1 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back to the Bob Left Sets podcast. 2 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: My guest today is Amit Zappa, co trustee of the 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: Zappa Trust. I'm it great to happen. I'm so happy 4 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: I led your show. Happy to be here, you know, 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: thank you. Okay, what is the Zappa Trust? Uh, it's 6 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: it's the name that I guess. Um, our family business 7 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: fell under the mega Ubert description of all things Frank Zappa. Um, 8 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: you know, my my mother passed away a couple of 9 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: years ago, and you know, my dad passed away, you know, 10 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: uh over twenty some nine years ago, and everything was 11 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: put into a trust. And I didn't know much about 12 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: it until my mother passed away. And and you know, 13 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: I I got a real education pretty fast on on 14 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: what happens when you know, when your parents pat when 15 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: you become an orphan, what happens when your parents pass? 16 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: And you know, I had to figure out how do 17 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 1: you deal with the I R s? And how do 18 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: you put a price tag on intangibleles? How do you 19 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: um try to take something that wasn't to be totally honest, 20 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: very organized, and um you know, turn it into a 21 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: successful business, uh for everyone in my family. Uh So 22 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: I mean really, so your father died around that time 23 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: or just before he licensed all his music went to 24 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: write go was that a licensing deal? Do you still 25 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: own all his music? No? Uh, my dad instructed my mother. Yeah, 26 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: this is what I want to too. Right. Uh, well, 27 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: I don't know if it's instructed. They just had lots 28 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: of conversations my my my mother and father, you know, 29 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: business partners. My mom was a real pioneer. Um. And 30 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: you know, the Zappa business wouldn't exist if it wasn't 31 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: for h the two of them being real scrappy, you know, 32 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: because Frank financed everything. Um, you know, he got on 33 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: the road. The money that he would make, he would 34 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: put right back into projects. He pay all the musicians 35 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: and uh you know I think, yeah, I don't know 36 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: if if people know this, but prior to the Reiko question, 37 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: and I'll tell you what happened, uh, you know with 38 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: that deal. But you know, my mother was somebody that 39 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: was like, well, she gets these bills and she sees that, 40 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: you know, my out of staying at some hotels. And 41 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: I want to say, he was probably with somebody that 42 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: must have pissed my mother off, right, And um, you 43 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: know my dad apparently was a real coxsmith. You know, 44 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: he's really really laying it down with his man hammer. 45 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: So she finds out that, you know, he's with some 46 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:27,519 Speaker 1: some chick, and think about this, there's four kids. She's 47 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: at home, you know, running the business, and she gets in, 48 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: Well she's piste off, but she uh says, whatever he 49 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: has spent on this whore, right, um, on this lady, 50 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: on this fan, on this groupie, or you know, I 51 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: don't know this person's name, there's probably bajillions on them. Uh. 52 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: My mother's like, I'm going to start a new business. 53 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: I'm going to invest the same amount of money that 54 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: he's spending on ladies on something called a mail order business. Right. 55 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: And she had collected um uh people that were going 56 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: to the concerts they would they would sign up and 57 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: what year was just you know this is this is 58 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: uh probably late seventies or eighties. And you know that 59 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: it was through her ingenuity, Uh that really the biggest 60 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 1: financial successes that my father ever had were directly because 61 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: of her. You know, she put something out that no 62 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: one had ever really uh thought of before, something called 63 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,480 Speaker 1: a buck set. Right. So I want to say that 64 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,720 Speaker 1: my my mother and father actually um you know, my 65 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: father gets the credit, but it's really my mother was like, well, 66 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 1: let's take all this vinyl that we have, old vinyl, 67 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: and bundle it and put it into a box and 68 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 1: add some other you know, bells and whistles to it, 69 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,559 Speaker 1: and we put something I'll call the old Masters and 70 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 1: in a hundred dollar price tag. You know, this is 71 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: this is back in the day when they're still record stores. 72 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: You know. She she put together her own distribution deals 73 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:17,239 Speaker 1: and and that really was probably the first time, uh 74 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: frank the family made millions of dollars. Really, yeah, Okay, 75 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: you brought up a lot of things. You instantly said 76 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 1: your father was not faithful to your mother. Did that 77 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: cause stress in their relationship? You know, I learned so 78 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 1: much of this, Um. You know that some of these 79 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 1: details just way later in life. Um, I remember arguments 80 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 1: and things. But uh, you know, I just I just 81 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: assumed it was just you know, your parents fighting, right, 82 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: and because they didn't really explain it to me. Um, 83 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: who knows, Maybe it was just them fighting, But I'm 84 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: I'm certain that my mother and father had and understanding. 