Zappa family drama: A look at where Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva are today - LA Times Zappa family drama: A look at where Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva are today Ahmet Zappa Robert Gauthier / Los Angleles Times Ahmet Zappa in his parents' old office at the Zappa family compound in Laurel Canyon. Ahmet Zappa in his parents' old office at the Zappa family compound in Laurel Canyon. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angleles Times) By Randall Roberts Frank Zappa’s rich musical and cultural legacy, and which children have a right to profit off it, have recently become the subject of a public and contentious family battle . The children of Frank and Gail Zappa – Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva – were left unequal shares of the Zappa Family Trust, which owns the rights to a massive trove of music and other creative output by the songwriter, filmmaker and producer — more than 60 albums were released during Zappa’s lifetime and 40 posthumously.

Thanks to a decision by their mother, who died in 2015, Ahmet, 42, and his younger sister, Diva, 36, share control of the trust — to the dismay and anger of their two older siblings, Dweezil, 46, and Moon, 48, who received smaller portions. But each inherited equal levels of their father’s independent spirit, a sensibility that is seeing renewed attention due to the arrival of the documentary “Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words.” Below is a look at what the Zappa kids are up to now. Moon Unit Zappa Moon Unit Zappa (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) The eldest Zappa child is arguably the most well-known, due in large part to her teenage star turn on “Valley Girl.” The song, a collaboration between father and daughter that appeared on Frank’s 1982 album “Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch,” poked fun at the California Valleyspeak dialect unique to teenage girls in the San Fernando Valley at the time.

In the intervening decades, Moon has continued to live a creative life, appearing on such TV series as “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “How I Met Your Mother.” More recently, she voiced a character on the Fox’s animated show “High School USA!” Moon writes for film and television, does stand-up comedy and recently held a storytelling show in Portland, Ore. The artist is also very involved in yoga. During a recent conversation, Moon (who considers “Unit” to be her middle name) said that she had wanted to help spread the word about her father’s work and legacy but that Gail had mostly declined her ideas. She noted this was not a family fight over money or unfair proportions, recently tweeting, “This is about having to ask permission for use on OUR last name & creative exclusion.” “There were so many times that I had gone to her. I had suggested a biopic and a documentary. I had lined up all these elements,” said Moon, adding that she also pitched a family reality show and a curated album of Frank’s music designed with teenage girls in mind.

“Every single idea I brought to her, she shot down.” Moon said she loved “Eat That Question,” the new documentary about her father, calling it “such a universal story about following your calling, and how that road is not an easy road. It requires a kind of stamina and dedication, and that’s a great story, whether you’re a fan of that music or not.” At the top of Moon’s creative to-do list is a project sure to excite fans of Zappa and Los Angeles culture: “I'm working on a book about growing up in my crazy house.” Don’t expect her to pull any punches. Dweezil Zappa Dweezil Zappa (Francine Orr/ Los Angeles Times) The oldest son, perhaps best known to the public as an MTV VJ in the 1980s, is the most musically focused of the four kids. It’s Dweezil’s beef with the trust that first drew press attention to the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding use of the Zappa name. Specifically, the trust is trying to prevent Dweezil from touring as either Zappa Plays Zappa or Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa, citing trademark violations.

Until the tussle is settled, Dweezil will be touring under his own name, and he has dubbed that sojourn the Cease and Desist tour. He and his band will be performing his father’s work, with particular attention paid to songs from the Mothers of Invention’s “Freak Out!,” which this week celebrated its 50th anniversary. I, of all the people in the family, spent time with him doing something because we had it in common -- guitar [and] music. — Dweezil Zappa said of his father Dweezil takes his job as Frank’s musical ambassador seriously. “My concern is to just be able to continue to enjoy the music, live within the music, play the music, and express that and allow new people to discover that in a live situation,” he said. “I, of all the people in the family, spent time with him doing something because we had it in common -- guitar [and] music.” In addition to playing his father’s music, the skilled guitarist has landed guest appearances over the years with such artists as Winger, Pat Boone, Spinal Tap (lead guitar on “Break Like the Wind”), Weird Al Yankovic and the Dixie Dregs.

Last year, Dweezil released his first solo album in nine years, “Via Zammata,” featuring work that mixes rock, jazz and funk. The album’s highlights include the mesmerizing instrumental “Truth,” the jangly, Beatles-esque pop of “Just the Way She Is” and a Zappa-inspired experiment called “ Malkovich ,” which features vocals by John Malkovich. Dweezil Zappa begins his Cease and Desist tour in El Prado, N.M., on July 1. Ahmet Zappa Ahmet Zappa (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Ahmet has taken charge of day-to-day operations of the Zappa Family Trust. Although those responsibilities are myriad and include running its record labels, advancing Frank’s legacy and protecting his copyrights, Ahmet views his main role as serving the will of the fans and “for people to make the connection to my father's entire body of work.” Running the trust is “totally in my wheelhouse,” he said during a recent conversation at the Zappa compound.

