Frank Zappa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frank Zappa
Zappa in 1977
Background information
Birth name	Frank Vincent Zappa
Born	(1940-12-21)December 21, 1940 Baltimore, Maryland, US
Died	December 4, 1993(1993-12-04) (aged 52) Los Angeles, California, US
Genres	Progressive rock, jazz, experimental rock, alternative rock, classical
Occupation(s)	Musician, producer
Instruments	Guitar, voice, bass, keyboards
Years active	1950s–1993

Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 - December 4, 1993) was an American musician and composer. He was known for his strange style of music, which was often weird and funny. He made various types of music and many albums. Zappa worked with many other musicans, most notably his 1960s group The Mothers of Invention and his friend and blues singer Captain Beefheart.

Zappa was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but spent most of his life in Southern California. He grew up in Baltimore, in Florida, and in Monterey, Claremont and El Cajon, California. His mother was of French and Italian descent; his father was an immigrant from Sicily. Zappa had four children with his wife Gail. They gave them all very unusual names: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet, and Diva.

Zappa was openly against drugs, Televangelism, and censoring music. He often tried to see what he could get away with.

Zappa died from prostate cancer in Los Angeles, California.

Images for kids

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  Zappa's senior yearbook photo, 1958

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  Zappa with the Mothers of Invention, Theatre de Clichy, Paris, 1971

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  Frank Zappa in Paris, early 1970s

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  Zappa with the Mothers, 1971

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  Zappa with Captain Beefheart, seated left, during a 1975 concert

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  Zappa in Toronto, 1977

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  Zappa performing at the Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, 1980. The concert was released in 2007 as Buffalo.

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  Performing in 1973

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  Zappa in 1977