85 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 1: I mean, it was it was it was, um, a 86 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: very interesting way to grow up. I I I mean 87 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: I was unaware of any of the other romances. And 88 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: my father would have had UM. I know he loved 89 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: our you know, our mother, UM because you know that. 90 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: I mean they stayed together through through all of it, 91 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:32,919 Speaker 1: thick and thin. So UM, it's it's really right around 92 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 1: my when when my mother was probably only had a 93 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: few months left. Uh, I got up the courage to 94 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: just ask questions, yeah, to to you know, things that 95 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 1: I don't know if I ever needed the answers for. 96 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 1: But then once you kind of took the lid off, 97 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: and then the way that she answered certain questions, I 98 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: was shocked. I mean it's you know, I don't know, um, 99 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: if you are the kind of person and that if 100 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: your parents ever talked about hooking up with people like I, 101 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: I don't You're like, I don't want to know. Um. 102 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: And but she was pretty forthcoming with like, you know, 103 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: the the their shared experiences there. You know, it's it 104 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: was the seventies and they lived it up. And I 105 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: had no freaking idea if you would have told me, uh, 106 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: you know, I think if someone would have asked me, 107 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: do your parents ever have like three ways or do 108 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: anything like that? I would be like, fuck, no, and 109 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: I would have been dead wrong. Wow, let me just say, 110 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: Let me just say that there's you know, you you 111 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:47,119 Speaker 1: discover a lot of things when you have to organize, um, 112 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: a household. Because my mother was also someone who who 113 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: never threw anything away, and every single thing under the 114 00:07:56,120 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: sun and moon was um preserved or uh documented in 115 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: some capacity. So fuck bro Okay, this is a very 116 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: interesting thing because your father was a legendary musician with 117 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: a long career until he was unfortunately cut down with cancer. 118 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: But when you when your mother died, she was still 119 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: living up at the top of Laurel Canyon. Right, Yeah, 120 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: that's right. So did you throw anything out? No, she 121 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: died and all the stuff was in the house. Oh yeah, 122 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: I mean it was when I have you ever seen 123 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: the documentary Grey Gardens? No, you should check it out. 124 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: When I say my mother didn't throw anything away, there 125 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: might be newspapers that are just all stacked in one 126 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 1: side that was a story my mother kept or thought 127 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: she was going to read later on. And um, so 128 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 1: she irrelevant to your father the famous she was a hoarder. Yeah, 129 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:06,200 Speaker 1: she's she was, But I do I kind of think 130 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: that there's a method to her madness because she understood 131 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: what was in all the piles. You know, I'm the 132 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:12,719 Speaker 1: same way. I'm a hoarder. I just had to move 133 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: and I had to throw stuff out. That's why I'm 134 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: interested in your story. Well, yeah, there was lots. There 135 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: was definitely lots of things to to get rid of. Um. 136 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 1: But I mean things like stack of newspapers that meant 137 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: nothing too, but anything attached your father. Did you throw 138 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 1: any of that out? I was in a really uh well, 139 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,959 Speaker 1: my my reality changed the day my mother passed away. 140 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: That's when I learned that I was a co trustee 141 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: of the family business, and that actually comes with really 142 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: huge responsibilities. So she had never discussed that after she 143 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 1: dies in terms of the business. It never I didn't 144 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: get to have a conversation with her after her death, 145 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: no that before, because you got all these talks about 146 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,440 Speaker 1: her wild and wooly life. She hadn't talked about after 147 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: she passed because she was sick about you're gonna have 148 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: you know, you know, give me a co trustee or 149 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: what now? I mean the I was already working and 150 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: helping her out, um prior to you know, right before 151 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: she even knew she was sick. Um. She was trying 152 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 1: to well, I have to go back to the recho. 153 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: So when my dad passed, my dad was like, you know, 154 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: why don't we sell the Masters keep publishing? And he 155 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: was like, you just get out of it. You know, 156 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: it's like a fucking horrible business, music business. You know, 157 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: go to Malibu and and you know, I relax, right, 158 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: and that my mother, I think took that to heart. 159 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 1: UM sold the then Masters to Raycodisc. But you know, 160 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: in the process, you know, many years later, um, there's 161 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:01,319 Speaker 1: a there's something in the language, uh in the contract. 162 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: And my my father was really particular about um ah, 163 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 1: the sonic excellence of his music. And you know, he 164 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: was someone who, uh it was a real futurist and 165 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: he wrote papers about how in the future music I 166 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:20,319 Speaker 1: think he even talks about it in the real Frank's 167 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: Apple book somewhere, um that in the future music was 168 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: going to be delivered telephonically, you know, through through the 169 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 1: internet essentially YouTube clip to where he goes on about this. So, um, 170 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: he put some language in the in in the the 171 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: sale that it couldn't be below a certain bit rate, 172 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: right because of compression and you know what have you? 173 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: And that that that was still emerging technologies, you know. UM, 174 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 1: and so Rycodisc winds up selling to Warners. UM, and 175 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: Warners tries to put out the music digitally and we're well, 176 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:02,560 Speaker 1: you actually don't have those rights. And that became a 177 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: big lawsuit. And wait, wait, wait, if they sold it 178 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: to Warner, why couldn't they put out the music because 179 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: it didn't qualify to the language in the contract. There 180 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: was nothing about digital streaming or you know, so they 181 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: didn't have the right to do that. They didn't have 182 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 1: their rights. And part of um and this is this 183 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,319 Speaker 1: is this is my understanding of it. I'm sure there 184 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: might be other people that you know, might have you know, 185 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: deeper richer information, meaning attorneys that you know, going through 186 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: the contracts, but I think just generally what I'm talking 187 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: about is pretty accurate. UM. So, long story short, they 188 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: didn't have the rights. Warners didn't have the rights. And 189 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 1: I think that in the sale um Ryko I think 190 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: presented to Warners that they could. So it was a 191 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: