Dweezil Zappa is the son of legendary rocker, Frank Zappa. One might assume that it would be difficult for him to gain recognition for himself with such a name to live up to. But after winning a Grammy award at the age of 18 and topping the charts in 1988 with the humorously rebellious album "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama" he found popularity not only in the music scene but in movies and television as well.

Zappa was born Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa in Hollywood, California. The hospital at which he was born refused to register him under the name Dweezil, so Frank listed the names of several musician friends. "Dweezil" was a nickname coined by Frank for an oddly-curled pinky-toe of Gail's. At five years old, Dweezil learned that his legal name was different, and he insisted on having his nickname become his legal name. Gail and Frank hired an attorney and soon the name Dweezil was official.

He took to the guitar from an early age. With teachers like his father, Frank Zappa, Eddie Van Halen, and Steve Vai, he more quickly gained musical footing and mastered the instrument. Occasionally he would play with his brother Ahmet on his father's recordings and it wasn't long before Zappa's solo career receieved and huge push in the direction of success.

After he recorded his first album "Havin' a Bad Day" in 1986 he proved that his talents on the guitar were no fluke. He later joined his brother Ahmet and formed Z. The released their debut album, Shampoohorn, in 1994.

Aside from the musical partnership, Dweezil and Ahmet got big laughs with numerous talk show appearances and eventually filtered their unique ahd wacky chemistry into a USA Network variety show called Happy Hour in 1999. With its no-holds-barred, anything-goes format and a pension for inviting wild guests, it wasn't unusla to see such luminaries as Danny Bonaduce drop his pants and do a table dance.

Often spooted in small roles and cameos, Dweezil Zappa may also be a familiar face to moviegoers and TV addicts with his roles in Pretty in Pink and Jack Frost as well as his voice work on Duckman and appearances on Hollywood Squares. Pitching in as a composer for the theme of the Ben Stiller Show, among others, Dweezil's love for music never trailed too far behind his movie and television appearances. Frequently seen in the company of singer Lisa Loeb, Dweezil released "Automatic", his first album in nearly a decade, in 2000.