Frank Zappa

"I _(you just fill in the blank)_, do hereby solemnly swear, in accordance with the regulations of the contract with this here rock and roll engagement, and the imbecilic laws of the State of Florida, and the respective regulations perpetrated by Red-Necks everywhere, do hereby solemnly swear, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, TO REVEAL MY TUBE, WAD, DINGUS, WEE-WEE, AND/OR PENIS ANYPLACE ON THIS STAGE!! This Does NOT include Private Showings in the motel room, however." "Mothers of Invention Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath," September 1970. Cameron converted to Judaism in 1983 and recently led a Kerry campaign effo. Zappa means "hoe" in Italian. John Kerry has two sisters, Diana and Peggy, and a brother, Cameron, who is a litigator in Boston. Some encyclopedias still incorrectly claim that his real name was "Francis". [27] (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/12/19/kerry_mortgage_to_help_fund_race/). Until rediscovering his birth certificate as an adult, Zappa himself believed he had been christened Francis, and he is credited as Francis on some of his early albums. [26] (http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20040823.html) Kerry's financial disclosure form for 2002 put his personal assets in the range of $409,000 to $1.8 million, with additional assets held jointly by Kerry and his wife in the range of $300,000 to $600,000.

As his autobiography The Real Frank Zappa Book notes, his real name was "Frank", never "Francis". This assessment was based on the couple's combined assets, but Kerry and Heinz signed a pre-nuptial agreement that keeps their assets separate. Zappa portrays the voice of the pope in a 1992 episode of Ren & Stimpy. Forbes magazine (a major business magazine named for an unrelated Forbes family) estimated that if elected, Kerry would be the third-richest U.S. President in history when adjusted for inflation [25] (http://www.forbes.com/2004/02/13/cx_da_0213kerry.html). [2] (http://www.klet.org/names/view.php3?astnum=3834) [3] (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andymurkin/Resources/MusicRes/ZapRes/asteroid.html) Since then other things have been named in his honor including: another asteroid (16745 Zappa), a gene (ZapA gene of Proteus mirabilis, a microbe that causes urinary tract infections [4] (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andymurkin/Resources/MusicRes/ZapRes/ZapA.html)), a goby fish (Zappa confluentus [5] (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andymurkin/Resources/MusicRes/ZapRes/fish.html) ), a jellyfish (Phialella zappa which was actually named by Nando! (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andymurkin/Resources/MusicRes/ZapRes/jellyfish.html)), an extinct mollusc (Amauratoma zappa), and a spider with an abdominal mark supposedly resembling Zappa's mustache (Pachygnatha zappa [6] (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andymurkin/Resources/MusicRes/ZapRes/spider.html)). Kerry is wealthy in his own name, and is the beneficiary of at least four trusts inherited from Forbes family members, including his mother, who died in 2002. After his death an internet email campaign to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center led to an asteroid being named in his honor: 3834 Zappafrank, the asteroid having been discovered by Czech astronomers. Senator.

They are: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Rodan, and Diva. Regardless of which figure is given, Kerry is the wealthiest U.S. Sloatman and Zappa had four children, two sons and two daughters, all of whom had rather unusual names. However, estimates have frequently varied, ranging from around $165 million to as high as $3.2 billion, according to a study in the Los Angeles Times. Zappa was married twice, once to Kay Sherman (1959–1964) and then to Gail Sloatman, whom he remained with until his death. The Forbes 400 survey estimated in 2004 that Teresa Heinz Kerry had a net worth of $750 million. Zappa received a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. John Heinz IV, André Heinz, and Christopher Heinz.

In 2002 a bronze bust was installed in a square in Bad Doberan, a small town in the north of Germany, where, since 1990, there's an international Festival celebrating the music of Frank Zappa. Teresa's three sons from her previous marriage—John Kerry's stepsons—are H. Zappa was immortalized by Konstantinas Bogdanas, the famous Lithuanian sculptor who had previously cast portraits of Vladimir Lenin. They married on May 26, 1995, in Nantucket. That same year the only known cast of Zappa was installed in the center of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. They did not meet again until after John Heinz's death, at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Zappa was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. John Heinz III, a Republican, and former United Nations translator, were introduced to each other by John Heinz at an Earth Day rally in 1990.

Frank Zappa died on December 4, and was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California. Kerry and his second wife, Teresa Simões-Ferreira Heinz, the widow of Pennsylvania Senator H. He stated in interviews that he was working on hundreds of synclavier pieces, most of which remained unfinished. Between his first and second marriages, Kerry dated actresses Morgan Fairchild and Catherine Oxenberg. In 1993, he completed Civilization, Phaze III, a major synclavier work he had begun in the '80s. During the 2004 campaign she announced that she was "100% behind" Kerry's candidacy for President. During these years, he edited numerous CD collections of concert recordings made throughout his career. Thorne later married Richard Charlesworth, an architect, and moved to Bozeman, Montana, where she became active in local environmental groups such as the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.

Although ill, in 1992 he appeared as a guest conductor with the Ensemble Modern in a series of concerts in Germany devoted to his compositions, recordings from which appeared on Yellow Shark. The marriage was formally annulled by the Roman Catholic Church in 1997. In 1990 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, a disease which caused his death in 1993. "After 14 years as a political wife, I associated politics only with anger, fear and loneliness" she wrote in A Change of Heart, her book about depression. In the early 1990s Zappa devoted almost all of his energy to modern orchestral and synclavier works. [24] (http://www.washingtonian.com/people/madame_ex.html) They were divorced on July 25, 1988. The tour was documented on the albums The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life (Zappa "standards" and obscure cover tunes), Make a Jazz Noise here (mostly instrumental and experimental music), and Broadway The Hard Way (new original material), with bits also to be found on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Volume 6.. In 1982 Thorne, who was suffering from severe depression, asked Kerry for a separation.

His last tour in a "rock band format" took place in 1988 with a 12-piece group which was reported to have a repertoire of over 800 (mostly Zappa) compositions, but which split acrimoniously before the tour was completed. Vanessa has been active in her father's Presidential campaign. Zappa put some of the PMRC hearings to music in his song "Porn Wars." Zappa is heard interacting with Senators Fritz Hollings, Slade Gorton, Al Gore (who admitted to being a Zappa fan), and, most notably, a funny exchange with Florida Senator Paula Hawkins over what toys the Zappa children played with. She is a graduate of Phillips Academy (like her grandfather) and Yale University, and is currently a student at Harvard Medical School. He said,. Vanessa Kerry was born on December 31, 1976. On September 19, 1985, Zappa testified before the US Senate Commerce, Technology, and Transportation committee, attacking the Parents Music Resource Center or PMRC, a music censorship (though others would say watchdog) organization founded by then-Senator Al Gore's wife Tipper Gore and including many other political wives, including the wives of five members of the committee. She graduated in June 2004 from a film school in the Los Angeles area.

His work was also more explicitly political satirising the rise of television evangelists and the Republican party. Alexandra Kerry was born on September 5, 1973, days before Kerry began law school. After a break Zappa returned, and much of his later work was influenced by his use of the synclavier as a compositional and performance tool and his mastery of studio techniques for producing specific instrumental effects. Kerry was married to Julia Thorne in 1970, and they had two children together. In 1980, Zappa helped former band members Warren Cuccurullo and Terry Bozzio launch their new band, Missing Persons, by letting them record their 4-song demo EP in his brand new UMRK (Utility Muffin Research Kitchen) studios. In 2003, John Kerry was diagnosed with and successfully treated for prostate cancer. He continued a high rate of production through the early 1970s, including the excellent and accessible albums One Size Fits All and Apostrophe, OverNite Sensation and Roxy and Elswhere featuring ever-changing versions of a band no longer called the Mothers. His favorite food is chocolate chip cookies.

He began touring again in late 1972, first with a Grand Wazoo 'big band' and with groups that variously included Ian Underwood on brass and reeds, Ian's wife Ruth on vibes, Sal Marquez (trumpet), Napoleon Murphy Brock (sax and vocals), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Tom Fowler (bass), Chester Thompson (drums), George Duke (kbds, vocals) and Jean-Luc Ponty (violin). The Kerrys have a German Shepherd named Cym (pronounced "Kim") and a yellow canary named Sunshine. In 1971-72 he released two strongly jazz-oriented solo LPs, Waka Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo, which were recorded during the layoff from live concert touring, using floating lineups of session players and Mothers alumni. His favorite movies are Giant and Casablanca. officer. [23] (http://www.booksense.com/candidatebooks/index2.jsp) Previous reading during the campaign included Rogue Nation, by Clyde Prestowitz, and Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich. He employed a bodyguard thereafter when touring, John Smothers, a former L.A.P.D. He had recently read Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World, by Margaret MacMillan.

