Captain Beefheart -

Captain Beefheart was the performance moniker of Don Van Vliet (Jan. 15, 1941 — Dec. 17, 2010), an American musician, singer, poet, songwriter, and painter from Glendale, Calif., who was active as a recording artist between 1967 and 1982, releasing 11 albums with his avant-blues Magic Band.

Magic Band members: Captain Beefheart (vocals, harmonica, saxophone, clarinet, shenai), Alexis Clair Snouffer [aka Alex St. Clair] (guitar, drums, 1964-68, 1972-74), Jerry Handley (bass, 1964-68), Doug Moon (guitar, 1964-67), PG Blakely (drums, 1964-65, 1965, 1966), Vic Mortenson (drums, 1965, 1965-66), Rich Hepner (guitar, 1966), John French [aka Drumbo] (drums, vocals, guitar, harmonica, 1966-69, 1970-71, 1975-76, 1977, 1980), Ry Cooder (guitar, 1967), Jerry McGee (guitar, 1967), Jeff Cotton [aka Antennae Jimmy Semens] (guitar, 1967-69), Bill Harkleroad [aka Zoot Horn Rollo] (guitar, flute, 1968-74), Gary Marker (bass, 1968), Mark Boston [aka Rockette Morton] (bass, guitar, 1968-74), Victor Hayden [aka The Mascara Snake] (bass clarinet, vocals, 1968-69), Arthur Tripp [aka Ed Marimba] (drums, percussion, 1969-74), Tom Grasso (piano, 1969), Elliot Ingber [aka Winged Eel Fingerling] (guitar, 1970-71, 1971-72, 1975-76), Roy Estrada [aka Orejón] (bass, 1972-73), Ty Grimes (drums, percussion, 1974), Dean Smith (guitar, 1974), Micheal Smotherman [aka Michael Bucky] (keyboards, 1974), Del Simmons (saxophone, flute, 1974), Fuzzy Fuscaldo (guitar, 1974), Paul Uhrig (bass, 1974), Mark Gibbons (keyboards, 1974), Ira Ingber (bass, 1974), Gene Pello (drums, 1974), Bruce Fowler [aka Fossil, Old Hat] (trombone, bass, 1975-76, 1978-80), Greg Davidson [aka Ella Guru] (guitar, 1975), Jimmy Carl Black [aka Indian Ink] (drums, percussion, 1975), Denny Walley [aka Feeler’s Reedo, Walla Walla] (guitar, 1975-78), Moris Tepper [aka White Jew] (guitar, slide guitar, 1976-82), John Thomas (keyboards, 1976), Eric Drew Feldman [aka Black Jew Kitabo] (keyboards, bass, synthesizer, mandolin, 1976-81), Gary Jaye (drums, percussion, 1976-77), Robert Williams [aka Wait for Me] (drums, 1977-81), Richard Redus [aka Mercury Josef] (guitar, accordion, bass, 1978), Richard Snyder [aka Midnight Hatsize] (guitar, slide guitar, bass, viola, 1980-82), Gary Lucas (guitar, 1982), Cliff Martinez (drums, percussion, 1982)

Van Vliet was born Don Glen Vliet in Glendale, California, on January 15, 1941. He claimed to be a descendant of Dutch baroque painter Peter van Vliet, an associate of Rembrandt.

Obsessed with animals, Vliet started painting them as a child and at age nine won a sculpting competition hosted by the Los Angeles Zoo. When he was thirteen, the Vliet family moved to Lancaster, where he attended Antelope Valley High School and befriended classmate Frank Zappa. As an only child with shy and obsessive traits, Vliet would lock himself in his room for hours, painting and listening to music.

As he continued with his art, Vliet developed parallel interests in the Delta blues of Son House and the avant-garde jazz of Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor. His earliest known piece of music is “Lost In a Whirlpool,” a field recording with Zappa. In 1963/64, the two cut demos as The Soots. They hashed out numerous ideas at Zappa’s Studio Z, including the teen movie script Captain Beefheart vs. the Grunt People, purportedly the first appearance of the Beefheart moniker.

At age 24, while singing and playing harmonica at South Cal. clubs and dances, Vliet mastered the gruff caterwaul of Howlin’ Wolf and other elder bluesmen. Guitarist and longtime associate Alex St. Clair, who was forming a blues combo called the Magic Band, invited Vliet to join the lineup. Don, who’d changed his middle name to Van, became their singer and de facto leader. Settling on the name Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, they signed to A&M Records in 1966.

Safe as Milk

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band released their debut album, Safe as Milk, on June 29, 1967, on Buddah (US) and Pye (UK).

Strictly Personal

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band released their second album, Strictly Personal, in October 1968 on Blue Thumb (US) and Liberty (UK).

Trout Mask Replica

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band released their third album, Trout Mask Replica, on June 16, 1969, on Straight Records.

Lick My Decals Off, Baby

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band released their fourth album, Lick My Decals Off, Baby, in December 1970 on Straight Records.

Mirror Man

In April 1971, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band released Mirror Man, comprised of four blues jams recorded in October–November 1967 between their first two albums.

The Spotlight Kid

Captain Beefheart released his sixth album, The Spotlight Kid, in January 1972 on Reprise.

Clear Spot

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band released their seventh album, Clear Spot, in October 1972 on Reprise.

Unconditionally Guaranteed

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band released their eighth album, Unconditionally Guaranteed, in April 1974 on Mercury (US) and Virgin (UK).

Bluejeans & Moonbeams

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band released their ninth album, Bluejeans & Moonbeams, in November 1974 on Mercury and Virgin.

Bongo Fury

On October 2, 1975, DiscReet Records released Bongo Fury, a collection of live and studio collaborative tracks between Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa & His Mothers.