In his professional career, he’s run a division of Disney called Kingdom Comics and, with his wife, Shana Muldoon Zappa, created the Disney-owned brand Star Darlings, which is centered on empowering tween girls. Star Darlings merchandise includes books and dolls and is available at Wal-Mart, Target and other big-box stores. What's great about Frank is that he really is the person guiding things, because he said it, he played it, he shot it. He really is the moral compass. — Ahmet Zappa Said Ahmet, “I always wanted to be a storyteller. That makes me the happiest – storytelling in any medium.” He added that when it comes to his philosophy on matters of the trust, he need only refer to his father’s blueprint. “What's great about Frank is that he really is the person guiding things, because he said it, he played it, he shot it. He really is the moral compass.” Describing his father as “a complicated person” and an amazing musician, Ahmet said that one of his jobs as trustee was to convey the sheer breadth of Frank’s compositional skills.

“One thing that I want people to understand, which I think is underdeveloped, is the focus of him as a modern-day composer. His orchestral pieces, that aspect of his life -- more and more people want to play that music, which makes me so happy.” Ahmet added that while his dad provided posthumous guidance, he learned how to run the business by looking to his mom. Citing “what my mother endured, and her business mind, and her creativity,” he said, “It's pretty cool to be more like Gail Zappa.” Diva Zappa Diva Zappa (Twitter) The youngest Zappa child is also the most press-shy. Speaking on the phone from London earlier in the month, Diva had just returned from Prague, where the Czech National Symphony Orchestra had performed an evening of her father’s music. She said that one of her primary roles in the trust is to be present when her father's work is highlighted. “What do I think my responsibility is? To show up and be open,” she said. “Experience everything. Show up and see what happens and try to do the best I can in every situation for the good of everyone in my family. And that’s including future generations.

Everything we do is really to take care of all of us.” Aside from her role in ensuring Frank’s legacy, Diva is a visual artist and fashion designer who works with knitwear. "When I knit, I never know what will happen,” Diva told the British newspaper the Independent in 2011. “I am inspired by all that is around me, light, trees, leaves, colours, breath, sounds, sparks, magic, beauty, frustration, heat, love, coffee, humour, feathers, shadows, smells... everything. It all gets in there somehow." The designer’s work appeared on the Grammy red carpet in 2009 when Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo’s wife, Chloe, wore a Diva dress. Diva is currently at work on a scarf, but not just any scarf. “ Emilio the Scarf ” is a project with its own Twitter handle.

Described on the profile page as “a magical piece of art,” the scarf promises that “one day I will be 5,280 feet long.” ALSO Dweezil Zappa - Biography - IMDb Dweezil Zappa Jump to: Overview (2) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trivia (8) | Personal Quotes (3) Overview (2) Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa Mini Bio (1) Dweezil Zappa was born on September 5, 1969 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA as Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa. He is known for his work on Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man (1994), The Running Man (1987) and Pretty in Pink (1986). He has been married to Lauren Knudsen since September 3, 2005. They have two children. Spouse (1) ( 3 September 2005 - present) (filed for divorce) (2 children) Trivia (8) Cousin of Lala Sloatman Attended Walter Reed Jr. High in North Hollywood, CA.

Was always called Dweezil by his family, but wasn't registered as such on his birth certificate; the hospital where he'd been born refused to record the unusual name, so father Frank gave him the names of his bandmates. When Dweezil found out about this as a boy, he wanted to make the name official - so his parents took him to legally change it. New TV show, with Lisa Loeb , Dweezil & Lisa (2004). [March 2005] Just finished the "Zappa plays Zappa" tour [October 2007] Personal Quotes (3) [on the 'Zappa Plays Zappa' project] We've been doing this since 2006 and we started with the simple goal to give people an opportunity to see and hear the music played live, a chance to hear a selection of songs that, in my estimation, is the best representation of my dad's work. Part of the struggle is that his music is relegated to a novelty section - a combination of novelty and nostalgia at this point. My feelings are very different. To me his music is still very contemporary, if not still from the future.

There's stuff he's done that nobody else ever came close to. [on 'St. Alonzo's Pancake Breakfast'] As a kid, his song about pancakes was the best thing ever. There's a crazy interlude at the end. It's a very short song - under two minutes - but it has this one interlude that's the most difficult thing he ever wrote. I learned it on the guitar. I didn't really hear any music other than what my dad was working on until I was twelve. My recollection of hearing other music was that I liked some things that I heard but I always thought,'Where's the rest of it?'. It didn't have the same amount of detail or instrumentation in the arrangements. I liked a lot of the things other people liked - Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Van Halen, AC/DC - but if I compared it to my dad's music, there just seemed to be elements missing. See also The top 10 bizarre children names of celebrities - People - Entertainment The top 10 bizarre children names of celebrities Moon Unit Zappa.

Photo: Brendan Esposito Frank Zappa's daughter Moon Unit has topped a list of celebrity offspring with the most bizarre names, according to an online poll published today. Another of the late US singer-songwriter's four children - Dweezil - also makes the top 10 at No. 7, but there are no mentions of his two other children: Ahmed Emuukha Rodan and Diva Muffin. Moon Unit Zappa won out ahead of Apple, daughter of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Behind them followed Misty Kyd, Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri's daughter; Geronimo, Blur bass guitarist Alex James's son; and Heavenly Hirani Tiger Lily, the only daughter of the late INXS star Michael Hutchence and Paula Yates. The survey of 2300 people - carried out by online entertainment site getLIVE.co.uk - found the names of Michael Jackson's children, Prince Michael and Prince Michael II, were not "wacko" enough for the top 10. "Rock stars have always been known for their outrageous living," said the website's international new media vice-president, Mark Yovich.

