Zappa: A Biography

Barry Miles

GROVE/ATLANTIC Incorporated, Sep 16, 2005 - Biography & Autobiography - 464 pages

Ten years after his death, Frank Zappa continues to influence popular culture. With almost one hundred recordings still in print, Zappa remains a classic American icon. Scores of bands have been influenced by (and have shamelessly imitated) his music, and a talented roster of musicians passed through Zappa’s bands. Now comes the definitive biography of Zappa by Barry Miles, best-selling author of Hippie and Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, who knew Zappa personally and was present at the recording of some of his most important albums. Miles follows Zappa from his sickly Italian-American childhood in the 1940s (his father worked for the military and was used to test the effectiveness of new biological warfare agents) to his youthful pursuit of what was a lifelong dream: becoming a classical composer. Zappa brings together the many different personalities of this music legend together for the first time: the self-taught musician and composer who gained fame with the “rock” band the Mothers of Invention; the political antagonist who mocked presidents while being invited by Vaclav Havel to represent Czechoslovakia’s cultural interests in the United States, and Zappa the family man who was married to the same woman for over thirty years.

What people are saying

Review: Zappa: A Biography

User Review  - Corrie Campbell - Goodreads

Barry Miles gets trashed by other reviewers and some of the critiques are justified especially when you don't get Zappa's date of death correct. Nonetheless, Miles attempts to write a well-rounded ...

Review: Zappa: A Biography

User Review  - Zach S. - Goodreads

Middle-of-the-road and decently entertaining Zappa biography.

About the author

Barry Miles is the critically acclaimed author of biographies of Bukowski, Ginsberg, Kerouac and Burroughs and of "The Beat Hotel," He also wrote "Hippie" and the authorised biography of Paul McCartney, "Many Years From Now," He lives in London, UK and France.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Zappa: A Biography; Volume 59 of @Evergreen black cat book; Volume 59 of Black cat books
• Author: Barry Miles
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: GROVE/ATLANTIC Incorporated, 2005
• ISBN: 080214215X, 9780802142153
• Length: 464 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Composers & Musicians