| − | '''Frank Zappa''' (1940-1993) was an [[avant-garde]] [[rock]] musician and [[guitar]] player. He wrote mainly guitar jams and songs of social satire with comedic (and often vulgar) lyrics. | + | '''Frank Zappa''' (1940-1993) was an [[avant-garde]] [[rock]] musician, [[guitar]] player, and [[composer]]. His music spanned a wide range of genres, though he is perhaps best known for his distinctive guitar-driven jams. Social satire also played a central role in nearly all of his music. |
| | + | A self described "practical conservative," Zappa was a libertarian politically and came close to running on the [[Libertarian Party]] ticket in the [[1988 Presidential Election]]. He was critical of anything he considered conformist, from [[organized religion]] to the [[hippie]] culture that was ascendant around the same time his music began to be. He is also notable for his staunch opposition to [[illegal drugs]], which he maintained throughout his life (though, being a libertarian, this was something he maintained mostly for the sake of himself and his various bandmates). |