"But no amount of sex, drugs and debauchery can ever be as bad as naming your offspring a peculiar name that they have to live with for the rest of their life." Asked once why he gave his children such unusual names, Zappa reputedly said simply: "Because I wanted to." He also considered "Zappa" might be more of a problem than their unconventional first names. The top 10 is: 1 Moon Unit - Frank Zappa 2 Apple - Chris Martin/Gwyneth Paltrow 3 Misty Kyd - Sharleen Spiteri 4 Geronimo - Alex James 5 Heavenly Hirani Tiger Lily - Michael Hutchence/Paula Yates 6 Dandelion - Keith Richards (Rolling Stones) 7 Dweezil - Frank Zappa 8 Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q - Bono (U2) 9 Zowie Bowie - David Bowie 10 Rufus Tiger - Roger Taylor (Queen) AFP Dweezil Zappa & Moon Unit - First thoughts about Dweezil Zappa & Moon Unit Dweezil Zappa (born September 5, 1969) is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor.

Moon Unit Zappa (born September 28, 1967) is an American actress, musician, and author. 2.3/5 Dweezil Zappa Moon Unit Frank Zappa Moon Unit Zappa Steven Spielberg Best Picture Normal Life Shirley Booth Yosemite Valley 15 Dec 2015 19:20 Frank Zappa was an incredible musician but an even better child namer. . Sons: Dweezil & Ahmet. Daughters: Moon Unit & Diva Muffin 09 Dec 2015 08:33 When life gets too serious remember that Frank Zappa 's kids are called Moon Unit Zappa , Diva Muffin Zappa and Dweezil Zappa. 09 Sep 2015 16:04 We should have realised America had gone too far when Frank Zappa named his children 'Moon Unit', 'Dweezil' and 'Diva Muffin' imo 14 Jul 2015 09:31 Frank Zappa 's children are named Moon Unit, Ahmet, Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen and Dweezil Zappa.

Like that fact? 05 Jun 2014 06:05 Um. Um. As a personal friend of all the Zappa offspring, I do hope you know it's Dweezil, Ahmet, Moon Unit and Diva 25 Apr 2014 15:34 Frank Zappa , a famous composer of rock history, named his son Dweezil Zappa and his daughter Moon Unit Zappa . What a badass 21 Mar 2014 11:15 ALSO TODAY. 1957 - Shirley Booth made her TV acting debut in "The Hostess with the Mostest" on CBS. 1980 - On the TV show Dallas, J.R. Ewing was shot. 1990 - " Normal Life " with Moon Unit & Dweezil Zappa premiered on CBS-TV. 1851 - Yosemite Valley was discovered in California. 1965 - The U.S. launched Ranger 9. It was the last in a series of unmanned lunar explorations. 1982 - The movie "Annie" premiered 1994 - Steven Spielberg won his first Oscars.

They were for Best Picture and best director for "Schindler's List." 14 Nov 2013 01:21 Anybody know where Moon Unit and Dweezil Zappa are? LOL 11 Nov 2013 21:14 one thing that could be fun to remember is that Frank Zappa 's kids are named "Dweezil" and "Moon Unit" 08 Oct 2013 02:14 Those poor kids. That third one might even be worse than Moon Unit or Dweezil (Zappa) 12 Jun 2013 19:50 "Government is the entertainment division of the military-industrial complex." ~ Frank Zappa He did name his kids Dweezil and Moon Unit but he was wise in other areas. 26 May 2013 18:56 I'm going to be like Frank Zappa when I have kids and name them Moon Unit and Dweezil 24 May 2013 00:55 In case you didn't know...

Frank Zappa 's children's names: Ahmet, Diva, Dweezil, and Moon Unit 22 May 2013 13:31 Sooo in other news Frank Zappa 's children are called Dweezil and Moon Unit 21 May 2013 20:28 whenever you're having a bad day, remember that there are famous siblings named Dweezil, Moon Unit, Diva, and Ahmet Zappa. 21 May 2013 02:42 can we just reflect on how Zappa literally named two of his kids "Dweezil" and "Moon Unit" 19 May 2013 22:02 Moon Unit and Dweezil are amazing names. 18 May 2013 19:57 you know what I like about Frank Zappa ? Nothing.well maybe Moon Unit... 13 May 2013 23:25 Still can't get over the fact that Frank Zappa named his daughter Moon Unit... 07 May 2013 05:34 idk maaayne.

Frank Zappa named his kids Moon Unit, Dweezil, and Diva Muffin..wouldn't put it past Kanye 06 May 2013 06:57 From Frank Zappa âs Moon Unit, Dweezil & Diva Thin Muffin to Gwyneth Paltrowâs Appleâ¦celebs are responsible for leading this tacky trend. 04 May 2013 18:19 Frank Zappa 's kids are called Dweezil (boy) Ahmet Emuukha Rodan (boy) Moon Unit (girl) and Diva Muffin (girl). Ill have what hes having 04 May 2013 18:08 âHey elevator people, for the last time, I am NOT Frank Zappa !â Tell that to your kids Dweezil & Moon Unit.

04 May 2013 04:34 Diva Muffin (Parents Frank and Gail Zappa, whose other kids are Dweezil, Ahmet and Moon Unit) 04 Dec 2012 16:56 After a too-short and much-needed vacation, Today in music history is back! Today in music history- December 4, 1971- Sly and the Family Stone started a 5-week run at on the US single chart with 'Family Affair', their third US 1971- Don McLean's âAmerican Pieâ entered the US Hot 100. The eight and a half minute song would eventually sell over 3 million copies. 1988- Roy Orbison played his final ever gig when he appeared in Cleveland, Ohio. Orbison died of a heart attack two days later. 1993- Multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer, Frank Zappa died of prostrate cancer. Zappa recorded many albums with The Mothers Of Invention as well a solo recordings including the 1969 album 'Hot Rats' and 1974 album 'Apostrophe'.

