Zappa Family Trust
I would’ve guessed that the Zappa Family Trust was worth around ten million, give or take a few mill. However, Frank’s wife Gail became possessive and controlling about protecting anyone from using the Zappa name. lawsuits. She was vindictive Gail Zappa squandered millions for years to pay legal fees for blocking anyone from gaining financially from everything she’d trademarked including the Zappa name, the Zappa mustache logo, photos, music, writings, and anything else she could sue anyone for.
Background
Musician Frank Zappa (1940 – 1993) and his second wife, Gail Zappa (1945 – 2015), had four kids. Their oldest daughter is Moon who was born in 1967. Their son Dweezil was born a couple years later in 1969. Ahmet arrived on earth in 1974, and their youngest, Diva, was born in 1979.
Gail spent much of her life and gobs of money on lawsuits. She became infamous for blocking anyone who wanted to use the Zappa name. She even had a copyright on the Zappa mustache. What’s peculiar is that included blocking family members.
Frank died from prostate cancer. He’d been a chain-smoker since his teens. Gail Zappa, Frank’s surviving spouse set up the Zappa Family Trust in 2002. After her death in 2015, she left their four children in a bizarre situation.
See also: Filmmaker Alex Winter Gains Access to Entire Frank Zappa Vault
Gail Zappa
After Gail’s death, the four heirs to the Zappa Family Trust discovered that the matriarch left them with a trust fund. But it was millions of dollars in debt. Gail inexplicably chose to divide the trust, pitting the two older siblings, Dweezil and Moon, against younger sibs Ahmet and Diva. The younger set inherited 30% each, while the older set of sibs received only 20% each.
Moon and Dweezil
Hence, Moon and Dweezil had no vote in any legal decisions about the Zappa Family Trust. Ahmet had control. Moon and Dweezil were named as beneficiaries only. The bottom line is this: until millions of dollars in debt are paid off, and until the trust becomes profitable, Moon and Dweezil will receive no money at all. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
“We’re like shareholders who have no say in anything.”
— Dweezil.
“I was completely blindsided. “For a whole year I was taking care of my mother – bringing her green juice and driving her to her doctor appointments. How do you look someone in the eye and say, ‘Thank you for the foot rub’ and be plotting against that human? It’s unconscionable.”
— Moon
— Rolling stone
Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa
Dweezil Zappa received a cease-and-desist letter from the family trust lawyers. Younger brother Ahmet was the overseer. Hence, Ahmet could have stopped that unpleasant turn of events. Things got messier when the public was made aware of the family feud.
It was Dweezil who announced that it was his own bro who was forcing Dweezil to change the name of an upcoming “Zappa Plays Zappa” tour. This cruel move came after Dweezil spent years building a reputation and selling merch with that spelled out. A thing like that turns out to be mighty costly.
Dweezil can play the complicated music that was composed by their dad Frank. The new name is “Zappa Plays Whatever the Fuck He Wants: The Cease and Desist Tour.” The brilliant name reflects Frank’s sense of humor and would’ve made his brilliant and hilarious father proud. To me, it sounds like it came from Frank Zappa’s ghost. Either that or Dweezil’s dark side and flair for riotous satire is from Frank’s genes.
See also: Bob Zappa on Frank, Smokes and Addiction
Frank Zappa Childhood
Bobby Zappa, Frank’s younger brother, wrote about their childhood in Frankie and Bobby: Growing Up Zappa. I was speaking on a panel at the hired as graphic designer, social media consultant, copyeditor of the book. We quickly became great friends. I was privy to a lot of unpleasant information about Gail through him.
Bobby received legal pushback about using his own surname because Gail had trademarked “Zappa.” The other terribly sad truth is that Gail blocked Bobby from seeing the contents of the Zappa Family Trust. Before Bobby died he was thrilled to connect with Dweezil and Moon.
2020 Movie ‘ZAPPA’ by Alex Winter is awesome. Check the website for how to watch. You’ll be glad you did!
Enjoy the film ZAPPA by Alex Winter