Captain Beefheart

Captain Beefheart
Beefheart performing at Convocation Hall in 1974
Beefheart performing at Convocation Hall in 1974
Background information
Birth nameDon Glen Vliet
Also known as
  • Bloodshot Rollin' Red
  • Don Van Vliet
Born(1941-01-15)January 15, 1941
Glendale, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 17, 2010(2010-12-17) (aged 69)
Arcata, California, U.S.[1]
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • musician
  • painter
  • poet
  • composer
  • author
  • record producer
  • film director
Instruments
Years active1964–1982
Labels
Formerly of
Websitebeefheart.com

Don Van Vliet (/væn ˈvliːt/; born Don Glen Vliet;[2] January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart.[3] Conducting a rotating ensemble known as the Magic Band, he recorded 13 studio albums between 1967 and 1982. His music blended elements of blues, free jazz, rock, and avant-garde composition with idiosyncratic rhythms, absurdist wordplay, a gravelly voice, and a wide vocal range.[4][5] Renowned as an enigmatic persona, Beefheart frequently constructed myths about his life and was known to exercise an almost dictatorial control over his supporting musicians.[6] Although he achieved little commercial success,[7] he sustained a cult following as an influence on an array of experimental rock and punk-era artists.

A prodigy sculptor in his childhood,[4][8][9] Van Vliet developed an interest in blues, R&B, and jazz during his teen years in Lancaster, California, and formed "a mutually useful but volatile" friendship with musician Frank Zappa, with whom he sporadically competed and collaborated.[10] He began performing in his Captain Beefheart persona in 1964 and joined the original Magic Band line-up, initiated by Alexis Snouffer, the same year. The group released their debut album Safe as Milk in 1967 on Buddah Records. After being dropped by two consecutive record labels they signed to Zappa's Straight Records, where they released 1969's Trout Mask Replica; the album would later rank 58th in Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[11] In 1974, frustrated by a lack of commercial success, he pursued a more conventional rock sound, but the ensuing albums were critically panned; this move, combined with not having been paid for a European tour, and years of enduring Beefheart's abusive behavior, led the entire band to quit.[12]

Beefheart eventually formed a new Magic Band with a group of younger musicians and regained critical approval through three final albums: Shiny Beast (1978), Doc at the Radar Station (1980) and Ice Cream for Crow (1982). Van Vliet made few public appearances after his retirement from music in 1982. He pursued a career in art, an interest that originated in his childhood talent for sculpture, and a venture that proved to be his most financially secure. His abstract expressionist paintings and drawings command high prices, and have been exhibited in art galleries and museums across the world.[13][14][15] Van Vliet died in 2010, having had multiple sclerosis for many years.[16]

  1. ^ Billboard 2011, p. 135.
  2. ^ "Don Glen Vliet's birth certificate at Beefheart.com". Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  3. ^ MacAskill, Ewen (December 18, 2010). "Captain Beefheart, who has died aged 69, was provocative and unpredictable". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Captain Beefheart: Biography : Rolling Stone". www.rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  5. ^ Barnes 2011, p. 256.
  6. ^ Barnes, Mike; Paytress, Mark; White III, Jack (March 2011). "The Black Rider". Mojo. Vol. 208. London: Bauermedia. pp. 65–73.
  7. ^ Harris, John (August 4, 2006). "Mission: unlistenable". The Guardian. London, England. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  8. ^ Luhrssen, David; Larson, Michael (2017). Encyclopedia of Classic Rock. ABC-CLIO. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-4408-3514-8.
  9. ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2015). The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World [2 volumes]: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World. ABC-CLIO. p. 136. ISBN 978-1-4408-0340-6.
  10. ^ Loder, Kurt (June 24, 1999). "Captain Beefheart: The Man Who Reconstructed Rock & Roll". www.mtv.com. New York City: Viacom. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013.
  11. ^ "58 Trout Mask Replica". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  12. ^ Ratliff, Ben (December 17, 2010). "Don Van Vliet, 'Captain Beefheart,' Dies at 69". The New York Times.
  13. ^ Barnes 2011, p. 446.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference ft was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ McKenna, Kristina (July 29, 1990). A Crossover of a Different Color Archived October 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Los Angeles Times.
  16. ^ Johnston, Maura (December 17, 2010). "Captain Beefheart Dead at Age 69". RollingStone.com. Retrieved December 17, 2010.