Zappa recorded one of the first concept albums, 'Freak Out' released in 1966, it was also one of the earliest double albums in rock music (although Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde preceded it by a week). He married Adelaide Gail Sloatman, in 1967, they had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil ... 04 Nov 2012 15:36 As much as I love Frank Zappa , Dweezil and Moon Unit are *** fool names. 31 Oct 2012 05:19 Congrats to ! Frank Zappa may have a Dweezil, a Moon Unit, and an Ahmet, but he ain't named a kid Syzygy. 22 Oct 2012 18:12 Frank Zappa named his 4 kids Moon Unit, Diva Thin Muffin,dweezil and Ahemet.why,to laugh at there birth certs.unusual?

18 Oct 2012 03:23 âDear Lord Toni Braxton named her kid Denimâ Frank Zappa wins with Dweezil and Moon Unit for his kids' names 17 Oct 2012 10:02 Moon Unit and Diva Thin Muffin Children Of: Frank Zappa He named his other kids Dweezil and Ahmet Genius this one 03 Jul 2012 04:06 Fair enough I suppose. But Frank Zappa got to name his kids Dweezil and Moon Unit. Doesn't make it any less retarded. 02 Jul 2012 02:49 How to play Lets Talk About by Dweezil Zappa(feat. Moon Unit)on guitar: via 17 Jun 2012 14:20 Thinking of Frank Zappa on father's day. the man who called 2 of his kids Dweezil & Moon Unit... 16 Jun 2012 08:28 ...played by someone called Soleil Moon!

Speaking of which, there's Frank Zappa 's kids - Dweezil, Moon Unit, Ahmet and Diva! 14 Jun 2012 15:58 couldn't be worse tha Frank Zappa 's children... Moon Unit and Dweezil 19 May 2012 15:28 Back in the day when there used to be real music videos on TV. This is from 1986 or possibly early 1987. Watch Dweezil and Moon Unit tear it up as daddy Fran...

16 May 2012 19:37 "The next time you want to complain to me about the "funny name" you have, remember" Zappa named his kids Moon Unit and Dweezil." 01 Apr 2012 02:13 Frank Zappa would be upset to hear that the "Name your son Dweezil and daughter Moon Unit" craze never really took off like he had planned An interview with Ahmet Zappa | Music | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close They were the household that inverted the rules, where parents weren't authority figures but friends, and visiting them felt like a trip to some suburban version of Woodstock. Ahmet Zappa grew up in Los Angeles in the 70s and 80s, the envy of all his friends. His father was the legendary and iconoclastic musician Frank Zappa . His upbringing was deeply unconventional. "Kids loved coming over to my house," recalls 32-year-old Ahmet,who has just published his first children's book. "They marvelled that we could swear, that we called our parents by their first names (Frank and Gail).

I felt bad for them: they had restrictions we didn't have. We had total freedom of speech. My father saw cursing as an expression of anger. There's a story in my family that my first words were 'Fuck you,'" he says grinning. "But our parents taught us it's the intention behind what you say, not the words themselves, that can hurt someone's feelings." As a musician, Frank was prolific (more than 70 albums), experimental and sophisticated, and with his band, the Mothers of Invention, worked in genres as disparate as orchestral, rock, jazz, and satire. There were biting songs about hippies and hypocritical politicians, Valley Girl, sung with daughter Moon Unit, became the theme tune of the 1980s West Coast bimbo. He was highly politicised, fighting censorship and encouraging audiences to vote - before his death from prostate cancer in 1993, he even considered running for president. As a parent, he similarly challenged the status quo. "The more boring a child is, the more the parents, when showing off the child, receive adulation for being good parents - because they have a tame child-creature in their house," Frank said of his parenting philosophy.

"We were never talked down to as kids," says Ahmet, who appears the antithesis of showbusiness progeny, unpretentious with a sharp sense of humour about himself. "Right away we were recognised as individuals and brought up to believe in ourselves. My parents always said, 'You like that, you pursue that.' "I think what my father appreciated was the science experiment of life. He had these kids, and they had their own experiences. He wanted us to discover the world for ourselves. My parents told us how they felt but never imposed their beliefs on us, although I appreciate I got a healthy sense of democracy from them. When it came to discipline my dad never spanked us. If he said to you, 'You're acting like a jerk,' that was the worst thing ever." But Frank also had a whimsical side, manifested in a love of monster movies. Ahmet (whose middle name, Rodan, was the monster who destroyed Tokyo in the 50s Japanese sci-fi classic of the same name) has vivid memories of watching and laughing at monster movies with Frank.

