Frank Zappa performed music.
Frank Vincent Zappa ( December 21 , 1940 -- December 4 , 1993 ) was an American musician , activist and filmmaker . In a career spanning more than 30 years , Zappa composed rock , pop , jazz , jazz fusion , orchestral and musique concrète works , and produced almost all of the 60-plus albums that he released with his band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist . In 2004 , Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at number 71 on its list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' , and in 2011 at number 22 on its list of the `` 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time '' .