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Zappa 16011977 01 300jpg
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Frank Zappa at a concert in Norway in 1977
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solo_singer
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Frank Vincent Zappa
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Baltimore , Maryland
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Vocals , Guitar , Bass Guitar , Keyboards , Vibraphone , Synclavier , Drums
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Rock , Jazz , Classical , Experimental
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Composer , Musician , Conductor , Producer
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1950s - 1993
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Verve / MGM , Bizzare, DiscReet, Zappa, Barking Pumpkin, Rykodisc
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The Mothers Of Invention <br> Captain Beefheart
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Zappacom
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Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster
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Until discovering his birth certificate as an adult, Zappa believed he had been christened "Francis," and he is credited as Francis on some of his early albums. His real name was "Frank", however, never "Francis." Cf. 1 ( December 21 , 1940 – December 4 , 1993 ) was an American Composer , Musician , and Film Director . In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa established himself as a prolific and highly distinctive composer, electric guitar player and band leader. He worked in almost every musical genre and wrote music for Rock bands, Jazz ensembles, Synthesizer s and Symphony Orchestra , as well as Musique Concrète works constructed from pre-recorded, synthesized or Sampled sources. In addition to his music recordings, he created feature-length and short films, Music Video s, and album covers.
Although he only occasionally achieved major commercial success, he maintained a highly productive career that encompassed composing, recording, touring, producing and merchandising his own and others' music. Zappa self-produced almost every one of the more than sixty albums he released with the Mothers Of Invention or as a solo artist. He received multiple Grammy nominations and won for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1988 for the album '' Jazz From Hell ''. Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1995, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. In 2005, his 1968 album with the Mothers of Invention, '' We're Only In It For The Money '', was inducted into the United States National Recording Preservation Board 's National Recording Registry . The same year, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #71 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.2 In 2007, his birthtown Baltimore declared August 9 official "Frank Zappa Day" in his honor.3
Politically, Zappa was a self-proclaimed "practical conservative",
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