Captain Beefheart
Musician battled multiple sclerosis
Last Updated: Saturday, December 18, 2010 | 3:14 PM ET
The Associated Press
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2010/12/18/beefheart-vliet-obit.html#ixzz191CHCnep
Musician and artist Don Van Vliet, who performed a complex brand of experimental rock under the name Captain Beefheart, has died at age 69.
The Michael Werner Gallery in New York confirmed Van Vliet's death in California on Friday due to complications stemming from multiple sclerosis. The gallery exhibits his paintings.
"[He] was one of the most original recording artists of his time," said a statement released by the gallery. "Like his music, Van Vliet's lush paintings are the product of a truly rare and unique vision."
Don Van Vliet was an inspiration for musicians and bands including Nick Cave, Tom Waits and the White Stripes. (Jan Van Vliet/Michael Werner Gallery/AP)
Don Van Vliet was an inspiration for musicians and bands including Nick Cave, Tom Waits and the White Stripes. (Jan Van Vliet/Michael Werner Gallery/AP)Van Vliet was probably best known for the album Trout Mask Replica, which was released in 1969 by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band.
The album's angular, dissonant take on blues rock and Van Vliet's growling, surreal lyrics put him outside the mainstream, but staked his place in rock history.
Artists including Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, Nick Cave, Franz Ferdinand, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the White Stripes are among those who have cited him as an influence. Van Vliet had a close creative relationship with Zappa, a former high school classmate from the desert town of Lancaster, Calif., who died in 1993.
Rolling Stone magazine recently ranked Trout Mask Replica number 58 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Influenced punk and new wave
"Record producers have always been certain that Don Van Vliet was just a hype away from the big money," according to a 1970 profile in Rolling Stone. "But Beefheart stubbornly continues what he's doing and waits patiently for everyone else to come around."
By shunning commercial success and a more accessible sound, Van Vliet became a role model for subsequent generations of musicians.
His music is cited as an influence on the rise of punk, post-punk and new wave. Beefheart is also claimed as a kindred spirit by free jazz musicians and avant-garde classical composers.
In the 1980s, Van Vliet turned full-time to art. He painted in a raw, expressionistic style and showed his acclaimed work widely even as he withdrew from the public eye.
He is survived by his wife of more than 40 years.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2010/12/18/beefheart-vliet-obit.html#ixzz191BqYq00
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