whole kerfuffle and and we were kind of in the 192 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: middle of it. And our whole thing was like, why 193 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 1: don't we partner and you know, figure this out and 194 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: do it together, and the heads of business affairs would 195 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: change so frequently in the business, UM that we were 196 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: kind of in this limbo land. And um, you know, 197 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 1: really before my mother's passing at one of her last birthdays, UM, 198 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,080 Speaker 1: the family was able to actually get all the music back. Okay, 199 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: so at this point in time, all of those records 200 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:35,560 Speaker 1: that were licensed to righto you now, oh uh, we 201 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: made a new UM partnership with Universal UM. And that's 202 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: kind of what I was, what I was brought in 203 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: I supposed to do. Before my mother passed. You know, 204 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: we had a big family sit down and my mother 205 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: explained to you know, the family that um, you know, 206 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,559 Speaker 1: I you know, she first talk to me personally. It 207 00:13:57,640 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: was like, I can't fight for my life and fight 208 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: for this business and I need help and she needed 209 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 1: financial help, and UM, you know it's it's it's of 210 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: my opinion. You know. I did things I think differently 211 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: than my brother and sisters, and in that I left 212 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: at an early age the house. I went out on 213 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: my own. I didn't live off of the family business, 214 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: you know. Uh. So you know, I just I was 215 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: starting my own production company and just so I've worked 216 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: in other businesses and made my own money. So when 217 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: my mother needs help, needed help, I could provide financial 218 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: help or business help and um, and I was able 219 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: to really bail her out. Okay, before we get there, 220 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: is your deal with Universal? Is that a licensing deal 221 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 1: or do they own it? Um? It's uh, it's something 222 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: that I I don't think I can get into the 223 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: details of because it's it's still an ongoing, really great, 224 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: really really great relationship that I have with Okay, so 225 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: let's go back to the very beginning, because you've talked 226 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: about your life. When do you realize your father is 227 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 1: Frank's appa. I mean, my parents introduced themselves to us 228 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: as Frank and Gale and never called a mom and dad. 229 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 1: So he was he was Frank. Yeah, but I meant 230 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: really in terms of his fame, notoriety, place in the culture. 231 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: I didn't ever think about it, you know. Um, I 232 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: know that sounds like maybe a cop out answer, but 233 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: you know, if my friends at school and preschool, like 234 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: one could be a lawyer, one could be an actor, 235 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: one could be a bus driver or whatever it was 236 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: the profession you know they were. My friend's parents were 237 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: equally as famous for just being a parent. You know 238 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 1: what I mean it had nothing to do with Uh. 239 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: I think what you're scratching at, like, oh, it should 240 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: be some unbelievable miracle that my dad is, you know 241 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: for Zapple. Like, my dad was just someone who uh 242 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: always championed my creativity, let me be a fly on 243 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: the wall in his business meetings. UM was really interested in, 244 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: uh what our interests were, because I think we, as 245 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: his children, influenced UM him in many different ways. You know. 246 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: I mean I assume this because as a father myself, 247 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: I see naturally what my kids are into and it 248 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: informs me and I have opinions about it, you know. 249 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: So UM, I guess I I reflect back on, uh 250 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: those times with my with my dad as remarkable because 251 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: my really really my mother and father are were so 252 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: unique because they um I think made decisions to not 253 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: be like their own parents, and UM gave us the 254 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: freedom to develop and choose our spiritual spirituality. UM so 255 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: as parents, UH and all of us being different in 256 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: in our house, Like my brother was super interested in 257 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:21,920 Speaker 1: music and playing guitar, and you know, they had that 258 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: kind of relationship and UH, and I think with my 259 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: mother and father had equal interest and just how they 260 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,679 Speaker 1: were doing things. You know, How how were they able 261 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: to pay for something? How when you conceive of a 262 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: creative idea, how do you see it from the beginning, middle, 263 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: and end? How do you complete something? You know? Um? 264 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: And they really instilled instill the fearlessness in me too, 265 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:54,120 Speaker 1: just you know, deeply believe that anything is possible. And 266 00:17:55,920 --> 00:18:02,200 Speaker 1: you know, I mean it served me well. Okay, So, uh, 267 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: Frank was working a lot. Did you have any of 268 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,680 Speaker 1: the luxuries of having a famous patient of a parent, 269 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: going on vacation, eating and fine restaurants any of that? Uh? Yeah, 270 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 1: I mean, but again, I feel like all my my 271 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: answers are boring, kind of few and far between. Uh, 272 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: because my my dad would either be on the road 273 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: or he was just a homebody because the studios at 274 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 1: the house. Um. And he was such a night owl 275 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 1: that I missed a lot of things. You know, people 276 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: would he would send out for food. Um. The fine 277 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:47,439 Speaker 1: dining experiences happened in places like Le Cirque, where you know, 278 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: I'm sure we embarrassed him. I remember, I remember when 279 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 1: one moment when he was really sick and he was 280 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: working on the Yellow Shark. I don't know if you 281 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,960 Speaker 1: know that that record with the ensemble Modarren and and 282 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: so we're in Frankfurt and I forgot the name of 283 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:03,439 Speaker 1: the hotel that were staying at, but it was a 284 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: you know, fancy hotel. And I see him in the distance. 