"He loved how bad they were, all the cheesy outfits." Yet if you were a kid already obsessed with monsters, watching movies that confirmed their existence proved both terrifying and exhilarating. "I saw monsters all the time when I was a kid - devil faces in window panes, cats out of the corners of my eyes, ghosts, too. "I was afraid of monsters, but at the same time I loved them," he explains. "I think if you ever feel like an outsider [Ahmet struggled with dyslexia and left school at 12] you relate to them being unique. But I would always ask my parents, 'How come the monsters don't win?'" His new children's book, The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless, grew out of this childhood obsession. It features the McFearless family, who are in the lucrative business of monster-hunting. When their father is kidnapped by vengeful monsters, Max, nine, and Minerva, 11, aided by Ms Monstranomicon, a book of monster-repelling recipes, set out to save him from beings such as grumplemeisers.

(As a child, what Ahmet desperately needed was an advice book on how to repel monsters, say, when they emerged from under your bed and announced they were about to eat you.) Though written in the voice of the oft- irritated-by-her-younger-brother Minerva, Ahmet says she is not a surrogate for his elder sister, Moon Unit. "Moon is seven years older, and was more like having a best friend and second mom. I really blindly followed the pecking order, Mother, Dad, Moon, Dweezil, me. I would ask my parents something, but then go to my siblings. We were encouraged to bounce ideas off everyone." Still, he admits, the daily rhythms of the Zappa household, where the parents were married for 26 years, revolved around Frank, who worked at home in a studio. "My father would often work all night and sleep during the day, so for us, dinner might be pancakes, and breakfast might be beef stroganoff. It was all tailor-made for him, and it's a very Italian, macho, thing to have a household run that way.

He wasn't like, 'OK, everyone around the table, let's have dinner.' Food was fuel to him. It definitely was our own unique universe." There were times - watching The Brady Bunch, for example - when Ahmet did wonder about his family. "I did question, 'Why are we like this in comparison to them? Aren't they normal?'" He laughs now, remembering how he wanted to go on camping vacations like the Bradys did. "Instead I was going on tour with my father, which was great, but it didn't have that sort of simplicity. Still, I wouldn't change anything about my childhood whatsoever." Frank was utterly committed to music and toured extensively, but the cornerstone of the rock life, drugs, were verboten in the Zappa home. Frank famously told his children, "You see those people? They're using drugs as an excuse to be an asshole." "My dad was always about the work, a real taskmaster when it came to music. But people think if you have an imagination you must be using some mind-altering substance, otherwise, how could you think of that?

That saddens me, because I've never smoked cigarettes or taken a drug in my life, and ideas pop into my head all day long." Ahmet is now writing the second in a trilogy of children's books and producing television, but previously worked as an actor, musician and TV host. "I think that some kids are conditioned not to follow their creative spark, whereas we were," he says. "We were encouraged to draw, perform - if we cracked a joke our parents said, 'Give us more.'" Pouncing on creative impulses was the guiding mantra in the Zappa world, starting with the four children's names. Even in the era of Apple, Peaches and Brooklyn, Moon Unit (first in the family unit), today a writer Dweezil (nickname of his mother's baby toe), a musician Diva (loudest baby), an actor and Ahmet ("When my parents were broke they had this imaginary servant called Ahmet") still sound wacky. "My parents gave us names that meant something to them, although at one stage I didn't think Ahmet was original enough. And the kids at school called me Ahmet/Vomit, so I wanted to change my name.

I liked Starbuck (after Battlestar Galactica), or the other option was Rick, which I thought was a tough name. So I decided to go with Rick, and just before school started I got a new folder and asked Dweezil to write, 'My name is Rick Zappa' on the cover." At school he announced his new moniker, "and I mean nothing rhymes with Rick, except, oh, say, dick," he cracks up. "So I went back to Ahmet - and this is an example of my parents' sense of humour, when I asked for a new folder they said, 'No, you picked it, you own it.' And to drive it home they would say, 'Soooo, how's Rick today?'" Single, and recently separated from his wife, the actress Selma Blair, his book is dedicated to his future child. "I look forward to becoming a father," he says, noting that when the time comes he will take pages out of his parents' book and write some of his own. "I would do certain things differently because I think the world is different. I'd encourage my kids to be proficient in multiple technologies, languages, and self-defence," he jokes.

"But one thing I'll insist on - monster movies with Dad. Absolutely." Moon Zappa | Chamblee54 Moon Zappa Posted in Library of Congress , Music , Undogegorized by chamblee54 on October 14, 2014 The current WTF Podcast features Moon Zappa. At no time does she say grody, gag me with a spoon, or boofoos. Today, she is the divorced mother of an eight year old, and buys quality apple butter. Moon is the daughter of the late Frank Zappa. FZ did not do drugs, smoked Winston cigarettes, and spent all his time working on music. The four children, Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva, called the parents Frank and Gail. Mrs. Zappa stays busy these days selling her husbands music. Once, Moon broke a finger in school. She called Gail, and waited. Eventually, the family Rolls Royce pulled up. Gail was driving, with Frank in the passenger seat. Frank quit driving when his first drivers license expired. Before taking Moon to the ER, they stopped to get Frank a burrito.

Gail and Moon were walking to the store one day, when Moon was very little. A car stopped, and tried to pick up Gail. Moon screamed “Fuck off pervert.” Captain Beefheart was at the Zappa house one time. He had made a hole in the side of his nose with a pencil. When a finger was put over the other nostril, the nose became a whistle. While listening to this show, PG was editing pictures from The Library of Congress. Some of these images appear with this feature. This is a repost.

