavies (Aerni/Buff) (intro heard in Nasal Retentive Calliope Music) on We're Only In It For The Money) and The Cruncher (Aerni/Buff).

September, 1962 Channel 7 - Don Preston, FZ and the rest audition for a TV program

December, 1962 PAL Recording Studio, Cucamonga, CA, Produced by Dave Aerni, Engineered by FZ - The Tornadoes: Gerald Sanders (bass), Roly Sanders (guitar), Jesse Sanders (guitar), George White (sax), Leonard Delaney (drums) - recorded Moon Dawg (Weaver), The Inebriated Surfer (Sanders), Shootin' Beavers (Sanders), The Swag (Grant/Wray), Raw-Hide (Grant/Wray), Malagueña (Lecuona), The Tornado (Aerni), Bumble Bee Stomp (Sanders/Delaney/White), Vaquero (Tomsco), Johnny B. Goode (Berry)

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Ray Collins (vocals, falsetto), Paul Buff (piano, sax), FZ (guitar, bass, drums) - recording of "Tell Me" (Williams) and "Love Of My Life" (FZ/Aerni).

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Ray Collins (vocals), Ronnie Williams (guitar), Paul Buff (bass, guitar, sax?), FZ (drums) - recording of "Deseri" (Collins/Buff) ( later appeared on The Grandmothers' "Looking Up Granny's Dress", 1982).

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Ron Roman (vocals) - recording of "Tell Me" (Williams) and "Love Of My Life" (FZ/Aerni).

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Produced by Art Laboe - The Penguins: Cleve Duncan (vocals), Walter Saulsberry (vocals), The Viceroys: James Conwell (vocals), Andrew "Jack" White (vocals), Charles Jones (vocals), Oliver Williams (vocals), Herbert White (vocals) + FZ (vibes) - recording of "Memories of El Monte" (FZ/Collins).

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Ray Collins (vocals), Paul Buff (snorks, saxes, piano?), Dick Barber (snorks?), FZ (guitars, bass, drums?) - recording of "How's Your Bird?" and "The World's Greatest Sinner".

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Bob Guy (vocals), FZ (probably all instruments and sound effects) - recording of "Dear Jeepers" and "Letter From Jeepers".

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Benny Rodriguez (vocals), Joe Rodriguez (vocals), FZ (lead guitar), Max Uballez (rhythm guitar), Richard Provincio (piano), Armando Mora (tenor sax), Chris Pasqual (bass), Manuel Mosqueda (drums) - recording of "Everytime I See You" (FZ/Collins).

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Produced by FZ & Paul Buff - Brian Lord (vocals), FZ (various instruments & sound effects), Paul Buff (probably various instruments & sound effects too) - recording of "The Big Surfer".

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Ray Collins (vocals), FZ (probably all instruments & backing vocals), ? (sax) - recording of "Hey, Nelda" (FZ/Collins) and "Surf Along" (FZ/Collins).

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Ray Collins (vocals), Paul Buff (fuzz bass), FZ (guitars, bass, keyboards, drums) - recording of "Fountain Of Love" (FZ/Collins) - recording of "Any Way The Wind Blows".

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - FZ (guitars, bass, drums), Paul Buff (saxes?) - recording of "Grunion Run".

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Mr. Clean (lead vocals, harmonica?), Unknown girl (background vocals), Paul Buff (fuzz bass), FZ (most instruments, vocals) - recording of "Mr. Clean" and "Jessie Lee".

March 14, 1963 (aired March 27) - Steve Allen Show, Channel 5 - FZ (bicycle), Steve Allen (bicycle), Johnny Jacobs (poetry) + Instrumental Ensemble Pre-recorded Tape - "Concerto For Two Bicycles".

1963, Ron Roman - "Love Of My Life" (FZ/Aerni) / "Tell Me" (Williams) (Daani 101)

April 8, 1963 - The Penguins - "Memories of El Monte" (FZ/Collins) / "Be Mine" (Day/Nelson) (OS 27)

April 8, 1963 - Baby Ray & The Ferns - "How's Your Bird?" / "The World's Greatest Sinner" (Donna 1378)

April, 1963 - Bob Guy - "Dear Jeepers" / "Letter From Jeepers" (Donna 1380)

April, 1963 - The Heartbreakers - "Everytime I See You" (FZ/Collins) / "Cradle Rock" (Galleger) (Donna 1381)

May 19, 1963 - The Experimental Music of Frank Zappa - Mount St. Mary's College, LA - "Variables II for Orchestra", "Variables I for Any Five Instruments", "Opus 5, for Four Orchestras" (parts on Mount St. Mary's Concert Excerpt), "Rehearsalism", "Three Pieces of Visual Music with Jazz Group".