285 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: He's having some meeting and I wanted to say it 286 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:14,879 Speaker 1: was you know, me, d Weasel and Moon. I don't 287 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: think Deva was present, um, you know, but we were 288 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,639 Speaker 1: all there as a family. And I started doing this 289 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 1: like really bad jazz bo dance to the you know, 290 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: the jazz Pierre player, right, And I gotta say that, 291 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: normally that would make my dad chuckle. But the pressure 292 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: that he was under or the feelings he was feeling, um, 293 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:46,120 Speaker 1: I chalk that up to like, wow, that I really 294 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: ship the bed this hard because you know, like I'm 295 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: I'm I'm freaking out doing this weird dance cookie dance, 296 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,240 Speaker 1: and from a cross room, I get like there's like 297 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:01,160 Speaker 1: a smile for a moment and then this fucking look 298 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: right and he comes over and I've never this is 299 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: like the most corporate fucking thing I ever said to me. 300 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 1: It was like, this hotel is part of a chain 301 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: and if you ever want to stay here again, you 302 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 1: should not. You know do that, And I was like, wow, 303 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: that is I wasn't expecting that, you know, right, but 304 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:28,479 Speaker 1: he'd obviously you know that was here when people got 305 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: kicked out of a lot of hotels, he learned a lesson. Well, uh, 306 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: that felt very very unusual. Uh, you know, I think 307 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: normally those kinds of things would be celebrated unless you 308 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 1: were interrupting, I suppose, And maybe maybe I'm an answer 309 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: my own question right now as I'm reminiscing about this. 310 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 1: Unless you were messing with his you know work, right, 311 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: the workflow, then that was a severe annoyance. Well how 312 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 1: often did you go on the road with him? Um, 313 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: half a dozen times? So not that man, it wasn't 314 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 1: a family thing. We're all going to get on the bus. Well, 315 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:12,880 Speaker 1: I was born in seventy four, so um, I don't 316 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:18,400 Speaker 1: know how many tours that were kind of in between. Um, 317 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: I mean, if if memory serves, I remember going to 318 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: London a lot, Germany a lot. Um. Yeah, I mean 319 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: we would, we would kind of travel, but my mother 320 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: and father had friends and it was pretty exciting, two 321 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:38,880 Speaker 1: exciting times. But my dad got sick when I was fifteen, 322 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: so it really kind of stopped like that. Tour. He 323 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,359 Speaker 1: wasn't feeling good. There was bad situations happening with the 324 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 1: band members, and you know, so it really changed. Uh. Okay, 325 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: you talked about your father being in night all. I 326 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 1: once heard a story that your father would work his 327 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:00,200 Speaker 1: way around the clock and that he would work till 328 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: he was done and then he would sleep and then 329 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 1: whatever time of day it was. Is that true or untrue? Yeah? Time, 330 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: there there's no some there's no schedule like that. He 331 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 1: was he would work until he was exhausted. But I 332 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:23,640 Speaker 1: think he was. The work was so fun and he's 333 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:27,200 Speaker 1: just so prolific. You know. We have thousands and thousands 334 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: and thousands of tapes, so much music in the vault 335 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: he recorded everything. Where those tapes today we have them 336 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 1: safe and secure. I don't know if you know of 337 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: a place called Iron Mountain, UM, but they've been really great. Um. 338 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 1: You know, everything used to be housed in a you know, uh, 339 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: pretty decent temperature controlled space UM in our you know, 340 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: at at what used to be our family home. Uh. 341 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 1: And then when the business because it was run out 342 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,360 Speaker 1: of the house when we when we had to sell 343 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:09,640 Speaker 1: the house was actually instructed in the trust really after 344 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 1: your mother died, you have to sell the house. Yeah. So, 345 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 1: like you know, people just have the I'm sure the 346 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: worst opinion about I'm some fucking nightmared, you know, douchebag 347 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: or something, But in my opinion, it's not. OK. Let's 348 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: go back a little bit to the history. You say 349 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 1: you left home at what age? Um? I moved out 350 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:35,120 Speaker 1: around eighteen? You know what was your thought? I wasn't 351 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: really thinking about it. What did you do when you 352 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: were eighteen? Your parents ever talked to you about going 353 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,919 Speaker 1: to college? Oh? No, I because of you were because 354 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,679 Speaker 1: of them? Um. I dropped at a school in the 355 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 1: beginning of eighth grade. I missed more than half a 356 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 1: year of school each year prior to that. My parents 357 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: felt that school was ruining my creativity. So what they 358 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: would do instead? Um? Up A tell you know, I 359 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: guess I moved out and started making my own money. Um. 360 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: They would invest in my creative endeavors, which would be what. Well? Um, 361 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:19,159 Speaker 1: At one point I had this notion, Um, they found 362 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:21,359 Speaker 1: this guy to help me out. I can't remember his 363 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: first name was Wally, and I'm totally blanking on his 364 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,199 Speaker 1: on his last name, it could have been like Wally, 365 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: like Fiser, or something. UM but I was interested in 366 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: doing something you know, different with credit cards. So as 367 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,919 Speaker 1: a thirteen year old or twelve year old, UM, I 368 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,120 Speaker 1: was like, well, how come there is no credit card 369 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 1: for for kids? And you know, I want to get 370 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: more benefit because I was looking at the back of 371 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: these um my dad's like cigarettes and you know, there 372 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:53,879 Speaker 1: was like the cigarette points and I was seeing some 373 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 1: of these uh loyalty programs right, and I was like, well, 374 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:01,159 Speaker 1: why can't we do that with credit cards? You know, 375 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,359 Speaker 1: why can't I get more benefits if I want to 376 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: go see a concert or go see a movie, you know, 377 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: where's my lifestyle card? Why don't you know we create 378 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: this kind of like cashless society. And UM, I came 379 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 1: up with this plan to do to make something called 380 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:23,159 Speaker 1: a report card and to utilize um some of the 381 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: it's only really in the last couple of years is 382 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,080 Speaker 1: the technology here. But because I had traveled, they credit 383 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 1: cards there had chips, you know, and you can put 384 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: so much more information on the chips. So I wanted 385 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:38,680 Speaker 1: to have this smart card that could create a loyalty 386 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 1: program around. UM I guess stuff. I was interested in 387 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 1: entertainment and you maybe put money back into the school system. 