Frank Zappa's Early Life

Frank Vincent Zapa was born in Baltimore, Maryland,1940 65438+February 2 1. His mother Rosemary (maiden name is Collymore) is of Italian and French descent, and his father Francis Vincent Zapa is an Arab immigrant from Sicily and Patinico. Zapa's four children, the older, grew up in an Italian-American family, and Italians were often mentioned by his grandparents. This family often moves because his father is a chemist and mathematician who used to work in the national defense industry. In the 1940s, after a while, his family in Florida returned to Maryland. Zapa's father was at the Aberdeen proving ground at the Arsenal Chemical Defence Facility in Edgewood. Because their home is close to the arsenal where mustard gas is stored, gas masks are kept at home. This had a profound impact on Zapa, and bacteria, bacterial weapons and national defense industry happened in his work.

As a child, Zapa was often ill, suffering from asthma, earache and sinus diseases. A doctor treated his sinusitis by inserting a radium into each Zapa's nostril; One thing is known, and that is the potential danger, even a small amount of therapeutic radiation. Nose images and quotations appear in his music and lyrics, as well as album covers, such as collages created by his long-time collaborator karl schinkel.

Many childhood diseases in Zapa may be due to exposure to mustard gas. He lived in Baltimore when his health deteriorated. 1952, family moved for health reasons. They were moved. Next, in Monterey, California, his father taught metallurgy at the Naval Graduate School. They soon moved to Clermont, Elca Hong and finally settled in San Diego.

Zapa played his first band at Misson Bay High School in San Diego. He is a drummer in the band. At the same time, his parents bought a phonograph, which cultivated his interest in music and began to build his own record collection. The diameter of a single with B was bought early, and he started a big collection for the rest of his life. He himself is interested in sound, especially the sound of percussion instruments such as drums. /kloc-got snare drum Jr. at the age of 0/2, and began to learn the basic knowledge of percussion instruments in the orchestra. Zapa's keen interest in modern classical music began when he read an article in a fashion magazine about Sam gourmet record chain stores, praising its sales ability, LP. The little-known Edgard went to Varese. In the first volume of The Complete Works, Varese's percussion instruments were ionized, which led to EMS recording, "strange chaotic drums and other unpleasant sounds". Zapa decided to seek music from Varese. After more than a year of searching, Zapa's copy (he noticed this LP because Mad Scientist was looking for the cover photo of Varese). Not having enough money, he persuaded the salesman to sell his records at a discount. Thus began his lifelong love for Varese music and other modern classical composers.

Avant-garde composers who grew up in Zapa, such as Varese, halim Al-Daba, igor stravinsky, Anton Weber, R&; B and doo beat up groups (especially local Mexican youth groups wearing strange clothes) and the influence of modern jazz. His own heterogeneous ethnic background and the different social and cultural integration in Greater Los Angeles and its surrounding areas are very important for Zapa to form an underground music practitioner and his later distrust and open critical attitude towards "mainstream" society, politics and music. He often satirizes trends such as psychedelic, rock opera and disco music. Television also has a great influence, showing quotations from his later works, discovering exhibition themes and advertising songs.