Like this: Interview: Ahmet Zappa | Life and style | The Guardian Life and style Interview: Ahmet Zappa Ahmet Zappa (son of Frank, brother of Moon Unit, Diva and Dweezil) changed his name to Rick at school - but apart from that brief rebellion, he loved his wild, unconventional childhood Sharon Krum Friday 28 July 2006 19.07 EDT First published on Friday 28 July 2006 19.07 EDT Share on Messenger Close They were the household that inverted the rules, where parents weren't authority figures but friends, and visiting them felt like a trip to some suburban version of Woodstock. Ahmet Zappa grew up in Los Angeles in the 70s and 80s, the envy of all his friends. His father was the legendary and iconoclastic musician Frank Zappa . His upbringing was deeply unconventional. "Kids loved coming over to my house," recalls 32-year-old Ahmet, who has just published his first children's book. "They marvelled that we could swear, that we called our parents by their first names (Frank and Gail).

I felt bad for them: they had restrictions we didn't have. We had total freedom of speech. My father saw cursing as an expression of anger. There's a story in my family that my first words were 'Fuck you,'" he says grinning. "But our parents taught us it's the intention behind what you say, not the words themselves, that can hurt someone's feelings." As a musician, Frank was prolific (more than 70 albums), experimental and sophisticated, and with his band, the Mothers of Invention, worked in genres as disparate as orchestral, rock, jazz, and satire. There were biting songs about hippies and hypocritical politicians, Valley Girl, sung with daughter Moon Unit, became the theme tune of the 1980s West Coast bimbo. He was highly politicised, fighting censorship and encouraging audiences to vote - before his death from prostate cancer in 1993, he even considered running for president. As a parent, he similarly challenged the status quo. "The more boring a child is, the more the parents, when showing off the child, receive adulation for being good parents - because they have a tame child-creature in their house," Frank said of his parenting philosophy.

"We were never talked down to as kids," says Ahmet, who appears the antithesis of showbusiness progeny, unpretentious with a sharp sense of humour about himself. "Right away we were recognised as individuals and brought up to believe in ourselves. My parents always said, 'You like that, you pursue that.' "I think what my father appreciated was the science experiment of life. He had these kids, and they had their own experiences. He wanted us to discover the world for ourselves. My parents told us how they felt but never imposed their beliefs on us, although I appreciate I got a healthy sense of democracy from them. When it came to discipline my dad never spanked us. If he said to you, 'You're acting like a jerk,' that was the worst thing ever." But Frank also had a whimsical side, manifested in a love of monster movies. Ahmet (whose middle name, Rodan, was the monster who destroyed Tokyo in the 50s Japanese sci-fi classic of the same name) has vivid memories of watching and laughing at monster movies with Frank.

"He loved how bad they were, all the cheesy outfits." Yet if you were a kid already obsessed with monsters, watching movies that confirmed their existence proved both terrifying and exhilarating. "I saw monsters all the time when I was a kid - devil faces in window panes, cats out of the corners of my eyes, ghosts, too. "I was afraid of monsters, but at the same time I loved them," he explains. "I think if you ever feel like an outsider [Ahmet struggled with dyslexia and left school at 12] you relate to them being unique. But I would always ask my parents, 'How come the monsters don't win?'" His new children's book, The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless, grew out of this childhood obsession. It features the McFearless family, who are in the lucrative business of monster-hunting. When their father is kidnapped by vengeful monsters, Max, nine, and Minerva, 11, aided by Ms Monstranomicon, a book of monster-repelling recipes, set out to save him from beings such as grumplemeisers.

(As a child, what Ahmet desperately needed was an advice book on how to repel monsters, say, when they emerged from under your bed and announced they were about to eat you.) Though written in the voice of the oft-irritated-by-her-younger-brother Minerva, Ahmet says she is not a surrogate for his elder sister, Moon Unit. "Moon is seven years older, and was more like having a best friend and second mom. I really blindly followed the pecking order, Mother, Dad, Moon, Dweezil, me. I would ask my parents something, but then go to my siblings. We were encouraged to bounce ideas off everyone." Still, he admits, the daily rhythms of the Zappa household, where the parents were married for 26 years, revolved around Frank, who worked at home in a studio. "My father would often work all night and sleep during the day, so for us, dinner might be pancakes, and breakfast might be beef stroganoff. It was all tailor-made for him, and it's a very Italian, macho, thing to have a household run that way.

He wasn't like, 'OK, everyone around the table, let's have dinner.' Food was fuel to him. It definitely was our own unique universe." There were times - watching The Brady Bunch, for example - when Ahmet did wonder about his family. "I did question, 'Why are we like this in comparison to them? Aren't they normal?'" He laughs now, remembering how he wanted to go on camping vacations like the Bradys did. "Instead I was going on tour with my father, which was great, but it didn't have that sort of simplicity. Still, I wouldn't change anything about my childhood whatsoever." Frank was utterly committed to music and toured extensively, but the cornerstone of the rock life, drugs, were verboten in the Zappa home. Frank famously told his children, "You see those people? They're using drugs as an excuse to be an asshole." "My dad was always about the work, a real taskmaster when it came to music. But people think if you have an imagination you must be using some mind-altering substance, otherwise, how could you think of that?

