Universal Music Group said it is planning to launch Frank Zappa NFTs and Web3 projects, after buying the late musician’s estate and likeness from his family for an undisclosed sum.
Zappa, who passed away of prostate cancer in 1993, released over 60 albums over his four-decade career. The eccentric American musician and guitarist was known for his free speech activism and anti-establishment criticism. He also served as a one-time cultural ambassador to Czechoslovakia in 1990.
Universal said it plans to draw new fans to Zappa’s work with cross-platform deals, including “merchandise, feature films, interactive experiences, as well as non-fungible tokens and other next-generation Web3 projects.”
The estate, bought from the Zappa Trust, includes his name, likeness, complete recordings, film archive, publishing catalogue, and his “vault” of complete work. The Trust is comprised of his family, Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva Zappa.
Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and awarded the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1997.