May, 1963 - Brian Lord & The Midnighters - "The Big Surfer" / "Not Another One" (Aerni/Buff) (Vigah 001)

May 27, 1963 - Brian Lord & The Midnighters - "The Big Surfer" / "Not Another One" (Aerni/Buff) (Capitol 4981)

June, 1963 - Ned & Nelda - "Hey, Nelda" (FZ/Collins) / "Surf Along" (FZ/Collins) (Vigah 002)

July, 1963 - The Hollywood Persuaders - "Tijuana" (Buff) / "Grunion Run" (OS 39)

August, 1963 - Mr. Clean - "Mr. Clean" / "Jessie Lee" (OS 40)

August, 1963 - The Rotations - "Heavies" (Aerni/Buff) / "The Cruncher" (Aerni/Buff) (OS 41)

c. 1963 - Sin City Boys - Ray Collins (vocals), FZ (guitar) - recording of "Joe The Puny Greaser" ("Puff The Magic Dragon") and "Streets Of Fontana" ("Streets Of Laredo")

c. 1963 - The Troubadour - Loeb & Leopold: Ray Collins (vocals), FZ (guitar)

c. summer 1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Don Van Vliet (vocals), FZ (guitar), Alex Snouffer (guitar)?, Vic Mortenson (drums)? - recording of "Slippin' And Slidin'" (Penniman)

c. summer 1963 or c. March, 1964, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Don Van Vliet (vocals), FZ (guitar), Alex Snouffer (guitar)?, Vic Mortenson (drums)? - recording of "Cheryl's Canon" (?), "Evil" (Burnett), "The Grund" (?), and "Vicious Intentions" (?)

c. 1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - FZ (all instruments & vocals) - recording of "Charva".

1963, Run Home, Slow (OS) - Art Laboe's Original Sound Studios, LA, CA, Engineered by Paul Buff: "Run Home Slow Theme", "Run Home Cues #2", "Run Home Cues #3", "The original Duke Of Prunes", "Right There", "The Little March".

c. 1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - recording of "Why Don't You Do Me Right?" and "Take Your Clothes Off"?

c. 1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - FZ (guitar), Doug Moon (acoustic guitar) - recording of "Speed-Freak Boogie".

September 19, 1963 - Dot Records reject The Soots' master with "Any Way The Wind Blows" and "Slippin' And Slidin'" among others.

1963, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Produced by Curry & Irvin - Conrad & The Hurricane Strings: Conrad Couwenberg (guitar), Ed Sigarlaki (guitar), Don Sigarlaki (bass), Patrick Couwenberg (drums) - recording of "Hurricane" (Sigarlaki) (intro heard in "Bit of Nostalgia") and "Sweet Love" (Sigarlaki).

December, 1963 - Conrad & The Hurricane Strings - "Hurricane" (Sigarlaki) / "Sweet Love" (Sigarlaki) (Daytone 6401)

c. March, 1964, Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA - Don Van Vliet (vocals), FZ (guitar), Alex Snouffer (guitar)?, Janschi (bass), Vic Mortenson (drums) - recording of "Tiger Roach" (Van Vliet/FZ), "Metal Man Has Won His Wings" (Van Vliet/FZ), and "I'm Your Nasty Shadow" (?).

May 10, 1964 - The name of the band is changed officialy to Mothers

1964 - FZ moves to Pal Studio, Cucamonga, CA

August 1, 1964 - FZ buys Pal Studio from Paul Buff and renames it as Studio Z

August 1, 1964 - Studio Z, Cucamonga, CA - Don Van Vliet, Laurie, Ray Collins, Jim Sherwood, Bob Narciso - recording of "Opening Night At Studio Z"

c. September, 1964 - FZ sets up the plot & scenery for "Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People"

c. 1964 - The Saints 'N Sinners, Ontario, CA - The Muthers: FZ (guitar, vocals), Paul Woods (bass), Les Papp (drums) - recording of "Power Trio from 'The Saint & Sinners'"

1964 - "I Was A Teen-age Malt Shop" (Rock Opera) - Studio Z, Cucamonga, CA - FZ (piano, guitar, bass, vocals), Don Van Vliet (vocals), Allison Buff (vocals), Jim Sherwood (acoustic guitar), Vic Mortenson (drums) - recording of "The Birth of Captain Beefheart", "I Was A Teen-age Malt Shop", "Status Back Baby", "Ned The Mumbler", "Ned Has A Brainstorm" (aka "Toads Of The Short Forest").

