Dweezil Zappa

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Dweezil Zappa
Dweezil Zappa in Denmark with Zappa Plays Zappa, October 13, 2007
Background information
Birth name	Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa
Born	September 5, 1969 (1969-09-05) (age 40)
Origin	Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres	Rock, hard rock, heavy metal, instrumental rock,
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1986–present
Associated acts	Z Ahmet Zappa Frank Zappa Zappa Plays Zappa
Website	Official website
Notable instruments
Gibson SG Hagström Viking Eric Johnson Stratocaster

Dweezil Zappa (born September 5, 1969) is an American rock guitarist.

Biography

Early life

Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Adelaide Gail Sloatman, who worked in business, and musician Frank Zappa.^[1] He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon Unit, younger sister Diva and younger brother Ahmet. He is the cousin of actress Lala Sloatman.^[2] Zappa's father was of Sicilian, Greek, Arab and French descent and his mother was of Danish, French, Irish and Portuguese ancestry.^[3]

Dweezil's registered birth name was Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa,^[4] although this occurred only because the hospital at which he was born refused to register him under the name Dweezil. The name was a nickname coined by Frank for an oddly-curled pinky-toe of Gail's. He was always called "Dweezil" by his family and was unaware that this was not the name on his birth certificate. Upon this discovery at the age of five, he insisted on having his nickname become his legal name. Gail and Frank hired an attorney and soon the name Dweezil was official.

Main career

In the 1980s, Zappa worked as an MTV VJ and was promptly fired after badmouthing MTV on The Howard Stern Show. He also recorded some solo albums, as well as playing for other artists. Zappa can be seen in the music video for Don Johnson's top 40 song, "Heartbeat". He also played co-lead guitar (along with Reb Beach) on Winger's cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze". Dweezil has said that Eddie Van Halen was his favorite guitar player, and he began copying Van Halen's distinctive guitar style. He also had a part in the futuristic Arnold Schwarzenegger movie The Running Man as Stevie ("Don't touch that dial!"), and gave his most famous cameo role in John Hughes's brat-pack movie starring Molly Ringwald Pretty in Pink as Andie's friend, Simon.

Since the early 1990s, Zappa has been working on a piece of music named "What the Hell Was I Thinking?", a 75-minute piece featuring guitar solos by dozens of famous guitar players. The project has suffered from numerous difficulties and has been reworked several times since the '90s. Dweezil said in September 2004:^[5] "I started recording it on analog tape almost 13 years ago... There are probably about 35 guest guitar players on it, everybody from Brian May to Edward van Halen, Eric Johnson, Angus and Malcolm Young — it's quite a crazy project. I'm still waiting and hoping to record Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as some of my final guests on there."^[5]

In the mid 1990s, Zappa voiced the character Ajax Duckman on the animated series Duckman. He also briefly appeared in the television sitcom Normal Life with sister Moon Unit Zappa and former Laverne and Shirley star Cindy Williams. He composed and performed the theme music for The Ben Stiller Show (the solo from Spinal Tap's "Break Like the Wind"). In 1999 Dweezil, alongside with his brother, Ahmet, starred in TV show called Happy Hour which debuted April 3, 1999 on the USA Network. The show lasted for one season.

Dweezil Zappa performing on the "Zappa Plays Zappa" tour in 2006. (Photo by Zack Sheppard.)

In "Weird Al" Yankovic's 2003 eleventh studio album Poodle Hat, Zappa performs the opening guitar solo and lends his vocal talents to the track, "Genius in France". In 2006, Zappa organized the "Zappa Plays Zappa" tour. He assembled a band of young musicians with a view to bring the music of Frank Zappa to a younger audience. The tour also featured guest appearances by Steve Vai, Napoleon Murphy Brock and Terry Bozzio. The tour began in Europe in May with dates in the U.S. from June. After a break it continued in the U.S. on October 18, 2006. The 2007 version of the tour ran from July, finishing in Australia in early December, and featured Ray White as special guest. The shows ended with the promise: "There are so many songs we want to learn to play ... see ya'll next year ...", and further tours in 2008 and 2009 have followed.^[6]

Dweezil Zappa at Bluesfest 2008 in Ottawa

Personal life

Zappa's first serious relationship of note was with Katie Wagner, daughter of actor Robert Wagner, star of the series Hart to Hart. Zappa also dated actress Molly Ringwald during the shooting on her movie Pretty In Pink. He had a brief courtship with a high-school actress Jill Sayre, whom he met while studying acting at the Milton Katselas Theatre and later went on to have a brief relationship with actress Sharon Stone.

For six years, Zappa dated musician Lisa Loeb. Zappa and Loeb wrote and performed music together, and even went on tour with Loeb's band. The couple co-hosted the cooking show Dweezil & Lisa on Food Network in 2004. The couple broke up in the summer of 2004.

Zappa married fashion stylist Lauren Knudsen on September 3, 2005 in Los Angeles. They have two daughters: Zola Frank Zappa (born 2006) and Ceylon Zappa (born 2008).^[7][8]

Musical equipment

Guitars

• Gibson SG - Custom built to replicate his father's SG.
• Hagström Viking - With an extra switch to control the tone.^[9]
• Eric Johnson Fender Stratocaster - Custom fitted with a piezo pickup.^[10]
• Fender Stratocaster - Originally used and burned by Jimi Hendrix and given to Dweezil's father.
• Babysnake SG - Luthier built guitar with onboard effects originally owned by his father.
• Gibson Les Paul - Late 70's early 80's model with onboard effects and coiltaps.
• Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster - Originally used during his fathers early career, heavily modified with various effects.
• Moser S.G (Backup for the Gibson SG)

Effects

• DBX 162 Stereo Compressor^[11]
• Eventide 949 Harmonizer
• Eventide Delay
• Mickmix Dynaflanger x2
• Aphex Expressor Compressor
• Acces Electronics MIDI Foot controller
• Mutron Bi-Phase
• Systech Harmonic Energizer
• Chandler Delay
• Afro Fuzz
• Real Octavia'
• Janglebox Compressor
• Digitech GSP 1101
• Native Instruments Guitar Rig^[12]
• Sound Sculpture Switchblade system^[13]
• Fractal Audio Systems Axe-Fx^[14]

Amplifiers

• Acoustic 270 amplifer
• Peavey Wiggy^[15]
• Cornford MK 5011^[13]
• Cornford MK 50H
• Cornford RK 100
• Cornford 4x12 Cabinet (One regular and one from the RK series.)
• Blankenship Leeds 18w
• Fender Super-Sonic head
• Fender Cyber-Twin SE
• Fender '65 Twin Reverb
• Fender G-DEC

Discography

Solo

• 1982 - My Mother is a Space Cadet
• 1986 - Havin' a Bad Day
• 1988 - My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama
• 1991 - Confessions
• 2000 - Automatic
• 2006 - Go with What You Know

With Ahmet Zappa

• 1994 - Shampoohorn
• 1996 - Music For Pets

With Zappa Plays Zappa

• 2008 - Zappa Plays Zappa

Guest appearances

• 2001 - 911, on "Top of the World"
• 2003 - "Weird Al" Yankovic's Poodle Hat album, on Genius In France

References

External links

• Dweezil Zappa's website
• Dweezil Zappa at the Internet Movie Database
• 2008 Dweezil Zappa interview with Jon Niccum