Diva Zappa
Diva Zappa | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 30, 1979[1] |
| Occupations |
|
| Parent(s) | Frank Zappa Gail Zappa |
| Relatives | Moon Unit Zappa (sister) Dweezil Zappa (brother) Ahmet Zappa (brother) |
Diva Zappa (born July 30, 1979) is an American artist and actress who has also recorded a one-off comedy single. She is the youngest child of musician Frank Zappa and wife Gail Zappa.
Personal life
[edit]Born on 30 July 1979,[1] Diva Zappa has three older siblings: sister Moon and brothers Dweezil and Ahmet.
According to Frank, she was given the name Diva "because of the loud quality of her voice. She's audible at 300 yards."[2] Zappa won an award at age 12 in a poster contest to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect.[3]
Zappa's father, Frank, died in 1993. Following the death of her mother, Gail, in October 2015, Zappa and her brother Ahmet were awarded control of the Zappa Family Trust with shares of 30% each, while Moon and Dweezil were given smaller shares of 20% each.[4] As beneficiaries only, Moon and Dweezil will not receive distributions from the trust until it is profitable per the trust agreement; in 2016, it was still in debt and they must seek permission from Ahmet, the trustee, to earn money with their father's music or from merchandise bearing his name.[4] The uneven divide of the trust has resulted in several conflicts between Frank Zappa's children, including a feud between Dweezil and Ahmet over Dweezil's use of his father's music in live performances.[5] In a 2016 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Zappa said her primary role in the trust is to be present when her father's work is highlighted.[6]
Career
[edit]In 1999, Zappa released a comedy single called "When the Ball Drops" about her "hunt for someone to make out with on the Millennium".[7] Tipper Gore played drums on the recording[7] and Kristin Gore sang backup vocals.[8]
Since 2002, Zappa has run her own website/business called "Hand Made Beauty" where she sells her own self-designed and made clothing.[9] The clothing is primarily knitted or crocheted, and consists of hats, ponchos and skirts.[10] A percentage of all sales are donated to the Creative Visions Foundation.[9] She was initially taught how to knit by actress Laurie Metcalf.[11] She does not plan her work, preferring instead to work in a spontaneous manner.[11] In 2011, Zappa had her first UK show of "contemporary knitwear art and couture canvases" with an exhibition titled "Bruce" at the Maison Bertaux Gallery in Soho.[12] The exhibition featured an embroidered photograph of her brother Dweezil playing guitar.[12]
A full-length dress Zappa knitted was worn to the 2009 Grammy Awards by Chloé Trujillo, the wife of Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo.[11] She also made a cape for Diablo Cody.[11]
On October 29, 2013, Diva appeared in the UK premiere of her late father's orchestral work 200 Motels at the Royal Festival Hall, London; she the role of Groupie 2 (Lucy).[13]
Filmography
[edit] | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (December 2024) |
Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Fun Size | Audience Member | |
| 2022 | Next Exit | Karma |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Anarchy TV | Courtney | |
| 1999 | Felicity | Student #2 | |
| 2007 | Brothers & Sisters | Classmate #2 | |
| The Mighty Boosh | Astrid | ||
| 2009 | Make It or Break It | Girl #2 | |
| 2016 | Roadies | Harvest | |
| 2017 | Better Things | TBA | |
| 2019 | Good Girls | Harvest |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Diva Muffin Zappa (born July 30, 1979) © Lynn Goldsmith, 1988". Facebook (The Black Page - The Zappa Page). 30 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ Mary Campbell (January 31, 1980). "Zappa still lives in the world of the weird". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
- ^ Gary Libman (April 29, 1992). "The Hardest Words". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b Randall Roberts (24 June 2016). "It's brother and sister against brother and sister in bitter fight over control of Frank Zappa's legacy". www.latimes.com. Retrieved 2017-03-25.
- ^ "Inside the Zappa Family Feud". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2017-12-08. Retrieved 2017-03-25.
- ^ Roberts, Randall. "Zappa family drama: A look at where Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva are today". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-03-25.
- ^ a b Staff (December 28, 1999). "Tipper Gore Plays Drums for Diva Zappa". Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
- ^ "Diva Zappa: Two Gores and a Record". Wilmington Morning Star. 1999-12-29. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^ a b "Hand Made Beauty".
- ^ Sarah Taylor (August 10, 2006). "Purl Girl". Women's Wear Daily.
- ^ a b c d Vickie Howell (Spring–Summer 2009). "Knitting Diva". Knit 1. Magazine.
- ^ a b "Diva Zappa's knits are the daughters of invention". The Independent. 2011-01-28. Retrieved 2017-03-25.
- ^ "southbankcentre.co.uk". Archived from the original on 2013-11-01. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
External links
[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
- 1979 births
- American film actresses
- American textile artists
- American businesspeople in retailing
- Living people
- 21st-century American businesspeople
- American television actresses
- Fashion designers from Los Angeles
- American businesspeople in fashion
- American artists of Asian descent
- American people of Greek descent
- American people of Danish descent
- American people of French descent
- American people of Portuguese descent
- American women textile artists
- Businesspeople from Los Angeles
- 21st-century American businesswomen
- American women fashion designers
- Zappa family