(He was wearing a leg brace for a period thereafter, had a noticeable limp and couldn't stand for very long while onstage.) He said one leg healed shorter than the other -- a reference found years later in the lyrics of "Dancin' Fool" . In 2004, he named his favorite books as Trinity, by Leon Uris; Flags of Our Fathers, by James Bradley and Ron Powers; and Undaunted Courage, by Stephen Ambrose. This left him wheelchair bound for a time, forcing him off the road for over a year. Even during his many campaigns, he was reported to have visited bicycle stores both in his home state and elsewhere. The jealous husband of a female fan pushed Frank offstage landing him unconscious in the orchestra pit, with serious fractures, head trauma and injuries to his back, leg, and neck, as well as a crushed larynx (which caused his voice to drop a third after it healed). Prior to his Presidential bid, John Kerry was known to have participated in several long-distance rides (centuries). Then in December, Zappa was attacked on stage at the Rainbow Theatre, London. Kerry is also known as an avid cyclist, primarily riding on a road bike.

While performing in Montreux, Switzerland, the Mothers' equipment was destroyed when a flare set off by an audience member started a disastrous fire that burned the casino where they were playing — an event immortalised in Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water". [22]  (http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6562106?rnd=1106291647897&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1040) During his 2004 presidential campaign, Kerry used Bruce Springsteen's No Surrender as his campaign theme song. In 1971 there were two serious setbacks. He enjoys surfing and windsurfing, as well as ice hockey, hunting, and playing bass guitar. According to an interview he gave to Rolling Stone magazine in 2004, Kerry's favorite album is Abbey Road and he is a fan of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, as well as of Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Buffett. The latter was released according to FZ to provide some royalties to the band members who were suddenly in limbo, unable to tour. His oldest friends and family call him "Johnny." He speaks fluent French. The former features hilariously low-concept cover art just at the apex of the era of great rock "album cover artwork". At 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) and 185 pounds (84 kg), Kerry has been called the "Lanky Yankee." If he had won the 2004 Presidential election he would have equalled Abraham Lincoln as the tallest U.S. President in history.

This double disc album was followed by two superb live sets, Fillmore East - June 1971 and Just Another Band From LA, which included the 20-minute track "Billy The Mountain", Zappa's satire on rock opera, set in Southern California. [21] (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/12/05/kerry_creates_pac_to_back_candidates/). He left the band to play with Cannonball Adderly and was replaced Don Preston from the original Mothers, who acted in the film, but is not playing on the soundtrack. He has also established a separate political action committee that can raise money and channel contributions to Democratic candidates in state and federal races. At the time George Duke was in the band and appears both in the film and on the sound track as a musician. Some critizism was leveled at Kerry for not using the remaining funds for Democratic campaigns in 2004. The new lineup debuted on Zappa's next solo LP Chunga's Revenge, which was followed by the sprawling soundtrack to the movie project 200 Motels, featuring both The Mothers and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He donated most of that to the Democratic National Committee and to state Democratic parties, but he has at least $15 million left, which could be used directly for another presidential campaign, or indirectly to build his stature within the party by helping other Democratic candidates.

(Their own music was later published under Liccianetti Music.) Because contractual problems prevented them from recording as The Turtles or even under their own names, Volman and Kaylan were often billed as "Flo and Eddie". In mid-October, 2004, this sum was about $45 million. They were nicknamed "The Phlorescent Leach and Eddie" by Zappa. Kerry's campaign fund still holds some unspent money that he raised in running for the 2004 Democratic nomination, because he was not allowed to spend it in the general election. Around 1970 Zappa put together a new version of The Mothers that included British drummer Aynsley Dunbar, jazz keyboardist George Duke, previous Mothers member, multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood and singers Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, who had been the lead singers in Sixties folk-pop band The Turtles. [20] (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/11/09/kerry_run_in_08_called_conceivable/). After he disbanded the original Mothers, Zappa released the acclaimed solo instrumental album Hot Rats, featuring his jazz-inflected guitar playing backed by jazz, blues and R&B players session players including violinist Don "Sugarcane" Harris, drummer John Guerin, and bassist Shuggie Otis. It remains one of his most popular and accessible recordings and arguably had a major influence on the development of the jazz-rock fusion genre. His brother has said such a campaign is "conceivable," and Kerry himself reportedly said at a farewell party for his 2004 campaign staff, "There's always another four years." Some aides, however, have stated that Kerry told campaign officials he could not envision another run.

During this period Zappa also produced the extraordinary double album Trout Mask Replica for his old friend Captain Beefheart as well as releases by Alice Cooper, Tim Buckley, Wild Man Fischer and The GTOs. Immediately after the 2004 election, some Democrats mentioned Kerry as a possible contender for the 2008 Democratic nomination. More importantly, the financial strain and interpersonal tensions involved in keeping a large jazz-rock ensemble on the road eventually led to the group's demise in 1969, although numerous members would remain with or return to Zappa in years to come. For Senator John Kerry's voting record, go to Massachusetts Senator John Forbes Kerry (http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=S0421103). Although they were lauded by critics and their peers and had a rabid cult following, mainstream audiences often found much of the Mothers' music, appearance and attitude impossible to comprehend, and the band was often greeted with derision. For more information on Kerry's political views and voting record, see John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004. In the late 1990s some of the best of these recordings were collected for the 12-CD set You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore. Because of his insistence on precise tuning and timing in concert, from the 1970s on Zappa was able to augment his studio productions with excerpts from live shows, and he is known to have inserted 'live' guitar solos into the final studio recordings of some compositions. Poole of the University of Houston found that Kerry was tied for being the 24th most liberal Senator.

In the process he built up a vast archive of live recordings. For example, Keith T. Around 1968 Zappa also began regularly recording his concerts, beginning with a simple two-track portable recorder and eventually progressing to a portable 48-track digital system. In fact, in terms of career voting records, the National Journal found that Kerry is the 11th most liberal member of the Senate. Most analyses find that Kerry is "a bit" more liberal than the typical Democratic Senator. The Mothers' anarchic stage shows were legendary — during one famous 1967 performance at the Garrick Theatre in New York, Zappa managed to entice some soldiers from the audience onto the stage, where they proceeded to dismember a collection of baby dolls. While conservative special interest groups and the Bush campaign often noted that in 2003 Kerry was rated the National Journal's top Senate liberal, that rating was based only upon voting on legislation within that past year. During a residency in New York's Greenwich Village in late 1966, Zappa became friends with Jimi Hendrix and is reputed to have introduced Hendrix to the Wah-wah pedal. A member of the moderate Democratic Leadership Council, Kerry has co-sponsored Senate legislation with such prominent conservatives as Pennsylvania's Rick Santorum.

He also became known for dismissing the contributions of his musicians, going so far as to withhold royalties rather than share the glory. Though portrayed during the 2004 presidential election as a staunch liberal, John Kerry's voting record is more consistent with that of a political centrist. Zappa earned a fearsome reputation as a ruthless taskmaster who possessed a seemingly limitless capacity for work (he regularly worked as much as twenty hours a day in the studio until very late in his career) who also possessed immense technical knowledge and a photographic memory of the contents of his vast archive. Kerry also serves on several Senate subcommittees:. He also frequently quoted from or referred to TV show themes and advertising jingles, from famous rock songs such as My Sharona and Stairway To Heaven, and from classical works such as Stravinsky's "The Rite Of Spring". He remains the ranking member. He also became famous for regularly quoting musical phrases that influenced or amused him — one of his most famous and regular quotes was the riff from the perennial Sixties rock hit 'Louie Louie', which appears in various forms in more than twenty separate recordings over the whole span of his career. Kerry was the chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship from 2001 to 2003, but lost the position when Republicans regained control of the Senate.

