Roy Estrada
Encyclopedia
Roy Estrada (born April 17, 1943 in Santa Ana
, California
) is an American
musician and backing vocalist, best known for his bass guitar
work with Frank Zappa
and for co-founding Little Feat
.
and Ray Collins
, Estrada was an original member of Frank Zappa
's Mothers of Invention, having previously been a founding member of The Soul Giants — the band from which the Mothers of Invention was formed.
Prior to the Soul Giants, Estrada fronted a band called Roy Estrada and the Rocketeers. The group released at least one single on the King label, "Jungle Dreams (Part 1)" backed with "Jungle Dreams (Part 2)".
Estrada sang "Oh in the Sky" on the Mothers of Invention "Color Pop" TV Special in October 1968 with a high-pitched voice. In addition to his work with Zappa, Estrada formed Little Feat
with Lowell George
in 1969, playing on their first two albums before quitting in 1972 to join Captain Beefheart
's Magic Band, by whom he was given the nickname Orejón ('big ears'). Estrada was the only member of The Mothers' original line-up to leave on his own in 1969, as the rest were fired. He also played bass for Zappa's transitional 1976 Zoot Allures
touring band, provided vocals and acting for Zappa's 1979 film Baby Snakes
, and vocal work for the 1980s Zappa albums You Are What You Is
, Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
and The Man from Utopia
.
, and Napoleon Murphy Brock
, from three very different legacies of Zappa alumni groups, along with guitarist Ken Rosser and drummer/percussionist Christopher Garcia to form "The Grande Mothers", the only Mothers of Invention/Frank Zappa alumni consistently performing the music of Zappa since 2002, with over 90 performances.
Since then they have performed at numerous concerts and festivals throughout the US, Canada and Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway and Switzerland. In 2005, guitarist Miroslav Tadić
replaced Ken Rosser in the lineup. Robbie "Seahag" Mangano has been the guitarist for all of the European Grande Mothers' tours since 2009.
In 2003 Estrada released his debut solo album Hamburger Midnight on the record label Inkanish Records, on which he collaborated once again with Jimmy Carl Black
.
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician and backing vocalist, best known for his bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
work with Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and for co-founding Little Feat
Little Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
.
Biography
With drummer Jimmy Carl BlackJimmy Carl Black
Jimmy Carl Black , born James Inkanish, Jr., was a drummer and vocalist for The Mothers of Invention.-Career: 1960s-1990s:Born in El Paso, Texas, Black was of Cheyenne heritage...
and Ray Collins
Ray Collins (rock musician)
Ray Collins was born on November 19, 1936 and grew up in Pomona, California singing in his school choir, the son of a local police officer. He quit high school to get married. He started his musical career singing falsetto backup vocals for various 'doo-wop' groups in the Los Angeles area in the...
, Estrada was an original member of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's Mothers of Invention, having previously been a founding member of The Soul Giants — the band from which the Mothers of Invention was formed.
Prior to the Soul Giants, Estrada fronted a band called Roy Estrada and the Rocketeers. The group released at least one single on the King label, "Jungle Dreams (Part 1)" backed with "Jungle Dreams (Part 2)".
Estrada sang "Oh in the Sky" on the Mothers of Invention "Color Pop" TV Special in October 1968 with a high-pitched voice. In addition to his work with Zappa, Estrada formed Little Feat
Little Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
with Lowell George
Lowell George
Lowell Thomas George was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, who was the main guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Little Feat.- Early years :...
in 1969, playing on their first two albums before quitting in 1972 to join Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
's Magic Band, by whom he was given the nickname Orejón ('big ears'). Estrada was the only member of The Mothers' original line-up to leave on his own in 1969, as the rest were fired. He also played bass for Zappa's transitional 1976 Zoot Allures
Zoot Allures
Zoot Allures is a 1976 rock album by Frank Zappa. This was Zappa's only release on the Warner Bros. Records label. Due to a lawsuit with his former manager Herb Cohen Frank Zappa's recording contract was temporarily re-assigned from DiscReet Records to Warner Bros.The title is a pun on the French...
touring band, provided vocals and acting for Zappa's 1979 film Baby Snakes
Baby Snakes
Baby Snakes is a movie which includes footage from Frank Zappa's 1977 Halloween concert at New York City's Palladium Theater, backstage antics from the crew, and stop motion clay animation from award-winning animator Bruce Bickford....
, and vocal work for the 1980s Zappa albums You Are What You Is
You Are What You Is
You Are What You Is is a double album by Frank Zappa. It was originally released as a two-record set in 1981 and later by Rykodisc as a 20-song CD. The album relies on a heavy use of overdubbing. This album was the first one to feature material recorded using Zappa's home studio Utility Muffin...
, Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch is an album by Frank Zappa, released in May 1982 and digitally remastered in 1991. It features five tracks composed by Zappa, and one song, "Valley Girl", co-written with Moon Unit Zappa, his daughter, who provided the spoken monologue mocking some of...
and The Man from Utopia
The Man from Utopia
The Man from Utopia is a 1983 album by Frank Zappa. It is a more song-driven, and less conceptual work than many others in Zappa's oeuvre. The album is named after a 1950s song, written by Donald and Doris Woods, which Zappa covers as part of "The Man from Utopia Meets Mary Lou".The sleeve art...
.
Grande Mothers
Since 2000, Estrada has been playing with former bandmates from the Mothers of Invention. In 2002, he joined forces with fellow Mothers of Invention: Don PrestonDon Preston
Donald Ward Preston also known as Dom DeWilde or Biff Debrie born September 21, 1932 in Flint, Michigan. Preston is an American jazz and rock and roll musician.-Biography:Preston was born into a family of musicians and began studying music at an early age...
, and Napoleon Murphy Brock
Napoleon Murphy Brock
Napoleon Murphy Brock is an American singer, saxophonist and flute player who is best known for his work with Frank Zappa in the 1970s, including the albums One Size Fits All, Roxy and Elsewhere, and Bongo Fury...
, from three very different legacies of Zappa alumni groups, along with guitarist Ken Rosser and drummer/percussionist Christopher Garcia to form "The Grande Mothers", the only Mothers of Invention/Frank Zappa alumni consistently performing the music of Zappa since 2002, with over 90 performances.
Since then they have performed at numerous concerts and festivals throughout the US, Canada and Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway and Switzerland. In 2005, guitarist Miroslav Tadić
Miroslav Tadić (musician)
Miroslav Tadic is a classically trained guitarist from Serbia.Miroslav Tadić is a classically trained guitarist from the former Yugoslavia who is widely admired both for the individuality of his performance style as well as for his fluency in a variety of different musical idioms. In addition to a...
replaced Ken Rosser in the lineup. Robbie "Seahag" Mangano has been the guitarist for all of the European Grande Mothers' tours since 2009.
In 2003 Estrada released his debut solo album Hamburger Midnight on the record label Inkanish Records, on which he collaborated once again with Jimmy Carl Black
Jimmy Carl Black
Jimmy Carl Black , born James Inkanish, Jr., was a drummer and vocalist for The Mothers of Invention.-Career: 1960s-1990s:Born in El Paso, Texas, Black was of Cheyenne heritage...
.