388 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: So I was calling it the report card. Um. And 389 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 1: you know, I was really interested in in the local 390 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:58,640 Speaker 1: restaurants and businesses that were around schools because I figured, well, 391 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 1: then kids couldn't all the They also learned to be 392 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: more responsible with their money. The parents were the ones 393 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:09,359 Speaker 1: that could, um, you know, put your allowance on it right, 394 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: and you couldn't buy drugs with it, you know what 395 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: I mean. It was accepted everywhere. What did you do 396 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,200 Speaker 1: drugs when you were a teenager, I've never I've never 397 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: tried any drugs. I've never smoked pot. My wife thought 398 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 1: I was so, I guess boring. She introduced me to tequila, 399 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:31,439 Speaker 1: and now I'm a fucking massive sean, you know, among 400 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:35,000 Speaker 1: other alcoholic beverages. But when you move out, what do 401 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 1: you what do you do for work? What do you 402 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 1: do for income? Well, you know, as an example, um, 403 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:44,880 Speaker 1: just in terms of the the access I think, I don't. 404 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: I don't think American Express or Visa or MasterCard. UH 405 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: would have taken the phone call from a twelve year old. 406 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 1: But my parents, knowing I wasn't going to school, They're like, 407 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 1: all right, well, let's go to White Plains. Let's go, 408 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:01,199 Speaker 1: you know, fly and see all the heads of the 409 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: credit card companies. And this is when I pitched out, 410 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: which essentially is like loyalty programs for credit cards right 411 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 1: as a kid, you know. And I would make do 412 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: these presentations and kind of walk in there pretty fearlessly 413 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: and say like, hey, this is why I think you 414 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 1: should do it. And that's just an example of how 415 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:28,040 Speaker 1: my parents supported, you know, my business ideas and and um. 416 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: And I've just been kind of fortunate in the way 417 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 1: that people would go and see Frank and discuss new 418 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: ideas with him, or he would engage with with people 419 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,400 Speaker 1: around an idea he had, and and his gravitational pull 420 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:47,679 Speaker 1: for interesting characters. UM, I feel like I have that 421 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: same thing happening in my world to some extent. You know, 422 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:57,199 Speaker 1: I I wind up meeting very interesting individuals, and I, 423 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:00,399 Speaker 1: you know, connect the dots. You know. I've been involved 424 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:03,920 Speaker 1: in tons of different businesses. I mean when I when 425 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: I left, I guess I was a child actor uh 426 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: and made somewhat of a living um uh. And then 427 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: I started hosting shows with my brother and um we 428 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: played in a band together. And and you know, then 429 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,879 Speaker 1: I went off on my own and really wanted to 430 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 1: become a storyteller, and I wound up setting up I 431 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: wrote my first book, the UM The Monstrous Memoirs of 432 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: a Mighty Make Fairless. I wound up selling that to 433 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 1: Disney for a million and a half dollars and selling 434 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: it around the world for millions of dollars. And UH 435 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: set up my production company at Disney, and then started 436 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: a really unique kind of production company where I had 437 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 1: one foot in consumer products and one foot in the 438 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: motion picture group and worked on a lot of interesting 439 00:28:54,400 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: pieces of technology with imagineering and UM, I really suit 440 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: things that my father or in a lot of cases 441 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,440 Speaker 1: my mother inspired me with stuff that they fantasized about 442 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: that UM stoked the flames of my own imagination. And 443 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: I think because of the access that I had, I 444 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 1: just learned things from the access I had from being 445 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: a fly on the wall with my dad. UH piqued 446 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: my curiosity, and you know, I learned enough, I guess 447 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 1: to be dangerous by not going to school and not 448 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: having my creativity ruined and not going to college. You also, 449 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 1: I've I've just been able to I've only ever had 450 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: jobs in the entertainment industry, and I've i've survived. Okay, 451 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 1: But you famously hosted a show for a while, right, 452 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 1: how did that come together? What was that? I've hosted 453 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 1: thousands of hours of television, shitty, shitty fucking television, and honestly, 454 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 1: it would give me diarrhea to be so nervous about it. 455 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 1: I was. I think I was mostly known for uh, 456 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: controlled chaos. You could give me bullet points and say like, okay, 457 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: we need we need to somehow. You need to steer 458 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,239 Speaker 1: this crazy ship that's going down in flame. You need 459 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: to land this plane, right, And that's Those are the 460 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 1: kinds of jobs that I would get. But when you 461 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: say I hosted some show, I don't know which one 462 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 1: you're talking about, because there's honestly been a tremendous amount 463 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 1: of serious you were involved in for a number of years, 464 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 1: which one bro you know, like, uh, you know, for 465 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 1: for the for the people that care at all. You 466 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: can see the pilot dog ship that I've been associated with, 467 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 1: UM And maybe that's a terrible thing to say about 468 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: the shows that I was interested because it paid my 469 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: bills and I had good times, and I was never 470 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: happy doing