His work combines satirical lyrics and pop melodies with virtuoso instrumental prowess, where long, jazz-inflected improvisational passages are counterbalanced with densely edited and seemingly chaotic collage sequences that mix music, sound effects and snatches of conversation. In the Senate, Kerry serves on several committees:. Zappa evolved a unique compositional approach — which he dubbed 'conceptual continuity' — that ranged across virtually every genre of music. Although, as in the 2000 election, there were disputes about the voting (see 2004 U.S. Election controversies and irregularities), no state was as close as Florida had been in 2000. He increasingly used tape editing as a compositional tool; his editing skills are apparent on the stunning work he produced in the late Sixties with The Mothers. Kerry carried states with a total of 252 electoral votes, but one Kerry elector voted for Kerry's running mate, Edwards, so in the final tally Kerry had 251 electoral votes to Bush's 286. During the late Sixties Zappa continued his rapid artistic development, emerging as a superb lead guitarist, a skilled producer and engineer, and a composer and arranger of extraordinary range and facility. Kerry won 59.03 million votes or about 48 percent of the popular vote; Bush won 62.04 million votes, or about 51 percent of the popular vote.

Other important Mothers recordings from this period (including the pivotal song Oh No) were collected in the 1970 compilation album Weasels Ripped My Flesh. On November 3, 2004, Kerry conceded the Presidential race to Bush. After We're Only In It For The Money, next was his Doo-Wop tribute Cruising with Ruben & the Jets. On July 6, 2004, he announced his selection of John Edwards as his running mate. The dazzling audio collage Lumpy Gravy (1967) took Zappa's production techniques to a new peak and, according to Zappa himself, took nine months to edit. Bush. This was bookended by two closely linked companion pieces. Kerry thus won the Democratic nomination to run for President of the United States against incumbent George W.

The cover photo (which included Jimi Hendrix) famously parodied that of the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Clark. It was followed by the album widely regarded as the peak of the group's late Sixties work, We're Only In It For The Money (1968) which featured some of the most radical audio editing and production yet heard in pop music, and ruthlessly satirised the hippie and flower power phenomena. Wesley K. The brilliant Absolutely Free (1967) continued Zappa's lyrical preoccupations with the hypocrisy and conformism of American society and the sinister suppression of underground and alternative culture. John Edwards (D-N.C.), former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and retired Gen. Zappa's second and third studio albums were landmarks of record production and were highlighted by liberal use of his famous 'cut-up' editing techniques. In 2003 and 2004, the Presidential campaign of John Kerry defeated several Democratic rivals, including Sen.

During this period, Wilson also had Zappa collaborate with The Animals on the song "All Night Long" on their album Animalism. His current term will end on January 3, 2009. It's clear that even on the two first albums, Zappa was already responsible for virtually all of the musical decisions, with Wilson providing the industry clout, credibility, and connections to get the unknown group the financial resources they needed to produce a double album with use of an orchestra; by the third album, Zappa had already enough of a proven track record to allow for a more accurate description in the album's credits of their respective roles. He was reelected to the Senate in 1990, 1996 (after winning re-election against the then-Governor of Massachusetts, Republican William Weld), and 2002. Wilson is also credited with producing the even more accomplished follow-up Absolutely Free; but for the third LP, Wilson was listed as 'Executive producer', and Zappa took over as producer for all the Mothers and solo Zappa recordings issued from that time on. Kerry was the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 1987 to 1989. One of the first record albums united by an underlying theme, it was also only the second double LP of rock music ever released, and firmly established Zappa as a major new voice in rock music. Areas of concern in the bills include small business concerns, education, terrorism, veterans' and POW-MIA issues, and marine resource protection.

With Wilson credited as producer, The Mothers recorded their groundbreaking double album debut Freak Out! (1966), a mixture of often topical R&B and experimental sound collage that attempted to capture the 'freak' subculture of Los Angeles at that time. Kerry has sponsored or cosponsored hundreds of bills during his time as a Senator. Around this time, Zappa also met and signed with longtime manager Herb Cohen. Main article: Sponsorship of legislation by John Kerry. Wilson signed The Mothers to the Verve label, which had built up a strong reputation for its fine modern jazz recordings in the 1940s and 1950s, but was then attempting to diversify into pop and rock, but with an "artistic" or "experimental" bent. Kerry has also contended that Iraq has become a diversion from the fight against terrorism and Osama bin Laden. Wilson was also notable for being one of the only African-Americans working as a major label pop producer at this time. Kerry co-sponsored a bill that would have provided the $87 billion and funded it by reversing some of Bush's tax cuts, but voted against the bill that provided $87 billion through deficit spending.

They gradually began to gain attention on the burgeoning Los Angeles underground 'freak scene' and in 1965 they were spotted by leading record producer Tom Wilson, who had earned acclaim as the producer of the seminal Bob Dylan albums Bringin' It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited, as well as the breakthrough 'electric' version of Simon & Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence. The Bush campaign also attacked Kerry for saying "I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it". He soon assumed leadership, renaming the band "The Mothers" (and, later still, "Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention" at the insistence of the record company). During the 2004 Presidential campaign, Bush criticized Kerry for his vote in September, 2003 against a bill for an additional US$87 billion for expenditures in Iraq and Afghanistan. After a short career as a professional songwriter — his elegiac "Memories of El Monte" was recorded by The Penguins — in 1964 Zappa joined a local R&B band, The Soul Giants, as a guitarist. He has stated that he had hoped the threat of force would induce Saddam Hussein to comply with United Nations resolutions, but that the Bush administration rushed into war. Unfortunately the customer turned out to be an undercover member of the Vice Squad and Zappa was jailed for ten days on charges of supplying pornography. His entrapment and brief imprisonment left a permanent mark on him, and was a key event in the formation of his anti-authoritarian stance. Kerry attacked Bush for having misled the country: "When the president of the United States looks at you and tells you something, there should be some trust." [19] (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/27/sprj.nirq.bush/) Nevertheless, Kerry has upset many anti-war activists by saying that he does not regret being one of 29 Democratic Senators to support the resolution.

After being approached by a customer who wanted him to produce a suggestive tape for a stag party, Zappa and some friends jokingly faked the "erotic" recording, which purported to contain the sounds of people having sex. After the invasion of Iraq it became apparent that there was no evidence of any such weapons. By the time he recorded his first LP with The Mothers in 1966 he was already an accomplished recording and mastering engineer and from his third LP on and for the rest of his career, he produced all his own work. Bush relied on that resolution in ordering the 2003 invasion of Iraq. At this time, only a handful of the most expensive commercial studios had multitrack facilities and for smaller studios, the industry standard was still mono or two-track. Kerry cited the "threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction" as his principal reason for supporting the resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq with assurances from Bush that all diplomatic efforts would be exhausted before using such force. Although only a small business, Pal was particularly attractive to Zappa because it contained a unique 5-track tape recorder built by the previous owner, Paul Buff. The second President Bush argued that Iraq under Saddam Hussein was actively developing weapons of mass destruction (see Yellowcake Forgery).

Soon after, his marriage ended and he moved out of his apartment and into the studio, where he began routinely working 12 hours per day and more, setting a pattern that would endure for almost all of his life. The United Nations had imposed sanctions on Iraq, and Kerry argued that the sanctions then in place should be given more time to work. Zappa had begun recording at Pal since the early 1960s and after receiving a payment for one of his film scores he was able to buy the studio. Bush to go to war against Iraq in 1991. In 1963 he began playing professionally around Los Angeles and bought the small Pal Recording Studio in Rancho Cucamonga, California (formerly called Cucamonga), which he renamed "Studio Z". W. He married his first wife Kay the same year but the relationship soon deteriorated and they divorced two years later. Kerry opposed the bill to allow President George H.

Although many of the tapes of this series were later destroyed, the video of Zappa's remarkable performance survives. Before the 1992 election, Kerry was considered a potential running mate of Bill Clinton before he chose Tennessee Senator Al Gore. In 1962 he appeared as a solo artist on the Steve Allen Show performing a satirical dadaist piece involving a bicycle. The BCCI scandal was later turned over to the Manhattan District Attorney's office. Among his earliest professional recordings are two adventurous and remarkably accomplished scores for the low-budget films Run Home Slow and The World's Greatest Sinner. Kerry himself was criticized in some circles for not pressing harder against certain Democrats, and he was also criticized by some Democrats for pursuing his own party members, including former Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford. He began working as a graphic artist while trying to establish himself as a musician and composer. One of the Bush administration figures criticized for his handling of BCCI was Robert Mueller who, in his then-role as Deputy Attorney General, was criticized about slow performance regarding the investigation.

