# Frank Zappa ![[50 Resources/51 Attachments/51.03 Public/2025-08-23_Frank_Zappa.jpg|400]] Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, guitarist, bandleader, actor, comedian, satirist, filmmaker, activist and freedom of speech advocate. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed rock, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestral and musique concrète works; he additionally produced nearly all the 60-plus albums he released with his band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. His work is characterized by nonconformity, improvisation, sound experimentation, musical virtuosity and satire of American culture. Zappa also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. He is considered one of the most innovative and stylistically diverse musicians of his generation. His lyrics reflected his iconoclastic views of established social and political processes, often humorously so, and he has been described as the "godfather" of comedy rock. ## Quotes <!-- QueryToSerialize: LIST FROM #type/quote AND [[Frank Zappa]] WHERE public_note = true SORT file.name ASC --> <!-- SerializedQuery: LIST FROM #type/quote AND [[Frank Zappa]] WHERE public_note = true SORT file.name ASC --> - [[A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open]] <!-- SerializedQuery END --> ## Books <!-- QueryToSerialize: LIST FROM #books AND [[Frank Zappa]] WHERE public_note = true SORT file.name ASC -->