hosting. UM A lot of those shows, the 471 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 1: the only the big regret, um, is that I had 472 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 1: the opportunity. I actually auditioned a couple of times to 473 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: be the host of Let's Make a Deal, and that 474 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: was always my dream job. I love that. I love 475 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 1: that show. Okay, but you think like that would make 476 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: you happy, would have made you happy. I do like 477 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 1: the I love sitting down and talking with people, and 478 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: I thought that was a pretty interesting format because it's 479 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: a bunch of crazy crazy is getting dressed up, and 480 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:32,479 Speaker 1: you know, I love the whole Monty of it all 481 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 1: where he put his hand in his pocket and be like, 482 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:37,960 Speaker 1: all right, you can take hundred bugs here, or you 483 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: can find out what's behind door number one or door 484 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:44,400 Speaker 1: number two. Tell them. I could not I could never 485 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: get enough of that show. That was my favorite of 486 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: the afternoon game shows. Loved and that that's that's like 487 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:57,080 Speaker 1: my anything that smells like that or feels like that. 488 00:31:57,120 --> 00:31:59,320 Speaker 1: I would totally do that kind of a thing. Again. 489 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 1: I'm very I'm comfortable in that setting. I like doing 490 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 1: talk shows. I like sitting down with you because we're 491 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 1: having a conversation. I feel like there's a real connection. Um. 492 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: But I guess the part that was more stressful is 493 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 1: sticking to a script. Um is just you know, learning 494 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:23,960 Speaker 1: the lines to deliver that. This sort of business was. 495 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,600 Speaker 1: It was always pretty stressful. So I'm okay. And in 496 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,720 Speaker 1: this window, somewhere along the line, you married Selma Blair, 497 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 1: who was a movie star at the time. How did 498 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: that come together? I actually saw her. She was she 499 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 1: had a boyfriend the time, sitting on some dudes's lap. 500 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 1: I was at this restaurant called fred Siegel um or 501 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:47,320 Speaker 1: I forgot the restaurant at fred Siegal. I forgot what. 502 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 1: I forgot what it's called actually right now. Um, but 503 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: I was with my friend Jules, and she walks in 504 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 1: and I had seen her in um other cool intention 505 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:04,400 Speaker 1: or something, and I was like, you know what, like 506 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 1: I should marry, Like that's that's someone I should marry. 507 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:14,840 Speaker 1: Rights totally totally random. Uh. And then a few months later, 508 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: a mutual friend I didn't know her at all, but 509 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:24,720 Speaker 1: a but a mutual friend, um actually introduced us and um, 510 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 1: you know that was that was that was crazy that 511 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 1: I got married. I got married and Princess Leah's backyard, right, 512 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:39,480 Speaker 1: So Carrie Fisher demanded, Yeah, Carrie demanded, you know, like 513 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 1: you have to get married here and on that particular 514 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: day where she was off meds or I don't know 515 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 1: what happened to her, but for someone who insisted on 516 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:55,160 Speaker 1: us getting getting married at her house, she showed up 517 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: and was like, who are all these people? And what 518 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 1: is going on? Right? Um? And believe me, it wasn't 519 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: a surprise. You. You kind of got to be organized 520 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:08,040 Speaker 1: if you're gonna, you know, have all that stuff going on. 521 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: So that's you know, that was a pretty funny experience. 522 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: And uh, when we were looking at her house as 523 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 1: a location, UM, this is so fucking funny to me. 524 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 1: Hopefully you'll appreciate the story. But we were all in 525 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:29,839 Speaker 1: Carrie's room, my mother Tracy Ullman. This is not mean 526 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:33,440 Speaker 1: name dropping. I'm just trying to set right. So Carrie Selma, 527 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 1: my mother, Tracy um and like you know, Carrie would 528 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:40,839 Speaker 1: have people just hang out in her bedroom. I don't know. 529 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:45,440 Speaker 1: It's so if you if you were friendly with her, um, 530 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:49,040 Speaker 1: well you know she there's a lot of similarities I 531 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:53,960 Speaker 1: think in um art appreciation with with Carrie and my mother, 532 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,400 Speaker 1: and they were friendly. My my mom and Carrie, you know, 533 00:34:56,400 --> 00:35:02,319 Speaker 1: I knew each other socially. So we're again we're hanging 534 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:09,480 Speaker 1: out in her room and everyone leaves, except we're walking 535 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:14,680 Speaker 1: into her kitchen and I remember seeing I remember seeing 536 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 1: Tracy's shoes and um, so I was hanging back with 537 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: my mother for for ten seconds. Right. So now it's 538 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 1: just the two of us walking out of the out 539 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 1: of the Carrie's bedroom together, um to walk towards the kitchen, 540 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:37,560 Speaker 1: and I see Tracy's shoes, uh, and it's like she's 541 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:39,880 Speaker 1: trying to plug in a lamp underneath the piano in 542 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,400 Speaker 1: the living room, right, And I thought it would just 543 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:45,120 Speaker 1: be really funny to play the Exorcist, you know, play 544 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:48,760 Speaker 1: two tubular bells while season in there. So I decided 545 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:54,960 Speaker 1: to aggressively play that tune. And then you know, Tracy 546 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:59,080 Speaker 1: and Carrie uh and Selma come out of the kitchen 547 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 1: like into the living room. So I'm like, well, who 548 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 1: the funk is now under the piano and like I'm like, well, funk, 549 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: I'm that's what an assholic thing for me to do. 550 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: And it was Debbie Reynolds, right, her mom, Carrie's mom 551 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:16,840 Speaker 1: under under the piano, and I'm playing the Exorcist. But 552 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:21,360 Speaker 1: then Carrie was looking at her mom under the piano 553 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:23,680 Speaker 1: as I'm playing the Exorcist and it was kind of 554 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:28,240 Speaker 1: like the perfect moment if you've read any of Carrie's autobiography. 