Zappa moved to Los Angeles in 1959 and spent most of the rest of his life there. [18] (http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0409.sirota.html). One of Zappa's best-known and best-loved album images is that created for the 1969 compilation Weasels Ripped My Flesh, a disturbingly surreal painting by renowned album artist Neon Park. It blasted the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury, the Customs Service, the Federal Reserve Bank, as well as influential lobbyists and the CIA. His two most important visual collaborators were Cal Schenkel in the Sixties and early Seventies, and Donald Roller Wilson in the Eighties and Nineties. The report showed that the bank was crooked and was working with terrorists, including Abu Nidal. Zappa's album covers are highly distinctive, and frequently bizarre and surreal. In December 1992, Kerry and Senator Hank Brown, a Republican from Colorado, released The BCCI Affair, a report on the BCCI scandal.

Zappa always took a keen interest in the visual presentation of his work, rapidly developing from album cover designer (e.g. Absolutely Free) to director of his own films and videos. This led to a separate inquiry into BCCI, and as a result, banking regulators shut down BCCI in 1991. His sojourn in the commercial world was another important influence on his work, and within a few years Zappa was co-opting the techniques he learned as a commercial artist, and was using them to deconstruct music, the music business, the media and society at large by combining them with the ideas he had gleaned from his studies of dada, situationism, and surrealism. During their investigation of Noriega, Kerry's staff found reason to believe that the Pakistan-based Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) had facilitated Noriega's drug trafficking and money laundering. After graduating in June 1958 he worked for a time in advertising. Bush and his running mate, saying "if Bush is shot, the Secret Service has orders to shoot Dan Quayle." He apologized the following day. During high school Zappa had also developed a strong interest in graphic arts. On November 15, 1988, at a businessmen's breakfast in East Lynn, Massachusetts, Kerry made a joke about president-elect George H.W.

Zappa did see his childhood dream realized, as the London Symphony Orchestra played a program of his music, and the Ensemble Modern in 1992 received a 20-minute ovation after performing a program of his work a the Frankfurt Opera House. Kerry's report concluded that the CIA and the State Department had known that "individuals who provided support for the contras were involved in drug trafficking...and elements of the contras themselves knowingly received financial and material assistance from drug traffickers." While some critics attacked him as being a "conspiracy theorist," the CIA inspector general released a pair of reports that confirmed Kerry's findings ten years later. A portion of this historic recording is included on the CD The Lost Episodes. government "turned a blind eye" in the 1980s to the corruption and drug dealings of CIA-backed Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who had assisted the Contras. By his final year he was writing prolifically and had not only composed, arranged and conducted an avant-garde performance piece for the school orchestra, but had also contrived to have the event both broadcast on local radio and recorded. The report contended that the U.S. Although he was primarily self-taught, his music teacher gave him considerable encouragement. In 1989, he released a report that slammed the Reagan administration for neglecting and undermining anti-drug efforts while pursuing other objectives in foreign policy.

Zappa's interest in composing and arranging burgeoned in his later high school years and he dreamed of being taken seriously as a composer. involvement in Cuba, Haiti, the Bahamas, Panama, and Honduras. It is possible that he might have become a professional jazz musician, but he was soon drawn into rock music, although he retained a lifelong attachment to jazz forms, voicings and structures and often drew his band members from the jazz world, if only because of the high degree of musical competence his music demanded. Kerry's inquiry eventually widened, expanding its focus from the Contras to U.S. He considered his solos "air sculptures", and developed an eclectic, fluent and extremely individual style, eventually becoming one of the most highly regarded electric guitarists of his time. [16] (http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/991224onthisday_big.html)[17] (http://www.snopes.com/rumors/north.htm). In 1957 Zappa was given his first guitar and quickly developed into a highly accomplished and inventive player. On September 16, 1991, however, North's convictions were overturned on appeal because North's testimony before Congress under immunity may have affected testimony in the trial.

Van Vliet's own feelings about Frank Zappa were perhaps best summarized in a quote published in a March 1994 issue of Musician magazine: "I knew him for thirty-seven years, and in the end, the relationship was private.". On May 4, 1989, North was convicted of charges relating to the Iran/Contra controversy, including three felonies. They became close friends, influencing each other musically, and becoming collaborators in the late Sixties and mid- Seventies (on the album Bongo Fury, released 1975), although they later became estranged for a period of years. The investigation, Kerry's report said, raised "serious questions about whether the United States has abided by the law in its handling of the contras over the past three years." The Kerry report generated a firestorm of controversy and marked the beginning of years of investigations, hearings, and televised proceedings, which altogether, were referred to by some as the Iran-Contra affair. In 1956 Zappa met Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) while taking classes at Antelope Valley High School, when Zappa was playing guitar in a local band, The Blackouts, a racially-mixed outfit that also included Euclid James "Motorhead" Sherwood, who later lived with Zappa at 'Studio Z' and was a member of the Mothers of Invention, playing on many of their most famous recordings. These parties were said to be involved in shipping cocaine and marijuana to the United States, with the profits from the sales going to pay for the Contra weaponry. Classically trained percussionist and drummer Terry Bozzio, who played for Zappa in the late 1970s as well as playing and recording many well-known classical and avant-garde works, is on record as saying that Zappa's writing for percussion is as difficult and complex as anything else he has played. In effect, North and certain members of the President's administration were accused by Kerry's report of illegally funding and supplying armed militants without the authorization of Congress.

His bands have been notable for the excellence of their drummers and works such as The Black Page are notorious for the virtuoso complexity of their rhythmic structure and arrangement, featuring radical changes of tempo and metre and short, densely arranged passages which are contrasted with free-form breaks and extended improvisations. Meanwhile, Kerry's staff began their own investigations, and on October 14 issued a report which exposed illegal activities on the part of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, who had set up a private network involving the National Security Council and the CIA to deliver military equipment to right-wing Nicaraguan rebels (Contras). Although he performed as a singer-guitarist for most of his career, Zappa always retained a strong interest in rhythm and percussion. Lugar of Indiana, the Republican chairman of the committee, agreed to conduct the hearings. He drummed with local teenage combos, but later switched to guitar, which he quickly mastered. Richard G. Zappa began his playing career on drums, taking his first lessons at school in the summer of 1953, aged 13. Sen.

[1] (http://csunix1.lvc.edu/~snyder/em/zappa.html). In April 1986, Kerry and Senator Christopher Dodd, a Democrat from Connecticut, proposed that hearings be conducted by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding charges of Contra involvement in cocaine and marijuana trafficking. Zappa had Varèse's letter framed and he kept it for the rest of his life. The offer was denounced by the Reagan administration as a "propaganda initiative" designed to influence a House vote on a $14 million Contra aid package, but Kerry said "I am willing...to take the risk in the effort to put to test the good faith of the Sandinistas." The House voted down the Contra aid, but Ortega flew to Moscow to accept a $200 million loan the next day, an act which in part prompted the House to pass a larger $27 million aid package six weeks later. He and Varèse subsequently wrote to each other. Through the senators, Ortega offered a cease-fire agreement in exchange for the US dropping support of the Contras. Unfortunately, Varèse was away in Europe at the time, but the young fan spoke to the composer's wife. While in Nicaragua, Kerry and Harkin talked to people on both sides of the conflict.

Although she greatly disliked Varèse's music, she was indulgent enough to give Frank the gift of a long distance call to the composer at his home in New York as a fifteenth birthday present. The Sandinista government was opposed by the right-wing CIA-backed rebels known as the Contras. Zappa's mother gave him considerable encouragement. Though Ortega was democratically elected, the trip was criticized because Ortega and his leftist Sandinista government had strong ties to Cuba and the USSR. When he spotted a copy of The Complete Works of Edgard Varèse, Volume One in a local record store, where it was being used as a hi-fi demonstration record, he convinced the salesman to sell him the copy despite the fact that he didn't have the full price, beginning a lifelong passion for Varèse and his music. On April 18, 1985, a few months after taking his Senate seat, Kerry and Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa traveled to Nicaragua and met the country's president, Daniel Ortega. His introduction to Stravinsky seems to have been a pivotal musical discovery but he was soon ranging even further afield, musically, in addition to his interests in jazz, doo-wop, R&B, and rock'n'roll. After reading a magazine review panning Varèse's dissonant drum piece in "Ionisation" (actually The Complete Works of Edgard Varèse, Volume One) as 'a weird jumble of drums and other unpleasant sounds', the teenage Zappa became convinced that he should seek out Varèse's music. Senator in January 1985.