That saddens me, because I've never smoked cigarettes or taken a drug in my life, and ideas pop into my head all day long." Ahmet is now writing the second in a trilogy of children's books and producing television, but previously worked as an actor, musician and TV host. "I think that some kids are conditioned not to follow their creative spark, whereas we were," he says. "We were encouraged to draw, perform - if we cracked a joke our parents said, 'Give us more.'" Pouncing on creative impulses was the guiding mantra in the Zappa world, starting with the four children's names. Even in the era of Apple, Peaches and Brooklyn, Moon Unit (first in the family unit), today a writer; Dweezil (nickname of his mother's baby toe), a musician; Diva (loudest baby), an actor; and Ahmet ("When my parents were broke they had this imaginary servant called Ahmet") still sound wacky. "My parents gave us names that meant something to them, although at one stage I didn't think Ahmet was original enough. And the kids at school called me Ahmet/Vomit, so I wanted to change my name.

I liked Starbuck (after Battlestar Galactica), or the other option was Rick, which I thought was a tough name. So I decided to go with Rick, and just before school started I got a new folder and asked Dweezil to write, 'My name is Rick Zappa' on the cover." At school he announced his new moniker, "and I mean nothing rhymes with Rick, except, oh, say, dick," he cracks up. "So I went back to Ahmet - and this is an example of my parents' sense of humour, when I asked for a new folder they said, 'No, you picked it, you own it.' And to drive it home they would say, 'Soooo, how's Rick today?'" Single, and recently separated from his wife, the actress Selma Blair, his book is dedicated to his future child. "I look forward to becoming a father," he says, noting that when the time comes he will take pages out of his parents' book and write some of his own. "I would do certain things differently because I think the world is different. I'd encourage my kids to be proficient in multiple technologies, languages, and self-defence," he jokes.

"But one thing I'll insist on - monster movies with Dad. Absolutely." · The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless, by Ahmet Zappa, is published on August 3 by Puffin Books, priced £10.99 Dweezil Zappa as Ajax Dweezil Zappa as Ajax Dweezil Zappa voices the character Ajax, the slow yet kind-hearted son with the surfer inflected tones in Duckman the USA Network animated adult comedy series from Klasky Csupo, Inc. and Reno and Osborn Productions in association with Paramount Domestic Television. One of four children of the legendary experimental musician Frank Zappa, Dweezil was born and raised in Los Angeles. His previous television acting experience includes guest-hosting duties on MTV and co-starring with his sister Moon Unit in the CBS-TV sitcom "Normal Life." Zappa's entertainment career began in music at the age of 13 when he recorded his debut single, "My Mother is a Space Cadet." He and his brother Ahmet formed the band Z in 1992 and will soon be releasing their second album, Music for Pets in January, 1996.

Shampoohorn, Z's premiere album, was released in early 1994. His previous releases include Confessions, which he also produced, and Havin' A Bad Day. Dweezil performs regularly on "The Conan O'Brien Show," and he, himself, appears as a frequent guest. In addition to his albums, Zappa has composed soundtracks and theme music for television and movies including his series, "Normal Life," and the Emmy-winning "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" and "The Ben Stiller Show" programs. Zappa lives in Los Angeles. Duckman is carried in the USA Network. The series is produced by Klasky Csupo, Inc. and Reno and Osborn Productions in association with Paramount Domestic Television. Paramount Pictures is a part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc. Internet Movie Database information on Dweezil Zappa Duckman is a Klasky Csupo / Paramount Television production in association with Reno & Osborn Productions and based upon the underground comic created by Everett Peck. Most exotic baby names revealed from Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen to Buddy Bear Maurice - Mirror Online Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email In a spectacular case of celebrity “pot, meet ­kettle”, rocker Bob Geldof is less than keen on his new grandchild’s name Astala, calling it “daft”. But when his daughter Peaches Honeyblossom named her boy, she was continuing a ­family tradition of bizarre baby names. Astala will feel right at home with his aunties Fifi Trixibelle, Little Pixie and ­Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily. Hanging a huge name around a child’s neck is asking for trouble. Then giving them a trust fund, fast car and access to private ­prescription drugs means you can expect calls at 3am from the cops before they don’t take their GCSEs. It’s a full-time job being a ­celebrity child with a silly name and kids called Astala aren’t expected to do exams. But it’s not just celebrities who burden their children with kooky names. When I was pregnant, I wanted to call my child Sunny if she was a girl, after the lovely 1966 Bobby Hebb song. “Thank you for that smile on your face,” I trilled to my husband.

“Er, yeah, but what if she’s a ­miserable old trout,” he said, putting an end to that idea. Actually, as it turned out, I should have named her Will You Go To Ruddy Sleep? instead of Jesse. Baby joy: Peaches Geldof's Twitter pic of Astala (Photo: Twitter) It wasn’t unusual in my big London comprehensive school to meet kids with names dreamt up by hippy parents while members of the Baggin Alotta Hasheesh cult in the 1960s. Sadie Frost’s sister Sunshine ­Purple Tara Velvet was in the year below me and there was a girl called Moonbeam Rain, who mostly sat on the substitute bench on the school netball team – it was a relief she hadn’t been called Dream Catcher. In fact, the 1960s has a lot to ­answer for when it comes to ­experimental music and flower child names. The late, great, eccentric musician Frank Zappa called his children Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen, letting his son Ahmet off fairly lightly in hindsight.

