Zappas Lose Case in Germany

Gail Zappa, widow of legend Frank Zappa, mother of Dweezil, Ahmet, Moon Unit, and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen, has lost her case against the organizers of the Zappanale, a yearly Frank Zappa festival that takes place in Bad Doberan (whose bad-ass coat of arms illustrates this post), Germany. Gail had demanded that the festival remove the statue of Frank Zappa that stands in the city and that they stop calling the festival the Zappanale. The court found that the festival has been using the name since 1990 and that both Gail and Frank Zappa knew about the festival from that date and that Gail did nothing until recently.

The Zappanale, besides being full of Germans, sounds like a great festival. 6,800 people showed up last year to celebrate Frank Zappa and drink (good) beer. It does seem kind of weird, though, that the biggest Frank Zappa festival takes place in (what was) East Germany, not exactly the location most people associate with him, but apparently he was extremely popular in Eastern Europe during the Cold War because he could sing crazy and get away with it. Other Zappa family members have embraced the festival and attend regularly, but Gail wants the money for herself.

Source: Yahoo!