Zappa was from the first interested in sounds for their own sake, which led to his interest in modern composers. In his acceptance speech, Kerry asserted that his win meant that the people of Massachusetts "emphatically reject the politics of selfishness and the notion that women must be treated as second-class citizens." Kerry was sworn in as a U.S. His parents were not musicians but had broad musical tastes also, and he grew up influenced in equal measures by avant-garde composers such as Edgar Varèse and Igor Stravinsky, local rhythm and blues and doo-wop groups (particularly local pachuco groups), and modern jazz, including bebop and free jazz, all of which influences show up in his work. As the Democratic candidate he was elected to the Senate despite a nationwide landslide for the re-election of Republican president Ronald Reagan. However, he was passionately interested in music, developing wide-ranging and highly idiosyncratic musical interests and demonstrating superior ability at an early age. In his campaign he promised to mix liberalism with tight budget controls. He was highly intelligent, ambitious and articulate, widely read, and possessed a voracious intelligence, drive, singular concentration, enormous creativity and a huge capacity for work and organisation. Again as in 1982, however, he prevailed in a close primary.

Nevertheless, he was in essence a polymath. As in his 1982 race for Lieutenant Governor, he did not receive the endorsement of the party regulars at the state Democratic convention. He maintained his disdain for formal education throughout his life, taking his children out of school at age 15 and refusing to pay for their college. Kerry decided to run for the seat. He left community college after one semester in order to make low-budget films. Senators from Massachusetts, Paul Tsongas, announced in 1984 that he would be stepping down for health reasons. As a student, he was bored and given to distracting the rest of the class with his antics, and was once suspended from school for a dangerous prank involving explosive chemicals and a Parents' Open House night. One of the U.S.

Nasal imagery and references to the nose also recur, both in his writing and in the classic collage album covers created by his longtime visual collaborator, Cal Schenkel. His work contributed to a National Governors Association resolution in 1984 that was a precursor to the 1990 amendments to the federal Clean Air Act. To Frank's lasting horror, his doctor treated the stubborn ailment by inserting a pellet of radium into his nose on a probe. In particular, Kerry's interest in environmental protection led him to become heavily involved in the issue of acid rain. Another formative event was a persistent sinus problem during his early teens. Dukakis, however, delegated additional matters to Kerry. TV also exerted a strong influence and references to TV and TV shows, including quotations from themes and advertising jingles, can be found in almost every piece he wrote. The position of Lieutenant Governor carried few inherent responsibilities.

Lancaster's location gave the young Zappa access to the exciting sounds coming from radio stations in Los Angeles and beyond, as well as exposure to the hype that went with it, and his parents were affluent enough to afford a record player, records, a TV, and musical instruments. The ticket, with Michael Dukakis as the gubernatorial candidate, won the general election without difficulty. His father once wrote and published a small mathematical volume on gambling odds. He decided to re-enter electoral politics by running for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. He won a narrow victory in the 1982 Democratic primary. References to germs, germ warfare and other aspects of the 'secret' defence industry occur throughout his work. Although his private law practice was a success, Kerry was still interested in public office. Due to their proximity to Edwards AFB, he kept gas masks at home in case of an accident, and this evidently had a profound effect on the young Frank. (The store still exists today as "Maggie's Sweets." The current owners, Carol Troxell and Sara Youngelson, supplied 1,000 gift bags of "John Kerry Chocolate Chip Cookies"—made with Kerry's mother's original recipe—to the media walkthrough at the Democratic Convention.).

His father, a chemist and mathematician who was born in Sicily, worked nearby at Edwards Air Force Base which had at the time a federal government chemical warfare research facility. Kerry sold his interest in the business in 1988. By age 15, Frank had attended six different high schools, which may have contributed to his sense of alienation in adult life. The partners named it "Kilvert & Forbes" after their mothers' maiden names. By 1955 the Zappa family relocated to Lancaster, which at the time was a small aircraft and farming town in the Antelope Valley in the Mojave Desert 73 miles north of downtown Los Angeles north of the San Gabriel Mountains. He also joined with a friend to open a small cookie and muffin shop in Boston's Quincy Market area. They moved to Pomona, then El Cajon before moving a short distance once again to San Diego in the early 1950s. In 1979, Kerry resigned from the District Attorney's office to set up a private law firm with another former prosecutor.

In January 1951 the Zappa family relocated to the west coast because of Frank's asthma, settling in Monterey, California, on the coast about 100 miles south of San Francisco. First, he tried cases and won convictions in both a high-profile rape case and a murder. Second, he played a role in administering the office of the district attorney by initiating the creation of special white-collar and organized crime units, creating programs to address the problems of rape and other crime victims and of witnesses, and managing trial calendars to reflect case priorities. He was the oldest of four children, with two brothers and a sister. In that position, Kerry balanced two key roles. Born in Baltimore, Maryland on 21 December 1940, Zappa was of mixed Sicilian, Italian, Greek, Arab, French, Irish, and German ancestry. In January 1977, Droney promoted him to First Assistant District Attorney. Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American rock/jazz fusion musician, composer, and satirist. After passing the bar exam and being admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1976, he went to work in that office as a full-time prosecutor.

Dangerous Kitchen: The Subversive World of Zappa, by Kevin Courrier, ECW Press (June, 2002) ISBN 1550224476. Droney. Zappa: A Biography, by Barry Miles, Publisher: Grove Press (November 9, 2004), ISBN 080211783X. While in law school he had been a student prosecutor in the office of the District Attorney of Middlesex County, John J. Being Frank: My Time with Frank Zappa, by Nigery Lennon. He received his law degree in 1976. Under the Same Moon, by Suzannah Thana Harris. In July 1974, while attending law school, Kerry was named executive director of Mass Action, a Massachusetts advocacy association.

Them or Us, by Frank Zappa. In September 1973, he entered Boston College Law School at Newton, Massachusetts. My Brother was a Mother, by Patrice "Candy" Zappa. He decided that the best way for him to continue in public life was to study law. Cosmik Debris: The Collective History and Improvisations of Frank Zappa, by Greg Russo, Crossfire Pubns; 2nd Rev edition (January 9, 2003), ISBN 0964815702. He spent some time working as a fundraiser for the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE), an international humanitarian organization. The Early Years of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, by Billy James. After Kerry's 1972 defeat, he and his wife bought a house in Lowell.

Necessity Is.. Cronin won the election. Electric Don Quixote: The Definitive Story of Frank Zappa, by Neil Slaven. The final blow came when, four days before the election, Durkin withdrew in favor of Cronin. Mother! the Frank Zappa Story, by Michael Gray. It also ran critical news stories about his out-of-state contributions and his "carpetbagging", because he had moved into the district only in April. Lunar Notes-Zoot Horn Rollo's Captain Beefheart Experience, by Bill Harkleroad, contains several references about Zappa's collaboration with Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart. The paper editorialized against him.

Playground Psychotics (1992). In the early 1970s, Kerry wanted to extend his political work beyond protesting. Although some antiwar activists were dismissive of electoral politics, Kerry's choice was to run for the U.S. 6 (1992). Some have raised questions about exactly when Kerry left VVAW; see John Kerry VVAW controversy for a full discussion. You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. Kerry eventually quit the organization over this difference in approach. 5 (1992). Other members, however, were more militant.

You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. Kerry was trying to moderate the group, to push it in the direction of nonviolence and working within the system. Conceptual Continuity (1976). Despite his important role in Operation POW and other VVAW events, as time went on Kerry found that VVAW was becoming more radical. Our Man In Nirvana (1968). The mass arrests caused a community backlash and ended up giving positive coverage to the VVAW. Swiss Cheese/Fire! (2 discs) (1971). At the time, Kerry's wife kept $100 under her pillow in case she needed to bail her husband out of jail if he was arrested at a protest.

. The second night of the march, May 29, was the occasion for Kerry's only arrest, when the participants tried to camp on the village green in Lexington. Piquantique (1973). Over the Memorial Day weekend, veterans and other participants marched from Concord to a rally on Boston Common. The plan was to invoke the spirit of the American Revolution and Paul Revere by spending successive nights at the sites of the Battle of Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill, culminating in a Memorial Day rally with a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Saarbrucken 1978 (1978). The event sought to tie antiwar activism to patriotic themes. 'Tis The Season To Be Jelly (1967). The protest got its name from the group's concern that Americans were prisoners of the Vietnam War, as well as to honor American POWs held captive by North Vietnam.

Anyway The Wind Blows (2 discs) (1979). One of particular note was Operation POW, organized by the VVAW in Massachusetts. Unmitigated Audacity (1974). Kerry's prominence also made him a frequent leader and spokesman at antiwar events around the country in 1971. Freaks & Motherfu*#@%! (1970). In a 2004 interview, again on Meet The Press, Kerry explained that he regrets using the phrase "war criminals". The Ark (1968}. In the 2004 United States presidential campaign, Kerry's critics often cited this statement.

