Frank Zappa

Gail Zappa, widow of the late Frank Zappa, died this afternoon at the age of 70.

Hold onto your wallets, Frank Zappa fans.

Frank Zappa's first solo album, Lumpy Gravy, was released in May 1968.

By the time Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention released their fifth album, Uncle Meat, in April 1969, it was evident that he was a creative, prolific and adventurous force.

On many levels — creative, personal, and business-related — 1979 would go down as a banner year in the long and storied career of Frank Zappa.

Several months after the release of the fifth Mothers of Invention album, 'Uncle Meat,' in March 1969, Frank Zappa pulled the plug, at least for now, on the band.

Frank Zappa's most commercially successful album was released on March 22, 1974.

Like much of the material that came out under Frank Zappa's name in the late '70s, 1979's 'Sleep Dirt' has a complicated history. Also like much of the work that ended the artist's most prolific decade, 'Sleep Dirt' had its roots in a shelved, four-LP set that Zappa's record company refused to release.

Frank Zappa died on Dec. 4, 1993.

The famous fire at the Montreux Jazz Festival took place on Dec. 4, 1971

On Dec. 2, 1968, a mysterious group of pompadoured cartoon faces turned back the clock of music history to highlight the golden era of doo-wop with their self-referencing album ‘Cruising With Ruben & the Jets.’

Frank Zappa's ‘Studio Tan’ album was released in September 1978.