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1-10 of 10
- Music Artist
- Composer
- Director
Of all the qualities that typified Frank Zappa, perhaps the most striking is that he was a paradox. A workaholic perfectionist rock star who eschewed the hippie culture of the 1960s, deploring its conformism, spurious ideals and drug use, Zappa was not only a brilliant rock guitarist but an orchestral composer, innovative filmmaker, music producer, businessman, iconoclast and perceptive political and social commentator. His oeuvre continually amazes: over 60 albums of music from rock to orchestral, in addition to innumerable films, concerts and other accomplishments.
Frank Vincent Zappa (b. 21 Dec 1940, Baltimore, MD) began to play drums at the age of 12, and was playing in R&B groups by high school, switching to guitar at 18. After barely graduating from high school, and then dropping out of junior college (where he met his first wife, Kay Sherman), Zappa worked at such jobs as window dresser, copywriter and door-to-door sales,an. With the money he earned from scoring Run Home, Slow (1965) (written by his high school English teacher, Don Cerveris), Zappa purchased a recording studio and, after concocting an allegedly obscene recording for an undercover policeman, spent ten days in jail. Zappa's diverse range of albums (both with the seminal and protean groups The Mothers of Invention and Zappa; as well as solo releases) are renowned not only for their bravura musicianship and satire, but for offending various groups (usually conservatives, both religious and political). The 200 Motels (1971) soundtrack was deemed too offensive by the Royal Albert Hall, which canceled scheduled concerts in 1975; and the song "Jewish Princess" (1979) led to Jewish calls for Zappa to apologize. These, and such events as Zappa testifying before Congress in 1985 against rock music censorship, being appointed by Czech president Václav Havel as his Cultural Liaison Officer or considering running for US president, have unfortunately been Zappa's only real source of mainstream publicity.
Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991, Zappa nonetheless continued working at his Hollywood Hills home, until his death on 4 December 1993. His widow, Gail, and children Dweezil Zappa, Moon Unit Zappa, Ahmet Zappa and Diva Zappa, soon released a statement to the press that simply stated: "Composer Frank Zappa left for his final tour just before 6pm Saturday."- Actress
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Lorraine Bridges was born on 17 August 1906 in Wewoka, Oklahoma, USA. She was an actress, known for Escapade (1935) and Wagon Wheels (1934). She died on 4 December 1993 in Alhambra, California, USA.- Frank Sturgis was born on 9 December 1924 in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. He died on 4 December 1993 in Miami, Florida, USA.
- Henning Ditlev was born on 2 December 1924 in Aarhus, Denmark. He was an actor, known for Memories of a Marriage (1989), Hvorfor bli'r alting altid anderledes (1968) and Hele den tyrkiske musik (1970). He died on 4 December 1993.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
British actor, extra, and musician Stenson Falke was born Stenson Coultas Falcke on March 18, 1909 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. Following service in the Royal Air Force in the 1920's, Stenson went on to work as a musician on Cunard ocean liners and first began popping up in various films and TV shows in often uncredited minor roles in the mid-1960's. He married Beryl S. Gordge in 1958. Falke died at age 84 on December 4, 1993 in Highworth, Wiltshire, England.- Dzhavlanbek Gafurbekov was born on 5 August 1947 in Uzbekistan, USSR. He was an actor, known for Zestoke godine (1978), Dryan (1990) and Lyubov i yarost (1979). He died on 4 December 1993.
- Stanley Green was born on 22 February 1915 in Harringay, Haringey, London, England, UK. He died on 4 December 1993 in Northolt, London, England, UK.
- Eldor Valter was born on 16 October 1929 in Rakvere, Estonia. He was an actor, known for Ma pole turist, ma elan siin (1989), Mees ja mänd (1980) and Teaduse ohver (1982). He died on 4 December 1993 in Rakvere, Estonia.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Margaret Landon was born on 7 September 1903 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA. She was a writer, known for The King and I (1956), The King and I and Anna and the King of Siam (1946). She was married to Kenneth Landon. She died on 4 December 1993 in Alexandria, Virginia, USA.- Jorge Sánchez Fogarty was born on 25 January 1944 in Mexico City, Mexico. He was an actor, known for La princesa hippie (1969), Los 3 reyes magos (1976) and The City of Gods (1968). He died on 4 December 1993.