As An Am (1981-82). He responded:. Beat The Boots I 9 discs (boxed or separate) (1991):

. On NBC's Meet The Press in 1971, Kerry was asked whether he had personally committed atrocities in Vietnam. Make A Jazz Noise Here (1991). In the Washington Star newspaper (June 6, 1971), he recounted how he and other Swift boat officers had become disillusioned by the contrast between what the leaders told them and what they saw: "That's when I realized I could never remain silent about the realities of the war in Vietnam.". 4 (1991). military leaders in Vietnam, such as free-fire zones and burning noncombatants' houses, were contrary to the laws of war.

You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. On one Cavett program (June 30, 1971), in debating John O'Neill, Kerry argued that some of the policies instituted by the U.S. The BRT Big Band Plays Frank Zappa (BRT Big Band) (1990). For example, Kerry appeared more than once on The Dick Cavett Show on ABC television. The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life (1989). He was able to use these occasions to bring the themes of his Senate testimony to a wider audience. 3 (1989). Because Kerry was a decorated veteran who took a stand against the government's official position, he was frequently interviewed by broadcast and print media.

You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. As Kerry threw his ribbons and the medals of two other absent veterans over the fence, his statement was: "I'm not doing this for any violent reasons, but for peace and justice, and to try and make this country wake up once and for all." Some have questioned whether he gave up his own medals or just the ribbons during the demonstration at the Capitol; see John Kerry VVAW controversy for a full discussion. Broadway The Hard Way (1989). Each veteran gave his or her name, hometown, branch of service and a statement. 2 (1988). For more than two hours, angry veterans tossed their medals, ribbons, hats, jackets, and military papers over the fence. You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. Jack Smith, a Marine, read a statement explaining why the veterans were returning their military awards to the government.

1 (1988). The day after this testimony, Kerry participated in a demonstration with 800 other veterans in which he and other veterans threw their medals and ribbons over a fence at the front steps of the U.S. Capitol building to dramatize their opposition to the war. You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. transcript (http://www.c-span.org/vote2004/jkerrytestimony.asp)audio (http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/20/1535232). Guitar (1988). Kerry responded that, based on his conversations in Paris with both Communist delegations to the peace talks (North Vietnamese and Viet Cong), he agreed with Senator Vance Hartke that, if the United States set a date for its withdrawal, it could then obtain the release of its prisoners of war. London Symphony Orchestra vol 2 (1987). Senator Fulbright asked Kerry if he supported any of the proposals before the committee.

Jazz From Hell (1986). He argued that the real reason for the continued fighting was political purposes: "Someone has to die so that President Nixon won't be, and these are his words, 'the first President to lose a war.'" That conclusion led him to ask: "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?". Does Humor Belong In Music? (1986). Kerry expressed his view that the war was essentially a civil war and that nothing in Vietnam was a realistic threat to the United States. Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention (1985). Most of his testimony addressed the larger policy issues. Francesco Zappa (1984). He also addressed the problems faced by returning veterans.

Thing-Fish (1984). Kerry did not say he had seen them himself. Them or Us (1984). Kerry began with a prepared speech, in which he presented the conclusions of the Winter Soldier Investigation, where veterans had described personally committing or witnessing war crimes. Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger (1984). Wearing green fatigues and service ribbons, he spoke for nearly two hours with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in what has been named the Fulbright Hearing, after the Chairman of the proceedings, Senator J.W. Fulbright. London Symphony Orchestra vol 1 (1983). On April 22, 1971, Kerry became the first Vietnam veteran to testify before Congress about the war, when he appeared before a Senate committee hearing on proposals relating to ending the war.

Baby Snakes (1983). Many other veterans, however, such as those who in 2004 formed Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, deeply resented the VVAW's activities, feeling that their own military service was being attacked or cheapened. The Man From Utopia (1983). Many Vietnam veterans saw the organization as giving voice to the views of the common soldier in exposing official deceit. Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch (1982). Americans who opposed the war were grateful for VVAW's work. You Are What You Is (1981). Beyond such specifics, however, they were seen as having "paid their dues" in Vietnam, and therefore being entitled to at least a respectful hearing.

Shut Up 'N' Play Yer Guitar (1981). VVAW's members, including Kerry, could speak with personal knowledge about what they had seen in Vietnam. Tinseltown Rebellion (1981). Numbering about 20,000 [13] (http://www.vvaw.org/veteran/article/?id=378), VVAW was considered by some (including the administration of President Richard Nixon) to be an effective component of the antiwar movement. Joe's Garage (1979). Once back in the United States, Kerry joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). Orchestral Favorites (1979). For more detail on this, see John Kerry military service controversy.

Sheik Yerbouti (1979). In addition, members of SBVT have questioned his other medals and his truthfulness in testimony about the war. Defenders of John Kerry's war record, including nearly all of his surviving former crewmates, have charged that organizers of SBVT had close ties to the Bush presidential campaign and that the accusations were false and politically motivated. Sleep Dirt (1979). Hibbard and Elliott have alleged, respectively, that Kerry's first Purple Heart and Silver Star were undeserved. Studio Tan (1978). Other SBVT members included two of Kerry's former commanding officers, Grant Hibbard and George Elliott. Zappa In New York (1978). Several SBVT members were in the same unit with Kerry, but only one, Stephen Gardner, served on the same boat.

Zoot Allures (1976). As the presidential campaign of 2004 developed, around 200 Vietnam-era veterans formed the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) and held press conferences, ran ads, and endorsed a book questioning Kerry's service record and his military awards. Bongo Fury (1975). Critics have questioned several aspects of Kerry's military service. One Size Fits All (1975). Navy for three years and eight months, from August 1966 until March 1970. He lost five close friends in the war, including Yale classmate Richard Pershing, who was killed in action on February 17, 1968. Roxy & Elsewhere (1974). All told, John Kerry was on active duty in the U.S.

Apostrophe (1974). He was released from active duty on March 1. Over-Nite Sensation (1973) (See 1973 in music). On January 1, 1970 Kerry was promoted to full Lieutenant; on January 3, he requested discharge. The Grand Wazoo (1972) (See 1972 in music). On April 11, he reported to the Brooklyn-based Atlantic Military Sea Transportation Service, where he would remain on active duty for the following year as a personal aide to an officer, Rear Admiral Walter Schlech. Waka/Jawaka (1972) (See 1972 in music). He was there for five or six days and left Vietnam in early April.

Just Another Band From L.A. (1972) (See 1972 in music). On March 26, after a final patrol at night on March 25, Kerry was transferred to Cam Ranh Bay to await his orders. 200 Motels (1971). [12] (http://www.campaigndesk.org/archives/000451.asp). Fillmore East - June 1971 (1971). If Kerry wanted to stay, he was required to file a second, written request to waive the reassignment. King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa (Jean-Luc Ponty) (1970). will not be ordered to serve in Vietnam and contiguous waters or to duty with ships or units which have been alerted for movement to that area." According to the Navy regulation that governed this (BUPERS Instruction 1300.39), the request for the "thrice-wounded reassignment" was required no matter what.

Chunga's Revenge (1970). He was entitled to this early departure from Vietnam (subject to approval by the Bureau of Naval Personnel), because those who had been wounded three times, "regardless of the nature of the wound or treatment required .. Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970). On March 17, 1969, shortly after Kerry's third wound, Commodore Charles Horne, the commander of Coastal Squadron 1, filed a request for Kerry's reassignment to the U.S. Burnt Weeny Sandwich (1969). His injuries included shrapnel wounds in his left upper buttock and contusions on his right forearm from hitting the bulkhead when the mine exploded near his boat. Hot Rats (1969). Kerry was wounded twice that day, and he would receive his third Purple Heart.

The !@#$ of the Mothers of Invention (1969). PCFs 51 and 94 remained behind and helped salvage the stricken boat together with a damage-control party that had been immediately dispatched to the scene. Worst of the Mothers (1969). After the dazed and injured crew of PCF-3 had been rescued, PCFs 43 and 23 left the scene to evacuate the four most seriously wounded sailors. Mothermania: The Best of the Mothers (1969). PCF-94 received special recognition from Captain Roy Hoffmann, the commander of Task Force 115 (which included Coastal Division 11), on March 14 in his weekly report to his men:. Uncle Meat (1969). The Navy's account of Kerry's actions is presented in his medal citation:.