December 2, 1964 - KNXT rejects the "I Was A Teen-age Malt Shop" outline

---

Suggestion for the strucure of the biography

Just a sketch, to start thinking about it. Since lots of the guys were not satisfied the way it is now. I think the text should concentrate on the LIFE (the tours, the things happened) than the albums. So this is my skeleton-suggestion:

• From Baltimore to Varese - the early years
• Studio Z
• The Mothers (65-69)
• The Flo & Eddie show (70-71)
• Grand Wazoo (72)
• Napoleon, Duke and other highnesses (73-74)
• Zoot Allures (75-76)
• Sheik Yerbouti! (76-78) (a better title?...)
• Tinseltown Rebellion (78-80)(a better title?...)
• Wackermanisation (81-84) (a better title?...)
• From Humor to the Best Band (84-88) (a better title?...)
• Yellow Shark - The final years
• Life after FZ

FZ early years

Hi

This edit is probably going to cause waves... As a newcomer reading the bio I thought it was a bit 'empty' in the young Zappa's formative years. How did he get like he was? What were his folks like? Why did he move around so much? Did the mysteries of all the air force bases he lived near add to the 'alien beings' in his work? What were the schools? How did he meet Beefheart? What happened before the Mothers?

I've tried to pen something that has links throughout, inviting the reader into pages of the wiki. I think the early introduction of family members is important, along with sources for any 'newbie's' queries, as above. I've only replaced the first 2 paras, which I've kept almost 'intacto'. Apart from amending 1st line of 3rd para the rest is 'as was'. Any 'red links' I was proposing to construct informative pages for. (Note, I purposely didn't link 'catholic girls'...enough said)

I could research it to infinity. No doubt there are errors, but I have to offer it up sometime, so here it is.

Hope I haven't trampled over old ground too much or ruffled too many feathers- best of intentions and all that...--Tonefish 07:26, 16 June 2008 (PDT)

PS: Forgot to mention, in the Mothers sections, I don't think birth dates are needed after musicians' names, they should already be on their pages.

Don't get me started! Personally I would delete the whole thing and start again. It was originally cut and pasted from elsewhere with out any regard to what a wiki bio could/should be. At least it is not quite as bad as the dire wikipedia page but suffers from many of it's faults - did Zappa smoke? Who would know from this? Zappa biographies run to pretty chunky books it is pointless to try and recreate one on a single page - particularly when we have a whole wiki full of pages that are his biography. Better individual articles covering all the details with the bio page just a chronological index linking to each article would be a better choice - with a short, snappy half page bio for anyone who had never heard of him. Duncan 09:03, 16 June 2008 (PDT)

Ok. Looks like I have got you started!! Let's all be calm...

I think this wiki, like any good book on FZ, has to have a Bio. We must assume some readers will have no prior knowledge. Folks will arrive and want to know, as briefly as possible in one page, His Life.

When you guys envisaged the wiki (remember, you're fans and understand FZ-speak & Zappanese) you may not have seen this page working in quite the way it now does- with all the other pages falling into place and providing the 'flesh' that this 'skeleton' Bio page can provide links to. Thanks to the vision of you guys I personally found this page useful, easy to follow and uncluttered with FZ-speak. That's why I began fleshing it out a bit more in the same vein, leaving opportunities and clues as links to invite the reader in.

Regarding your comments, I think you're spot-on, with the exception that the 'snappy Bio' should be an assembled 'timeframe' interesting read. e.g. A properly-tuned version of what's there now, that 'teases' with the detail that can be found in-depth on the link; and onwards from that link. In furtherance of your comment I also believe the Bio should begin by stating something like "Editor's Note: Many books & biographies on the life of Zappa have been written, here's a link to this wiki's growing booklist (link). Consequently this Bio is not definitive, but has been culled from many of these books and various articles in order to provide a broad overview of Zappa's life and to provide links to the many pages of interest in this wiki where Zappa's life can then begin to be fully understood..." (or words to this effect).

