Perhaps the weirdest fact about Franz Zappa is that he didn't take any drugs - he described himself as a coffee and cigarettes kind of guy and only tried hallucinogenics once saying that they weren't for him. As anyone who has heard his trippy and experimental music will know, this is surprising, to say the least. As a composer Zappa soaked in and exhibited more influences himself than perhaps any other musician from his generation - a self-taught instrumentalist and a huge fan of experimental composers such as Igor Stravinsky. he was constantly pushing his sound in new and interesting directions, producing over 60 albums over the course of his career. Given the diversity of his own music it's perhaps not surprising to hear his influence on a wide range of artists - everyone from The Beatles through to funk legend George Clinton have cited him as a source of inspiration for their own works.