Cruising with Ruben & the Jets (1968). Rassmann was heading to the north bank, expecting to be taken prisoner, when Kerry realized he was gone and came back for him. We're Only In It For The Money (1968). Coming back up for air, the enemy repeatedly fired at him. Lumpy Gravy (1967). Rassmann dived to the bottom of the river. Absolutely Free (1967). Just afterwards, the boat came under attack from both sides of the bank.

Freak Out! (1966). James Rassmann, a Green Beret advisor who was sitting on the deck of the pilothouse eating a chocolate chip cookie, was knocked overboard. Download sample of "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" from Freak Out!. Shortly thereafter, another mine exploded near Kerry's boat (PCF-94). A mine detonated directly beneath one of the boats (PCF-3), lifting it into the air. On March 13, five Swift boats were returning to base together on the Bay Hap river from their missions that day.

It was a traumatic experience that's still with him, and he went through it for his country." It affects the way Kerry lives his life every day, the source said, since "he knows he very well would not be alive today had he not taken the life of another man [he] never ever met." [10] (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Nightline/Politics/kerry_medal_040624-1.html). Sources close to Kerry say the incident had a profound effect on him: "It's the reason he gets so angry when his patriotism is challenged. [9] (http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/#silver_star). In addition, the after-action reports for this mission are available, along with the original press release written on March 1, a historical summary dated March 17, and more.

The Navy's account of Kerry's actions is presented in the original medal citation signed by Zumwalt. Elliott recommended Kerry for the Silver Star, and Zumwalt flew into An Thoi to personally award medals to Kerry and the rest of the sailors involved in the mission. Kerry's commanding officer, Lieutenant George Elliott, joked that he didn't know whether to court-martial him for beaching the boat without orders or give him a medal for saving the crew. The medal citation notes that Kerry "then led an assault party and conducted a sweep of the area" until the enemy had "been completely routed." The mission was judged highly successful for having destroyed numerous targets and confiscated substantial combat supplies while sustaining no casualties.

Kerry leaped ashore and, followed by Medeiros, pursued the man and killed him. I mean, he did not break stride." Belodeau's machine gun jammed after he fired, and while fellow crewmate Michael Medeiros attempted to fire, he was unable to do so. "But the guy didn't miss a stride. "Tommy in the pit tank winged him in the side of the legs as he was coming across," Fred Short said.

With the enemy soldier only a short distance away from the boat and crew, forward gunner Tommy Belodeau shot him in the leg with the boat's 7.62x51 caliber M-60 machine gun. As they reached the shore, a Viet Cong soldier jumped out of the brush, carrying a loaded B-40 launcher. Kerry ordered the boats to turn and charge the second ambush site. The two boats came under fire from a Viet Cong B-40 rocket-propelled grenade, shattering the crew cabin windows of PCF-94.

Army advisors that were with them had disembarked at the ambush site, Kerry's boat and another headed up river to look for the fleeing enemy. After the South Vietnamese troops and a team of three U.S. Kerry directed the boats "to turn to the beach and charge the Viet Cong positions" and he "expertly directed" his boat's fire and coordinated the deployment of the South Vietnamese troops, according to Admiral Zumwalt's original medal citation. Along the Bay Hap river, they ran into an ambush.

Their mission included bringing a demolition team and dozens of South Vietnamese soldiers to destroy enemy sampans, structures and bunkers. On this occasion, Kerry was in tactical command of his Swift boat and two others. Only eight days later, on February 28, came the incident for which Kerry was awarded the Silver Star. Kerry received his second Purple Heart for this injury, but he did not take any time off from duty.

Kerry still has shrapnel in his left thigh because the doctors tending to him decided to remove the damaged tissue and close the wound with sutures rather than make a wide opening to remove the shrapnel. Thereafter, they had no more trouble, and reached the Gulf of Thailand safely. As the Swift boats reached the Cua Lon river, Kerry's boat was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade round, and a piece of hot shrapnel hit Kerry's left leg. We chose the latter.".

Kerry recorded the situation in his notebook: "We therefore had a choice: to wait for what was not a confirmed return by the helos [and] give any snipers more time to set up an ambush for our exit or we could take a chance and exit immediately without any cover. They returned to their base to refuel and were unable to return to the mission for several hours. On the way up the Bo De, however, the helicopters were attacked. The plan had been for the Swift boats to be accompanied by support helicopters.

Kerry received his second Purple Heart for action on the Bo De river on February 20, 1969. One of the other officers who participated later recalled, "We all looked at each other and thought, 'What is this crap?'" Kerry later said that the Saigon meeting left him "more depressed than when I came.". According to some who retell the story, Kerry and the other visiting officers' concerns were dismissed with what amounted to a pep talk. Kerry and the other officers reported that the "free-fire" policy was alienating the Vietnamese and that the Swift boats' actions were not accomplishing their ostensible goal of interdicting Viet Cong supply lines.

forces in Vietnam. Army General Creighton Abrams, the overall commander of U.S. On January 22, 1969, Kerry and several other officers had an unusual meeting in Saigon with Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, the commander of U.S. Naval forces in Vietnam, and U.S. Kerry has stated that he never thought he or his crew were at fault: "There wasn't anybody in that area that didn't know you don't move at night, that you don't go out in a sampan on the rivers, and there's a curfew." Nevertheless, he soon concluded that the policy should be changed.

Such encounters could result in the deaths of innocent civilians. military command in Vietnam had an established policy of "free-fire zones" — areas in which soldiers were to shoot anyone moving around after curfew, without first making sure that they were hostile. At the time, the U.S. Kerry was awarded his first Purple Heart for this injury.

Kerry returned to duty the next day on a regular Swift boat patrol. During this encounter, Kerry suffered a shrapnel wound in the left arm above the elbow. The shrapnel was removed and the wound was treated with bacitracin antibiotic and bandaged. When the men refused to obey an order to stop running, Kerry and his crew of two enlisted men opened fire, destroyed the sampans, and took off. Kerry's boat surprised a group of men unloading sampans at a river crossing, who began to run.

During the night of December 2, 1968 and early morning of December 3, Kerry was in charge of a small boat operating in and around a peninsula north of Cam Ranh Bay together with a Swift boat (PCF-60). [8] (http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/#vietnam_service). On January 30, Kerry took charge of PCF-94 and its crew, which he led until he departed An Thoi on March 26 and the crew was disbanded. They were based at Coastal Division 13 at Cat Lo from December 13 to January 6. Otherwise, they were stationed at Coastal Division 11 at An Thoi.

His first command was Swift boat PCF-44, from December 6, 1968 to January 21, 1969, when the crew was disbanded. During his tour of duty as an Officer in Charge of Swift boats, Kerry led five-man crews on patrols into enemy-controlled areas. As part of that plan, the Swift boats were assigned to patrol the narrow waterways — inlets, canals, and coves — of the Mekong River delta, to monitor enemy movements, interdict enemy river-based supply lines, invite attack and otherwise draw out hostile forces. military presence more aggressively into an area that had long been a Viet Cong stronghold.

The goal was to project a U.S. Kerry took part in Operation Sea Lords, the brainchild of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. On November 17, 1968, Kerry reported for duty at Coastal Squadron 1 in Cam Ranh Bay in South Vietnam. On June 20, he left the Gridley for special Swift boat training at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado.

Ten days after returning, on June 16, Kerry was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, junior grade. on May 27 and returned to port at Long Beach, California on June 6. The crew performed well and John Kerry’s performance in all aspects of his duty was outstanding." [7] (http://home.nycap.rr.com/pwcarter/the%20kerry%20page.html) The ship departed for the U.S. Our helicopter was shot up trying to rescue a downed pilot and the door gunner was killed.

It was a fairly grueling tour of duty. The executive officer of the Gridley has described the deployment: "We deployed from San Diego to the Vietnam theatre in early 1968 after only a six-month turnaround and spent most of a four month deployment on rescue station in the Gulf of Tonkin, standing by to pick up downed aviators. The Gridley traveled to several places, including Wellington in New Zealand, Subic Bay in the Philippines, and the Gulf of Tonkin off North Vietnam. They were engaged in coastal patrolling and that's what I thought I was going to be doing." [6] (http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061603.shtml).