I also think that 'drawing datelines' thru the existing text could help. e.g. the list in section above (Suggestion for the structure of the biography). However, I would put the dates at the front, followed by the 'FZ-speak' straplines. i.e. '1970-1971: The Flo & Eddie Show'

This would enable the Bio to be expanded, where required, in manageable chunks as the 'back-end' articles grow and any 'new' key Bio info may arrive, or where someone might want to tinker with a word or two without having to do a major re-write.

Whatever. In my opinion this item is a bit like having to worm your dog. It's got to be tackled sometime. Are we the only 2 interested? Anyone out there going to hold down his back legs...? Paws for thoughts...--Tonefish 08:20, 17 June 2008 (PDT)

When Duncan writes (09:03, 16 June 2008): 'Don't get me started! Personally I would delete the whole thing and start again', I fully agree, something that doesn't happen frequently... ;-) Yes, it would be better if individual articles would cover all the details with the bio page just a chronological index linking to each article. Although I would put in some extra words to put everything in context. Refocusing on a better bio pages may also give more guidance to where this wiki is going... --Emdebe 03:34, 21 July 2008 (PDT)

Whats happening here

I like the current biography as much as i have read. Is it still being worked on at the moment/would anybody get angry if i modified anything?

Whats happening here

I really like the current biography as much as i have read.
Is it still being worked on at the moment/would anybody get angry if i modified anything?

Please feel free to jump in and modify as you see fit. I personally do not like it much and will get around to some major editing someday. Duncan 03:31, 25 March 2009 (PDT)

Catalogue of death

Seems that day has come ;-)

Duncan (talk) 04:10, 28 November 2020 (PST)

Moved this from main text as it is becoming increasingly irrelevant to Zappa's biography but may be useful somewhere. See scratchpad above.

Timeline

1347

• William of Ockham, British philosopher (inspired the title of the track Occam's Razor), dies.

1791

• December 5: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian-German composer (referenced in Mozart Ballet (Piano Sonata in B Flat) and This Ain't CNN), dies.

1912

• April 20: Bram Stoker, Irish novelist (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.

1924

• June 3: Franz Kafka, Czech-German writer (one of Zappa's favorites and author of In The Penal Colony, advertised to read before one listens to The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny), dies.

1934

• May 25: Gustav Holst, British composer (referenced in Invocation & Ritual Dance Of The Young Pumpkin), dies.

1941

• January 13: James Joyce, Irish writer (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.

1945

• 15 September: Anton Webern, Austrian composer and main influence to Zappa, is murdered.
• 26 September: Béla Bartók, Hungarian composer and main influence to Zappa, dies.

1950

• 3 April: Kurt Weill, German composer (Zappa named him a favorite), dies.

1951

• 13 July: Arnold Schoenberg, Austrian composer and main influence to Zappa, dies.

1954

• 19 May: Charles Ives, American composer and main influence to Zappa, dies.

1959

• 7 February: Guitar Slim, American blues musician and main influence to Zappa, dies.
• 12 September: George Antheil, American composer and main influence to Zappa, dies.

1962

• September 3: E.E. Cummings, British poet (Zappa named him his favorite), dies.

1964

• 29 June: Eric Dolphy, jazz musician and major inspiration to Zappa, dies.
• 20 November: John Tasker Howard, American composer, radio presenter and writer (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.

1965

• 1 May: Spike Jones, American band leader and musical comedian, who was a main inspiration to Zappa, dies
• 6 November: Edgard Varèse, French composer and major inspiration to Zappa, dies.

1966

• 3 August: Lenny Bruce, American comedian (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.
• 6 August: Cordwainer Smith, American writer (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.

1968

• 15 June: Wes Montgomery, American jazz guitarist and prime influence on Zappa, dies.

1970

• 18 September: Jimi Hendrix, American rock musician and main influence to Zappa (appeared on the cover of We're Only In It For The Money), dies from a drug overdose.
• 4 October: Janis Joplin, American rock musician and one-night stand with Zappa, dies from a drug overdose.

1971

• 6 April: Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer and major inspiration to Zappa, dies.

1972

• 5 November: Christine Frka, groupie and member of the GTO's (visible on the cover of Zappa's Hot Rats), dies from a drug overdose.

