In a recent interview with Lyndsey Parker, Frank Zappa’s son Dweezil discussed whether being Frank Zappa’s son was an advantage or disadvantage, and shared some advice his father had given him.
“It’s not as if having a famous last name in this area did a lot to open too many doors because my dad was not really popular in the way ‘traditional thoughts’ of rock stars are popular,” he admitted. “He was kind of more a guy that drew a bit of concern from people. He had ideas that were bigger than most could handle.”
He recalled his father’s warning about his last name: “He always said the last name is what will get you in trouble. It’s not going to be something that’s going to help you.”
In another interview, Dweezil recalled what kind of people his father had to deal with. “You might find people who could potentially have the technical skills, but they don’t have the right personality to even be on the tour bus,” the musician told The Arizona Republic. “You have to look for the person that enjoys the music but also enjoys staying in their lane. If you’re working with an orchestra, each section has a role and they stay in that role. The cello guy is not to play the flute part.”
“That’s what my dad was always dealing with – people that would want to draw attention to themselves by changing what their role was, playing things they’re not supposed to play, changing the harmony, changing a chord or doing something that is not a written part. And once they started thinking they can do that, they didn’t last. My dad’s famous quote was, ‘Window or aisle, how would you like to return home?’” he added.
In early 2025, Dweezil will kick off the next leg of his ‘Rox(Postroph)y’ Tour. The tour will celebrate the 50th anniversary of two iconic albums by his father: ‘Apostrophe(‘)’ and ‘Roxy & Elsewhere.’