555 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:31,440 Speaker 1: So it turned out to be a pretty hysterical moment 556 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,160 Speaker 1: for Just to be clear, So what you thought were 557 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 1: Tracy Ullman shoes were ultimately Debbie Reynolds. Yes, what? I 558 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:42,319 Speaker 1: just what? I I because of the shoes, I just 559 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: assumed it was Tracy under the piano and it turned 560 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 1: out it was Carrie Fisher's mom. Okay, so how does 561 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:56,080 Speaker 1: it end with Selma? Uh? Pretty? It was pretty traumatic 562 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 1: for me. I had to I had to go to 563 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:04,239 Speaker 1: a behavioral list afterwards and tried to understand why I 564 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:08,920 Speaker 1: had such a bad job of picking, you know, people 565 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:14,799 Speaker 1: to spend h to get into romantic relationships with. Um it, 566 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,880 Speaker 1: you know, we we ultimately got divorced, and you know 567 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:21,000 Speaker 1: it's pretty sad. But she's going through now. Do you 568 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: have any contact with her? No? Not really. You know, 569 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:26,879 Speaker 1: of course I wish her and I don't. I don't 570 00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:29,880 Speaker 1: think contact with the X is too much history. No, 571 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:33,840 Speaker 1: she's she's she's reached out. But it's pretty pretty traumatic 572 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:38,000 Speaker 1: for me. I mean, what would she leave you? Or? Honestly, 573 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:41,879 Speaker 1: if I'm being really blunt. Um, she might have been 574 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:44,919 Speaker 1: turned out to be the meanest person I've ever been 575 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:49,799 Speaker 1: in a relationship with um, because there were she had 576 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:56,880 Speaker 1: some some personal uh issues, you know, um that you know, 577 00:37:56,920 --> 00:37:59,359 Speaker 1: She's had other scenarios. I'm sure people can read about, 578 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:02,920 Speaker 1: you know, but um, and I really do wish her. 579 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:06,480 Speaker 1: I wish her well. But for me, I wound. I 580 00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:14,719 Speaker 1: found myself cataloging like how many drinks someone might have, 581 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:21,360 Speaker 1: you know, and and like becoming very aware of of 582 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:25,880 Speaker 1: how personalities could change if you know, X, Y or 583 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 1: Z happens, And it made me a little a little 584 00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:34,040 Speaker 1: cuckoo in having to it was. It was really strange. 585 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:38,359 Speaker 1: If I really reflect on on my life to this, 586 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:43,320 Speaker 1: to this moment, I think, um, my mother and father's 587 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:47,440 Speaker 1: relationship and the stress it might have caused my mother 588 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:52,799 Speaker 1: in maybe his dalliances with other women, UM, and or 589 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:56,000 Speaker 1: my mom's up and ups and downs. It was. It 590 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:59,320 Speaker 1: was a pretty harsh reality when I saw a behavioral 591 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,520 Speaker 1: listed and that he was like, well, so basically you 592 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:05,759 Speaker 1: you married your mother, right, And I was like fuck that. 593 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:08,040 Speaker 1: I didn't not like fuck you for even saying that, 594 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:10,080 Speaker 1: what do you mean? You know? And then when I 595 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 1: started to kind of get underneath what I think. You know, 596 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:17,160 Speaker 1: he was saying, not only was was I going through, 597 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:23,720 Speaker 1: uh the pain of you know, because I'm a pretty 598 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:26,879 Speaker 1: intentional person. If I say I'm gonna do something, uh 599 00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:30,360 Speaker 1: and make a commitment, I that's it really important to 600 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:32,839 Speaker 1: me and I the failure of the marriage was a 601 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:36,960 Speaker 1: huge blow to me. You know that that notion. I 602 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:38,399 Speaker 1: never thought it was going to be someone that would 603 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:43,400 Speaker 1: ever get divorced or um uh. I think I just 604 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:46,880 Speaker 1: swung the toll polar opposite way of of I guess 605 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:51,240 Speaker 1: the relationship that the energy I was feeling from my parents, 606 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:54,680 Speaker 1: if that makes sense, which I felt the same way. 607 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:58,040 Speaker 1: You know, I got divorced. My X left me, and 608 00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:01,839 Speaker 1: after you left, I was I never would have divorced her. 609 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:04,520 Speaker 1: It's like my parents stayed together. My parents flought same thing. 610 00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:09,640 Speaker 1: Really fucked me up. Yeah, it was. It was hard 611 00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:12,919 Speaker 1: to to deal with. But I found myself being a 612 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:18,879 Speaker 1: really harsh critic of of the choices I made. But 613 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:23,880 Speaker 1: I have to say, uh, and maybe this is just 614 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:27,880 Speaker 1: bumper stick or wishful thinking. If all roads lead to 615 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:33,840 Speaker 1: the road that you're on, um uh. That journey of 616 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:38,239 Speaker 1: self discovery after the fact of you know, why was 617 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:43,520 Speaker 1: I attracted to say, let's say, like chaos, right, Um? 618 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:49,440 Speaker 1: It led me to I truly I worship my wife. Okay, 619 00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:52,160 Speaker 1: So how long after you were done with Salma did 620 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:54,360 Speaker 1: you meet your wife? A couple of years? And how 621 00:40:54,440 --> 00:41:00,880 Speaker 1: did you meet her? Um? Through a mutual friend actually, UM. 622 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 1: And what's interesting is we had probably been in the 623 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:10,320 Speaker 1: same place at the same time, you know, dozens of times, 624 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:14,680 Speaker 1: and just never you know, laid eyes on one another. 625 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:18,160 Speaker 1: Not that I'm sur prize, but my wife is because 626 00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:24,200 Speaker 1: it was your wife in the business she she uh yes, 627 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 1: but for a brief moment of time if you mean 628 00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:29,120 Speaker 1: the business like an actress or something of that, she 629 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:33,000 Speaker 1: I think, you know, dabbled and then then no, she's 630 00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:35,520 Speaker 1: like funk that noise? Amout. What kind of background did 631 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:39,200 Speaker 1: she come from? So she grew up in Los Angeles, 632 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:44,880 Speaker 1: her brother who's who's a great actor. UM and you 633 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 1: know really my brother as well. You know, I feel 634 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:52,800 Speaker 1: so blessed in that. Really when I married into her family, 635 00:41:54,400 --> 00:42:02,319 Speaker 1: very different style of parenting, UM, very different uh um 636 00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:06,719 Speaker 1: support system. You know, I think the environment I was in, 637 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:12,400 Speaker 1: UM could have been pretty competitive, you know, and and 638 00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 1: her her world is just everyone is, um pretty supportive. 639 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 1: Um not. That's not to say that, you know, my 640 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:25,879 Speaker 1: parents were totally supportive, because they were, but it would 641 00:42:25,960 --> 00:42:28,520 Speaker 1: it would be like a whole other shell hours to 642 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:31,919 Speaker 1: kind of go over why the subtle differences. But they're 643 00:42:32,040 --> 00:42:36,719 Speaker 1: they're there, they are different. Um Uh, how many kids 644 00:42:36,719 --> 00:42:38,759 Speaker 1: do you have? I have two little ones? How old 645 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:41,000 Speaker 1: are they? Have? An eight year old who will be 646 00:42:41,239 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaker 1: nine in December, and I have three year old. My 647 00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:48,680 Speaker 1: daughter is the oldest and my son is the youngest. 