Frank Zappas widow has put the future of a Zappa tribute festival in doubt after demanding organisers pay a whopping $400,000 to use the musicians name and, believe it or not, his trademark moustache and goatee. Gail Zappa is suing the outdoor fest Zappanale in Bad Doberan, Germany, on the grounds that she holds the sole rights to use her deceased husbands name, as well as facial hair.
According to the Guardian, Gail says she also wants a say on which Zappa cover bands play the festival, and ordered that the events logo featuring the moustache and goatee be scrapped and a statue of Zappa in the village be removed.
Zappanale has been up and running since 1990, after the East German village embraced a chance to celebrate the avant-garde Zappa, whose records had previously been banned under the communist regime that once ruled over the Eastern half of the country.
According to organisers, they took out a patent on the festival name almost 20 years ago. "Its our opinion that we own the rights to the name, festival president Thomas Dippel told the Guardian. Also, he said the festival is about $240,000 in debt, making Gail Zappas request of $400,000 near impossible.
A reported 2,500 Zappa fans have signed an online petition calling for Gail Zappa to withdraw her case. A Düsseldorf court is expected to make a decision on the case in the coming months.
Frank Zappa on Crossfire
According to the Guardian, Gail says she also wants a say on which Zappa cover bands play the festival, and ordered that the events logo featuring the moustache and goatee be scrapped and a statue of Zappa in the village be removed.
Zappanale has been up and running since 1990, after the East German village embraced a chance to celebrate the avant-garde Zappa, whose records had previously been banned under the communist regime that once ruled over the Eastern half of the country.
According to organisers, they took out a patent on the festival name almost 20 years ago. "Its our opinion that we own the rights to the name, festival president Thomas Dippel told the Guardian. Also, he said the festival is about $240,000 in debt, making Gail Zappas request of $400,000 near impossible.
A reported 2,500 Zappa fans have signed an online petition calling for Gail Zappa to withdraw her case. A Düsseldorf court is expected to make a decision on the case in the coming months.
Frank Zappa on Crossfire
