This article was written by Phin Upham
Frank Zappa got into music shortly after high school, but the lack of income from the profession was a problem for him. He made the most money making recordings, but he also played live gigs with his racially diverse band “The Blackouts.” The group was pushed out of shows routinely, but they found success scoring independent films and finding work at a recording studio.
He joined the Soul Giants in the 1960s, but by 1965 he was near-starving artist status.
Zappa’s first recording, Freak Out! helped put his band on the map. Their second recording, Absolutely Free, led to concerts in New York and that’s where things got weird. The band’s shows featured stuffed animals on stage, and vegetables thrown into the crowd.
Zappa’s band quickly established a reputation for being quirky, and found a substantial following in Europe. They performed alongside the London Philharmonic before some serious setbacks occurred. A 1971 concert ended in flames as the stage caught fire, an event later retold in homage by Deep Purple called “Smoke on the Water.”
Zappa also fell on stage a week later, which led to multiple fractures and a limp he carried with him for the rest of his life.
Zappa died of prostate cancer in 1993, and is survived by his wife Gail Sloatman and their four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emukkha Rodan, and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen. His family released a statement just after his death, saying that Zappa had “left for his final tour just before 6 P.M. Saturday.”
About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media & Technology group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website