When asked by Joan Rivers why he gave his kids odd names, Zappa replied: “Consider for a ­moment any beauty in the name Ralph.” I wonder if son Dweezil would agree? While it’s not unusual to see ­children named after seasons, months and days of the week, US rapper Vanilla Ice has taken it one step further with his daughters Dusti Rain and KeeLee Breeze. But some celebrities can’t even be bothered to think of a name at all. US actor David Duchovny called his boy Kyd, which ­almost amounts to parental neglect. And maybe U2 frontman Bono was on an American tour when he got the ­inspiration for daughter Memphis Eve’s name. These days, the 20-year-old actress just calls herself Eve, sparking hope that Bono’s DNA (Daft Naming ­Affectation) hasn’t been inherited and his grandkids could be called Barry or Carol. While most celebrity parents just stick to one of their offspring, some famous families decide to go for a job lot in bonkers names. The US actor Forest Whitaker says he ­wanted to “kinda touch their destiny” when he called his kids ­Autumn, Sonnet, Ocean and True.

Which, in fairness, he did – if they decide to become strippers. Unique names: Jamie and Jools with Buddy Bear Maurice, Daisy Boo, Petal Blossom Rainbow and Poppy Honey (Photo: PA) Closer to home, TV chef Jamie Oliver and wife Jools named their three girls Poppy ­Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo and Petal Blossom ­Rainbow and their son Buddy Bear Maurice. When quizzed, Jamie did the usual bloke thing and blamed his wife, saying: “Jools is in charge of baby names.” But research by Dottybingo.com shows 43% of parents have second thoughts after naming their child. It explained: “Parents who name their child after ­celebrities who disappear into obscurity or fall from grace are left disappointed. "The perfect example is the number of people who named their kids Jordan in the early Noughties only to regret it since Katie Price ditched it.” But no amount of Waynes, Coleens and Kais zooming up the UK baby name charts can beat New Zealand, the world’s top destination for ­exposing your child to ridicule.

Not only have the names Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii and 4Real been banned there, a judge revealed twins called Fish and Chips, and the name Sex Fruit were also blocked. But Number 16 Bus Shelter and Violence were allowed. In Malaysia, Chow Tow (Smelly Head) is banned while, in Denmark, Anus was rejected. And a father in Japan was forced to back down from calling his son Akuma (Devil), although, as a ­parent, I have sympathy with his choice. They all make most celebrity kids sound tame in comparison, except for my favourite entry from Northern Exposure US actor Rob ­Morrow, whose daughter is called Tu. His wife’s last name is Ayer, which means yesterday in Spanish. He said: “We wanted to carry on the tradition and named her Tu Morrow.” I look forward to those therapy bills when Tu can start claiming she doesn’t know whether she’s coming or going... Top five silly names 1 Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116. Pronounced “Albin” in Sweden. 2 1069.

Pronounced “One Zero Six Nine” but the American says friends can call him “One Zero” for short. 3 III, pronounced “Three”. Californian Thomas Boyd Ritchie III wanted to shorten his name. 4 @. In China, a couple tried to use this symbol to name their son as it looked like “Love Him” in Chinese characters. 5 Darren QX Bean! QX is pronounced as “Lloyd”. A Californian judge allowed this name change, and even accepted that the exclamation mark after Bean! denotes a raised tone. Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent Dweezil Zappa | New Music And Songs | Dweezil Zappa About Dweezil Zappa Son of Frank Zappa and a heavy metal disciple of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai, Dweezil released his first album, Havin' a Bad Day, in 1986. He worked a stint as a VJ on MTV, appeared in the films Pretty in Pink and The Running Man, and had a brief sojourn in TV situation comedy with his sister Moon Unit, on 1988-1989's Normal Life.

Dweezil also issued his second album, My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama, in 1988, following it in 1991 with Confessions, and subsequently took a break from solo recording. He worked in television for a time, composing the theme song to the sadly short-lived Ben Stiller Show and voicing the character of Ajax on the brilliant USA Network animated series Duckman. He next formed the band Z with brother Ahmet on vocals; the group released two albums together: 1994's Shampoohorn and 1996's Music for Pets. In addition to his work as a session guitarist, Zappa busied himself with Happy Hour (a TV show for the USA Network that debuted in 1999 and was co-hosted with Ahmet), and his first solo album in nine years, 2000's mostly instrumental Automatic. Following this, Dweezil fell back out of the public eye and re-dedicated himself to learning guitar, changing his style a bit and adopting many of his father's picking techniques.

In 2005, he assembled a crack band of younger players and recruited FZ alumni Steve Vai, Terry Bozzio, and Napoleon Murphy Brock for the critically acclaimed Zappa Plays Zappa tour, which hit the road in the summer of 2006. The band (with Brock ostensibly as the frontman) performed an entire program of Frank Zappa compositions with Vai and Bozzio appearing as guests and Dweezil himself as lead guitarist/bandleader. Between legs of that tour, he released Go with What You Know, easily his most ambitious album to date. A studio version and DVD of Zappa Plays Zappa appeared in 2008 with a live album from the project -- Return of the Son Of... -- following in 2010. Several more Zappa Plays Zappa-related concert recordings appeared over the next couple years: Live - 'In the Moment' (2011), double CD F.O.H. (2012), and F.O.H. III: Out of Obscurity (also 2012).

Dweezil returned to the studio and released Via Zammata', his first proper solo album in nearly a decade, in 2015. The album contained a vocal cameo by actor John Malkovich, as well as a song called "Dragon Master," which was based around lyrics written by Frank. ~ Cub Koda & Steve Huey, Rovi Hear more of

Question: Which musician called his children Moon Unit and Dweezil?
Answer: Frank Zappa