1973

• 7 April: Francis Zappa, Zappa's father, dies.
• 18 November: Alois Hába, Czech composer and main influence to Zappa, dies.

1975

• 28 June: Rod Serling, American TV writer and presenter (portrayed on the cover of We're Only In It For The Money), dies.
• 29 June: Tim Buckley, American folk musician (Zappa produced his albums Blue Afternoon and Starsailor), dies.

1976

• 10 January: Howlin' Wolf, American blues musician and main influence to Zappa, dies.
• 12 November: Walter Piston, American composer and musicologist (Principles of Harmonic Analysis), dies.

1977

• 18 February: Andy Devine, American actor (referenced in Andy), dies.
• 20 July: Gary Kellgren, American engineer (We're Only In It For The Money, also provided creepy whispering on this album), dies accidentally in his swimming pool.
• 11 September: Ron Nehoda, road manager, commits suicide.
• 5 December: Roland Kirk, American jazz musician and main inspiration to Zappa (performed together with the Mothers in 1969), dies.

1978

• 6 September: Tom Wilson, American music producer (produced Freak Out!, Absolutely Free, We're Only In It For The Money), dies from a heart attack.
• 7 September: Keith Moon, American rock drummer (played the nun in 200 Motels (The Film)), dies from a drug overdose.
• 17 December: Don Ellis, American jazz composer (played trumpet on Absolutely Free), dies from a heart attack.

1979

• 5 January: Charles Mingus, American jazz musician and main inspiration to Zappa, dies.
• 29 June: Lowell George, American musician (member of the Mothers), dies from a cocain overdose.

1980

• 8 December: John Lennon, British rock musician (performed on stage with Zappa in 1971), is murdered.

1981

• 15 October: Frank DeKova, American actor (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.
• 27 November: Lotte Lenya, Austrian singer and actress (reference on the One Size Fits All star map), dies.

1983

• 30 April: Muddy Waters, American blues musician and main influence to Zappa, dies.

1984

• 25 July: Willie Mae Thornton, American blues musician and influence to Zappa, dies.
• 10 September: Bob Guy, American TV show host (Zappa produced his records Dear Jeepers and Letter From Jeepers), dies.

1985

• 16 March: Roger Huntington Sessions, American composer and musicologist (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.
• 8 May: Theodore Sturgeon, American novelist (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.

1987

• 22 February: Andy Warhol, American painter and producer, dies.
• 14 August: Vincent Persichetti, American composer (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.
• 11 October: Judy Gridley, British actress and dancer (the chorus leader in 200 Motels), dies.

1989

• 23 January: Salvador Dali, Spanish painter (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.
• 1 July: Louise Varèse, wife of Edgard Varèse, dies.
• 30 August: Joe De Santis, American actor (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.
• 22 October: Ewan MacColl, British folk musician and influence to Zappa, dies.

1990

• 31 October: Roger Price, American illustrator (one of his droodles was used for the cover of Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch), dies.

1991

• 23 April: Sandra Leano, aka Miss Sandra, groupie and member of the GTO's, dies from cancer.
• Lucy Offerall, groupie and member of the GTO's, dies from AIDS.

1992

• 27 April: Olivier Messiaen, French composer and main influence to Zappa, passes away.
• 12 August: John Cage, American composer and main influence to Zappa, dies.
• 25 October: Vito Paulekas, American sculptor, dancer and artist (often performed during the early Mothers shows in California in the mid-1960s), dies.

1993

• 1 September: Neon Park, American illustrator (the cover of Weasels Ripped My Flesh) dies.
• 4 December: Frank Zappa dies from cancer.

1994

• May 11: Tim Carey, American actor and film director (The World's Greatest Sinner), dies.
• June 23: Kin Vassy, American country musician (recorded background vocals on Over-Nite Sensation), dies.
• Roelof Kiers, Dutch film director and documentary maker (Frank Zappa, Frank Zappa Filmt 200 Motels), passes away at an unknown date.

1996

• 17 May: Johnny "Guitar" Watson, American blues guitarist and singer who was a main inspiration to Zappa (played on One Size Fits All, Thing-Fish, Them Or Us, Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention and Make A Jazz Noise Here), dies.
• 9 July: Melvin Belli, American lawyer (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.
• 3 August: Ida Lupino, British-American actress (Zappa named her his favorite actress), dies.
• 20 December: Carl Sagan, American scientist (referenced in Hunchentoot and Be In My Video), dies.
• 25 December: Nicolas Slonimsky, Russian composer and musicologist (appeared on stage with Zappa on 11 December 1981 at the US Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California), dies.