"When I signed up for the swift boats, they had very little to do with the war. (Kerry's second choice was to be an officer in a river patrol boat, or "PBR", squadron.) "I didn't really want to get involved in the war," Kerry said in a book of Vietnam reminiscences published in 1986. The next day, Kerry requested duty in Vietnam, listing as his first preference a position as the commander of a Fast Patrol Craft (PCF), also known as a "Swift boat." These 50-foot boats have aluminum hulls and have little or no armor, but are heavily armed and rely on speed. On February 9, 1968, the Gridley set sail for a Western Pacific deployment.

Kerry's first tour of duty was as an ensign on the guided missile frigate USS Gridley. Fleet Anti-Air Warfare Training Center for training as a Combat Information Center Watch Officer. On March 22, he reported to the U.S. On January 3, 1967 Kerry began a ten-week Officer Damage Control Course at the Naval Schools Command on Treasure Island, California.

Naval Training Center in Newport, Rhode Island, he received his commission on December 16. After completing sixteen weeks of Officer Candidate School at the U.S. [5] (http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/Request_For_History_of_Service.pdf) He began his active duty military service on August 19. Naval Reserve.

On February 18, 1966, Kerry enlisted in the U.S. Kerry's military record received considerable attention during his political career, especially during his unsuccessful 2004 bid for the presidency. Kerry received several combat medals during this tour, including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts. His last tour in Vietnam was four months as officer in charge of a Swift boat in 1969.

Kerry served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War, during the period from 1966 to 1970. The speech he delivered was a broad criticism of American foreign policy, including the Vietnam war, in which he would soon see combat. At the last moment, he rewrote his speech from the version that had already been published. Because of his public speaking skills, he was chosen to give the class oration at graduation.

He did not fail any courses. In addition to Kerry's four D's in his freshman year, he received one D in his sophomore year. He received four D's in his freshman year out of 10 courses, but improved his average in later years. Under Yale's grading system in effect at the time, grades between 90 and 100 equaled an A, 80-89 a B, 70-79 a C, 60 to 69 a D, and anything below that was a failing grade.

Over four years, Kerry maintained a 76 grade average. In the speech he said, "It is the specter of Western imperialism that causes more fear among Africans and Asians than communism, and thus it is self-defeating." [4] (http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=21803). foreign policy. In March 1965, as the Vietnam War escalated, he won the Ten Eyck prize as the best orator in the junior class for a speech that was critical of U.S.

Under the guidance of the speaking coach and history professor Rollin Osterweis, Kerry won dozens of debate contests against other college students from across the nation. He was also inducted into the Skull and Bones Society. His involvement with the Political Union gave him an opportunity to be involved with important issues of the day, such as the civil rights movement and Kennedy's New Frontier program. In his sophomore year Kerry became president of the Yale Political Union.

To earn extra money during the summers, he loaded trucks in a grocery warehouse and sold encyclopedias door to door. He also played on the soccer, hockey, lacrosse, and fencing teams; in addition, he took flying lessons. in 1966. There he majored in political science and graduated with a B.A.

In 1962, Kerry entered Yale University. They met again a few weeks later at the America's Cup race off the coast of Rhode Island. Later that day, a White House photographer snapped a photo of Kerry sailing with Kennedy and his family in Narragansett Bay. Kerry later recalled, "He smiled at me, laughed and said, 'Oh, don't worry about it. You know I'm a Yale man too now.'" According to Kerry, "The President uttered that famous comment about how he had the best of two worlds now: a Harvard education and Yale degree," in reference to the honorary degree he had received from Yale a few months earlier.

When Kerry told Kennedy that he was about to enter Yale University, Kennedy grimaced because he had gone to rival school Harvard University. It was there that Kerry met President Kennedy for the first time. Auchincloss invited Kerry to visit her family's estate, Hammersmith Farm in Rhode Island. That summer, he began dating Janet Jennings Auchincloss (now deceased), Jacqueline Kennedy's half-sister.

In 1962, Kerry volunteered for Edward Kennedy's first Senatorial campaign. While living in the U.S., Kerry spent several summers at the Forbes family's estates on Naushon Island off Cape Cod. Kennedy's election to the White House. In November of 1960, Kerry gave his first political speech, in favor of John F.

Paul's to debate the issues of the day; the Society still exists there. In 1959 Kerry founded the John Winant Society at St. Only 500 copies were made. In 2004, one of the copies was auctioned on eBay for $2,551. Kerry also played electric bass for the prep school's band The Electras, which produced an album in 1961.

Mueller III, the current director of the FBI. In his free time, he enjoyed ice hockey and lacrosse, which he played on teams captained by classmate Robert S. He learned skills in public speaking and he became deeply interested in politics. Despite having difficulty fitting in, he made friends and developed his interests.

Paul's, Kerry felt like an outsider because he was a Catholic and liberal while most of his fellow students were Republican Episcopalians. At St. His father's Foreign Service salary was not enough to pay the school's tuition; Kerry's childless great-aunt, Clara Winthrop, then very much advanced in age, voluntarily covered the costs. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and graduated from there in 1962.

The following year, he enrolled at St. John Joseph Pershing. Gen. There he met and became friends with Richard Pershing, grandson of the famed U.S.

In 1957, he attended the Fessenden School in West Newton, a village in Newton, Massachusetts. Embassy in Oslo, Norway, Kerry was sent to Massachusetts to attend boarding school. While his father was stationed at the U.S. He later named his powerboat after the title character.

While attending the boarding school, Kerry saw the film Scaramouche, which became his favorite movie. He biked through France, took a ferry from Norway to England, and one time camping alone in Sherwood Forest. As a boy, Kerry often spent time alone. When he visited home, he biked around the city, exploring the ruins of the former Nazi capital, and even sneaking into the Soviet Sector, until his father found out and grounded him.

He then went to a Swiss boarding school at age 11 while his family lived in Berlin. Albans School in Washington D.C. For kids, [that's] not the greatest thing." At an early age he attended St. There wasn't a lot of permanence and roots.

It steeled you. It kind of had an effect on you. Many years later, he said that "to my chagrin, and everlasting damnation, I was always moving on and saying goodbye. Because Kerry's family moved often, he attended several schools as a child.

During these summers, he became good friends with his first cousin Brice Lalonde, a future Socialist and Green Party leader in France who ran for president of France in 1981. Kerry occupied his time there racing his cousins on bicycles and challenging relatives to games of kick the can. Kerry and his parents would often spend the summer holidays there. The sprawling estate was rebuilt in 1954.

When the Germans fled, they bombed Les Essarts and burnt it down. The family estate, known as Les Essarts, had been occupied and used as a Nazi headquarters during the war. This visit came shortly after the United States had liberated Saint-Briac from the Nazis on August 14, 1944. Kerry has said that his first memory is from when he was three years old, of holding his crying mother's hand while they walked through the broken glass and rubble of her childhood home in Saint-Briac, France.

[1] (http://www.familyforest.com/Kerry_Bush_Cousins.html) [2] (http://msn.ancestry.com/landing/strange/bush4/tree.htm) [3] (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5723115/). Bush (ninth cousin, twice removed), and to many of the royal houses of Europe. Through her, John Kerry is related to four Presidents, including, ironically, George W. Forbes married Margaret Tyndal Winthrop, who came from a family with deep roots in New England history.

John Kerry's maternal grandfather, James Grant Forbes, was born in Shanghai, China, where the Forbes family of China and Boston accumulated a fortune in the opium and China trade. The couple married in Montgomery, Alabama in January 1941. One of 11 children, she studied to be a nurse, and served in the Red Cross in Paris during World War II (she also was a Girl Scout leader for 50 years). In 1937, Richard Kerry met Rosemary Forbes, a member of the wealthy Forbes family.

Department of State. Army Air Corps, he worked for the Foreign Service and served as an attorney for the Bureau of United Nations Affairs in the U.S. After a stint in the U.S. Richard John Kerry, John's father, was born on July 28, 1915 in Massachusetts.

Frederick Kerry himself committed suicide in the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston on November 23, 1921. Two of Ida's siblings, Otto Loewe and Jenni Loewe, died in the Nazi extermination camps (Theresienstadt and Treblinka, respectively), after being deported from Vienna in 1942. A Czech historian believes that Ida was a descendant of Sinai Loew, one of three older brothers of Rabbi Judah Loew (1525-August 22, 1609), a famous Kabbalist, philosopher and talmudist known as the Maharal of Prague. They raised their three children, including John's father, as Catholics.

They then immigrated to the United States, arriving at Ellis Island in 1905. His wife Ida also converted at the same time. But in 1901, Fritz Kohn convert