Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but his family moved around a lot while he was growing up because his father was in the defense industry. A self-taught musician, Zappa joined his first band in high school. Zappa was especially interested in classical, R&B, and avant-garde music, leading him to create an eclectic, experimental sound in his music that was difficult to categorize. With his band, The Mothers of Invention, and as a solo artist, Zappa released more than 60 albums throughout his career. Zappa died in 1993, at age 52, of prostate cancer. In 1995, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.