1997

• 23 January: Richard Berry, soul, pop and doowop musician (Louie Louie), dies.
• 19 February: Miss Cynderella, groupie and member of the GTO's, dies.
• 2 August: William S. Burroughs, American writer (Zappa read a chapter from Naked Lunch during a 1978 show), dies.
• 10 August: Conlon Nancarrow, Mexican composer and main influence to Zappa, dies.
• 20 October: Henry Vestine, American guitarist (early member of the Mothers of Invention), dies.
• 10 November: Tommy Tedesco, American guitarist and percussionist (played on Freak Out! and Lumpy Gravy), dies.
• Specific date unknown: Frank Kofsky, American musical educator, critic, writer and journalist (Frank Kofsky interviews FZ), dies.

1999

• 8 September: Moondog, American folk musician and main influence to Zappa, dies.
• 14 September: Chuck Higgins, American R&B, jazz saxophonist and main influence to Zappa, dies.
• 30 November: Don "Sugarcane" Harris (member of the Mothers) dies.

2000

• 10 September: Jerry Goode, American film producer (co-producer of 200 Motels), dies.
• 30 October: Steve Allen, American TV host, comedian and musician (Zappa made his TV debut on The Steve Allen Show), dies.
• 12 December: Herman Rudin, American actor (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.

2002

• 28 April: Marshall Sosson, American violinist (played on Absolutely Free), dies.

2004

• January: Buzz Gardner, member of the Mothers, dies.
• 5 January: John Guerin, American jazz drummer (played on the soundtrack of Run Home Slow and various albums and singles by Zappa between 1966 and 1973), dies.
• 30 January: Rose Marie Zappa, Zappa's mother, dies.
• 1 June: William Manchester, American writer (The Death of a President, which Zappa called one of his favourites), dies.
• 6 November: Pete Jolly, American pianist, harpsichordist and celestist (played on Lumpy Gravy), dies.
• Mark Cheka, Zappa's first manager, dies at an unknown date.

2005

• 10 January: Brian Ingoldsby, American recording engineer, dies.
• 5 May: John Judnich, American sound engineer, dies.
• 10 September: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, American blues singer and main inspiration to Zappa, dies.
• 10 November: Gardner Read, American composer and musicologist (Music Notation: A Manual of Modern Practice), dies.
• 9 December: Robert Sheckley, American writer (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.

2006

• 5 January: Alex St. Clair, American musician (member of The Blackouts, The Soots and Magic Band), dies.
• 13 March: Martin Lickert, British office boy, personal chauffeur of Ringo Starr (played Jeff Beck in 200 Motels), dies.
• 5 August: David Walley, American critic and writer (No Commercial Potential: The Saga Of Frank Zappa), dies.
• 14 December: Ahmet Ertegun, Turkish-American producer, dies.

2007

• 6 January: "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow, American rock guitarist (provided guitar for Waka/Jawaka) dies.
• 14 January: Michael Brecker, American saxophonist and composer (played with the Mothers in 1976), dies.
• 6 May: Kurt McGettrick, American clarinetist, saxophonist and flautist (member of Zappa's band in 1988), dies from cancer.
• 5 December: Karlheinz Stockhausen, German composer and main influence to Zappa, dies.

2008

• 1 January: Annie Ample, American stripper (posed in a photoshoot for Thing-Fish for Hustler), dies.
• 18 September: Mauricio Kagel, Argentine composer (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.
• 31 October: Jimmy Carl Black, member of the Mothers, dies.

2009

• December 5: Eberhard Kronhausen, American curator (Zappa named him one of his influences in the Freak Out! list), dies.

2010

• 16 March: Herb Cohen, Zappa's manager, dies.
• 17 December: Captain Beefheart, friend of Zappa, member of the Mothers (Zappa produced Trout Mask Replica for him and toured with him during Bongo Fury), dies.

