Rock Musician, Artist. Known by his performing persona "Captain Beefheart", he was an influential figure of the "Underground Rock" genre of musicians during the late 1960s and 1970s. Inclined artistically at an early age, he was a gifted sculptor and painter who spent part of his youth living in the Mojave Desert (Lancaster, California) with his family. During his teenage years, he formed a lifelong friendship with musician Frank Zappa; they would collaborate on various projects during Van Vliet's career. His "Magic Band" was formed in 1964 with guitarist Ry Cooder (Beefheart himself was a harmonica player, harpist and flautist), and their first recorded single a cover of Bo Diddley's "Diddy Wah Diddy" was released. His heavily-influenced blues album "Safe As Milk" (1967) was the launching point of his career, as he blended a style of blues with verses of surrealism which defined his music. Soon after, he released his second album, "Strictly Personal" (1968). In 1969, he signed with Zappa's Straight Records label and continued to release albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, among them: "Trout Mask Replica" (1969), "Lick My Decals Off, Baby" (1970), "Mirror Man" (1971), "The Spotlight Kid" (1972), "Clear Spot" (1972), "Bluejeans & Moonbeams" (1974) and "Doc at the Radar Station" (1980). He released his final record, "Ice Cream for Crow" in 1982, and returned to a career of painting. He died from complications of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Rock Musician, Artist. Known by his performing persona "Captain Beefheart", he was an influential figure of the "Underground Rock" genre of musicians during the late 1960s and 1970s. Inclined artistically at an early age, he was a gifted sculptor and painter who spent part of his youth living in the Mojave Desert (Lancaster, California) with his family. During his teenage years, he formed a lifelong friendship with musician Frank Zappa; they would collaborate on various projects during Van Vliet's career. His "Magic Band" was formed in 1964 with guitarist Ry Cooder (Beefheart himself was a harmonica player, harpist and flautist), and their first recorded single a cover of Bo Diddley's "Diddy Wah Diddy" was released. His heavily-influenced blues album "Safe As Milk" (1967) was the launching point of his career, as he blended a style of blues with verses of surrealism which defined his music. Soon after, he released his second album, "Strictly Personal" (1968). In 1969, he signed with Zappa's Straight Records label and continued to release albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, among them: "Trout Mask Replica" (1969), "Lick My Decals Off, Baby" (1970), "Mirror Man" (1971), "The Spotlight Kid" (1972), "Clear Spot" (1972), "Bluejeans & Moonbeams" (1974) and "Doc at the Radar Station" (1980). He released his final record, "Ice Cream for Crow" in 1982, and returned to a career of painting. He died from complications of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Bio by: C.S.
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