Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 - December 4, 1993) was an American composer, singer-songwriter, guitarist, recording engineer, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band, The Mothers of Invention, and as a solo artist. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The founding members were Jerry Garcia (lead guitar, vocals), Bob Weir (rhythm guitar, vocals), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass, vocals), Bill Kreutzmann (drums) and, later, Mickey Hart (drums).
The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long musical improvisation. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. This fascinating audio program includes actual radio commercials from the 1960s for each of the bands.
