Frank Zappa

Birth:  Dec. 21, 1940 Baltimore Baltimore City Maryland, USA Death:  Dec. 4, 1993 Los Angeles Los Angeles County California, USA Musician. Widely hailed as one of the most inventive and provocative musicans of his time, his work was characterized by his satiric, often deviant lyrics and his use of advanced musical forms not usually found in rock music, as well as his exceptional guitar technique. His band, The Mothers of Invention (which was essentially an extension of his own creativity rather than a collaborative group) released their first album, "Freak Out," in 1966. Zappa and the Mothers' output in the succeeding years would be prodigious, including such well-received albums as "We're Only in it for the Money" (1968), the Doo-Wop opus "Cruising with Rueben and the Jets" (1968), 1969's "Uncle Meat" (which belied the influence of modern composers like Igor Stravinsky), "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" (1970), "Apostrophe" (1974), and the apocalyptic rock opera "Joe's Garage" (1979). Though Zappa's work was widely appreciated by critics and attracted a loyal cult following, he was rarely a big commercial success. The most notable exception to this rule was the 1982 single "Valley Girl" recorded with his daughter Moon Unit Zappa, which touched off a nationwide linguistic craze whose impact is still being felt. In his later years, he turned to orchestral music, and his compositions were conducted by noted French composer Pierre Boulez. In the 1980s, he would also work against the impositon of warning stickers on music recordings, claiming they were tanamount to censorship. Notable alumni of his bands include harmonica player Captain Beefheart, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, guitarist Steve Vai, and composer Patrick O'Hearn. Frank Zappa was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Cause of death: Prostate cancer   Burial: Westwood Memorial Park Los Angeles Los Angeles County California, USA