A guitarist/composer that challenged boundries every year of his career was born on this day in Baltimore, Maryland in 1940. Frank Zappa was the first of four children born to a father of an Italian born chemist and mathmatics expert employed in the U.S. defense industry and a mother of Italian and French ancestory. After a stint in Florida, the Zappa family moved to California. Frank's first band gig was as a drummer. While a high school student, he met Don Van Vliet, the future Captain Beefheart. Frank's musical ambitions steered him into becoming an arranger for his high school orchestra. He then composed and arranged some music that was used in early to mid 60's films.
In 1965 he joined an R&B band known as the Soul Giants that got the attention of producer Tim Wilson, who shepherded the group into becoming the Mothers of Invention.
Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on December 21 include...
1943 Albert Lee is born.
1946 Beach Boy Carl Wilson is born.
1967 The Beatles stage a London party at the Royal Lancaster Hotel to preview the Magical Mystery Tour movie.
1967 Rolling Stones release Their Satanic Majesty’s Request.
1968 Crosby Stills & Nash make their live debut.
1969 Janis Joplin debuts her Kosmic Blues Band at Stax-Volt Records Christmas Party in Memphis.
1970 Elvis Presley visits the White House, giving Nixon a .44 pistol and getting a Narcotics Bureau badge from the President.
1985 Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. eclipses the record Michael Jackson set with Thriller for the longest run in the top 10 of sales in the Billboard chart when Bruce's 1984 release notched its 79th week.
1992 Guitar great Albert King dies of a heart attack. Born Albert Nelson in 1923, King had a big influence on a number of Rock guitar greats and became both a Blues and Rock Hall Of Fame member.
1994 Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee is arrested on abuse charge after complaint by girlfriend.
2005 Elton John united with partner in civil ceremony in London.
2012 Rolling Stones and Faces veteran Ronnie Wood marries Sally Humphreys in a private ceremony in London attended by Keith Richards, Paul McCartney and Rod Stewart.
2012 Paul Simon performs Sound of Silence at the funeral for a teacher killed in the Sandy Hook school shootings in Connecticut.