2011

• 20 January: Bruce Gordon, American actor (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.
• 15 June: Wild Man Fischer, American musician (Zappa produced his debut album An Evening With Wild Man Fischer), dies.
• 26 September: Konstantinas Bogdanas, Lithuanian sculptor (Frank Zappa Monument, Vilnius), dies.
• 8 December: Václav Havel, Czech activist and politician (named Zappa Cultural Ambassador of Czechoslovakia), dies.
• 25 December: Jim "Motorhead" Sherwood, member of the Mothers, dies.

2012

• 17 January: Johnny Otis, musician and producer, dies.
• 31 January: Andre Lewis, organist, keyboardist and singer for Zappa in the late 1970s and early 1980s, dies.
• 11 December: Ravi Shankar, Indian folk musician and main influence to Zappa, dies.
• 24 December: Ray Collins, member of the Mothers, dies.

2013

• 25 July: Kongar-ool Ondar, Russian musician (throat-singer, sampled on Dio Fa, and with whom Zappa later produced Dance Me This), dies.
• 5 August: George Duke, member of the Mothers, dies.
• 19 August: Fritz Rau, German tour manager of Zappa, dies.
• 27 October: Lou Reed, American rock musician (inducted Zappa in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame), dies.
• 15 November: P.F. Sloan, American musician and producer (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list), dies.

2014

• 29 March: Billy Mundi, American drummer (member of the Mothers), dies.
• 18 August: Don Pardo, American radio and TV announcer (narrator/announcer on Zappa In New York), dies.
• 25 October: Jack Bruce, American bassist (played on the title track of Apostrophe), dies.

2015

• 15 January: Kim Fowley, American music producer, singer and manager (played hypophone on Freak Out!, provided vocals on An Evening With Wild Man Fischer), dies.
• 14 April: Paul Buff, American sound engineer, music producer, artist, composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and inventor (Zappa wrote Grunion Run for him), dies.
• 12 May: Bobby Jameson, American folk singer (partner of Gail Zappa, Zappa produced his single Gotta Find My Roogalator/Lowdown Funky Blues), dies.
• 21 July: Theodore Bikel, Austrian-American actor (Rance Muhammitz in 200 Motels (The Film), dies.
• 7 October: Gail Zappa, wife of Frank Zappa, dies.
• 27 December: Haskell Wexler, American film director and photographer (Uncle Meat (The Film)), dies.

2016

• 5 January: Pierre Boulez, French composer (Zappa named him an influence in the Freak Out! list, collaborated with Zappa on Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger), dies.
• November 14: Nigey Lennon, mistress of Zappa and author of Being Frank - My Time With Frank Zappa), dies.

2017

• July 4: Urban Gwerder, Swiss journalist, writer (Frank Zappa et les Mothers of Invention, Alla Zappa), dies.

2018

• 5 April: Cecil Taylor, American jazz pianist, poet and influence to Zappa, dies.
• 16 September: Big Jay McNeely, American jazz/blues musician and influence to Zappa, dies.
• 12 October: Kevin Courrier, Canadian writer (Dangerous Kitchen: The Subversive World of Zappa), dies.
• 8 December: Bobby Zappa, Frank Zappa's brother, dies.

2019

• 27 April: John Smothers, Zappa's bodyguard (inspiration for the song Dong Work For Yuda), dies.
• 28 April: Bruce Bickford, American animator (the claymation sequences in Baby Snakes (The Film), A Token Of His Extreme and Dub Room Special), dies.
• 6 June: Dr. John, American blues musician (briefly attended the Freak Out! sessions), dies.
• 13 December: Emil Richards, American vibraphonist and percussionist (played on several of Zappa's classical recordings), dies.

2020

• 14 March: Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, British rock musician and Zappa fan (present during the Zappa Digs Sabs Shock! interview), dies.
• 29 March: Krzysztof Penderecki, Polish composer and main inspiration to Zappa, dies.
• 9 May: Little Richard, American rock musician (Zappa covered his Directly From My Heart To You), dies.
• 15 April: Tom Brown, producer of Beat The Boots, dies.
• 27 July: Miss Mercy, groupie and member of the GTO's, dies.
• 29 July: Bennett Glotzer, Zappa's manager, dies.
• 30 September: Mark Pinske, sound and recording engineer for Zappa, dies.
• 6 October: Eddie Van Halen, American rock singer and guitarist (jammed once with Frank Zappa, personal friend of Dweezil Zappa), dies.
• 10-11 November: Carl Zappa, brother of Frank Zappa, dies.