648 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:50,799 Speaker 1: He just he just turned three. Okay, are you going 649 00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:52,840 Speaker 1: to raise them like your parents raise? You're gonna do 650 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,839 Speaker 1: a one eight. I don't even put too much thought 651 00:42:55,880 --> 00:43:00,560 Speaker 1: into it, you know. My philosophy, um is a lot 652 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:03,880 Speaker 1: of communication. Obviously with my wife, communication is super important. 653 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:11,840 Speaker 1: But um, I I suppose the thing I'm consciously doing 654 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:18,120 Speaker 1: different if I'm thinking about my dad is I'm I'm 655 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:23,920 Speaker 1: more available, you know. And I did this. I put 656 00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:26,080 Speaker 1: the show together called The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa, 657 00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:30,200 Speaker 1: which is this whole multimedia schmorge Bourg of awesome. And 658 00:43:30,239 --> 00:43:32,640 Speaker 1: it was, you know, all my a bunch of my 659 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:35,600 Speaker 1: dad's band members, people who loved to play with. They 660 00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:38,160 Speaker 1: went out on the road, um and it was this 661 00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:41,640 Speaker 1: you know, fantastic show and will go out again in 662 00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:46,760 Speaker 1: the in the near future. But um I I spent 663 00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:51,400 Speaker 1: so much time directing, conceiving of all the visuals and 664 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:56,320 Speaker 1: the storytelling that's associated with the with the music, um 665 00:43:56,400 --> 00:44:00,400 Speaker 1: that when it actually came time to show time and 666 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:03,319 Speaker 1: I traveled with the tour, and that was the first 667 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:06,479 Speaker 1: time I've been been away from my kids, I was like, wow, 668 00:44:06,520 --> 00:44:09,920 Speaker 1: I'm kind of like living. It was surreal because I 669 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:12,360 Speaker 1: felt like I was my dad, not not like I 670 00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:20,120 Speaker 1: was him, but like um uh I was um. I 671 00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:26,160 Speaker 1: created a similar dynamic that my father had when he 672 00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:28,319 Speaker 1: was out on the road, where when he would call, 673 00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:31,880 Speaker 1: I had just these fleeting moments that were so meaningful, 674 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:35,560 Speaker 1: meaningful for me, and all I had was a telephone 675 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:38,719 Speaker 1: and I would miss him so much, right and and 676 00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:40,400 Speaker 1: think about like when he is he coming home and 677 00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:43,600 Speaker 1: all of this stuff. Um and I was I would wonder, 678 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:46,719 Speaker 1: you know, was what he is he thinking about his 679 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:48,839 Speaker 1: kids and the family? You know, just thanks to think 680 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:50,680 Speaker 1: about when you're a kid and then here I am 681 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:54,279 Speaker 1: as an adult roughly the same kind of age on 682 00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:57,239 Speaker 1: the like you know, the roles have reversed and that 683 00:44:57,400 --> 00:45:02,239 Speaker 1: was a real trip to to to do that. But 684 00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:06,120 Speaker 1: then it's also my dad's music that that's in the show. 685 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:11,279 Speaker 1: Uh so it was pretty cathartic too. It's on so 686 00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:14,399 Speaker 1: many levels it was to to be in that experience 687 00:45:14,440 --> 00:45:18,200 Speaker 1: and meet so many fans of my dad's music. Um, 688 00:45:18,239 --> 00:45:23,960 Speaker 1: it made a huge impact on on me as as 689 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:29,160 Speaker 1: I understand uh who I am as a father, you know, 690 00:45:30,080 --> 00:45:35,880 Speaker 1: and you know I I they love me, you know 691 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:38,400 Speaker 1: what I mean. I don't have any kids, but I 692 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:41,040 Speaker 1: take your word for it. Let's go back. So you 693 00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:44,080 Speaker 1: say you start working with your mother a year about 694 00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:47,360 Speaker 1: a year before she passes on financial batters. I'm a 695 00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:51,279 Speaker 1: little confused the trust you still own the publishing to 696 00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:55,200 Speaker 1: the music. Yeah, so the financial matters are The cost 697 00:45:55,480 --> 00:46:00,919 Speaker 1: of the long legal battle was millions, I mean five 698 00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:04,879 Speaker 1: six million dollars some crazy, right, So she was really 699 00:46:04,920 --> 00:46:07,439 Speaker 1: in the hole. And part of the way to get 700 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:12,560 Speaker 1: the music back was UM when when the when that 701 00:46:12,960 --> 00:46:18,440 Speaker 1: UM deal was struck. Uh, there's you know, payments, right 702 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:21,120 Speaker 1: and if she was ever to default on the payments, 703 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:25,920 Speaker 1: then we'd lose the music. So uh, it was a 704 00:46:25,920 --> 00:46:28,920 Speaker 1: pretty hefty price tag because she sold the music for 705 00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:31,120 Speaker 1: a lot of a lot of money. So then to 706 00:46:31,160 --> 00:46:37,279 Speaker 1: be able to buy the music back to get it back, um, 707 00:46:38,840 --> 00:46:42,640 Speaker 1: you know I would, I'd get a fucking call. Uh, 708 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:45,120 Speaker 1: She's like I need a million dollars in a month. 709 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:52,120 Speaker 1: You know, like, ah, what the fuck? I'd have to 710 00:46:52,160 --> 00:46:55,240 Speaker 1: figure that out. Um, and I did that a couple 711 00:46:55,239 --> 00:46:58,480 Speaker 1: of times. Actually, So where do you get the money from? 712 00:46:58,520 --> 00:47:03,719 Speaker 1: You know, I would organized business deals or or make 713 00:47:03,840 --> 00:47:08,080 Speaker 1: new kinds of I'd have to analyze the assets, you know. Um, 714 00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:10,640 Speaker 1: I put in my own money, and you know, I 715 00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:14,800 Speaker 1: just I did whatever whatever we could do, UM to 716 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:20,720 Speaker 1: make sure our our business partners were satisfied, and obviously 717 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:23,759 Speaker 1: try to do the best that we could. UM, with 718 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:28,560 Speaker 1: a mindful eye on you know, this is this is 719 00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:33,359 Speaker 1: my mother's livelihood. It's you know, she lost the man 720 00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:38,800 Speaker 1: she loved. And you know, as as as much as 721 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:42,000 Speaker 1: I think my older brother or older sister, or my 722 00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:45,239 Speaker 1: little sister, or even myself have opinions about what it 723 00:47:45,280 --> 00:47:48,279 Speaker 1: could it should have, you know, it was always my 724 00:47:48,320 --> 00:47:50,720 Speaker 1: sort of point of view. It's like, it's not my business. 725 00:47:50,760 --> 00:47:53,480 Speaker 1: I didn't make the music. I wasn't I wasn't my 726 00:47:53,560 --> 00:47:57,640 Speaker 1: dad's business. Partner, you know, and so I have had 727 00:47:57,640 --> 00:48:07,400 Speaker 1: no attachment to um, the a, the money or be um. 728 00:48:07,560 --> 00:48:11,040 Speaker 1: You know, it really wasn't something that I wanted to do. 729 00:48:13,120 --> 00:48:15,400 Speaker 1: Let me say it this way. My mother was someone 730 00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:20,080 Speaker 1: like you know, she's she's big, she's a big Democrat 731 00:48:20,239 --> 00:48:24,240 Speaker 1: and UM you know she she don't she would donate 732 00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:26,319 Speaker 1: a lot of money to cause us she believed in 733 00:48:27,160 --> 00:48:29,960 Speaker 1: And there was this opportunity to go have a photo 734 00:48:29,960 --> 00:48:33,000 Speaker 1: op with the you know, then president and vice president. 735 00:48:33,920 --> 00:48:36,080 Speaker 1: And she calls me and says, hey, do you want 736 00:48:36,080 --> 00:48:39,200 Speaker 1: to go to this this event? And I say not 737 00:48:39,320 --> 00:48:42,520 Speaker 1: at all. I'm not interested. I'm sure other you know, 738 00:48:42,840 --> 00:48:47,600 Speaker 1: I'm sure other people would be interested. And she so 739 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:51,480 Speaker 1: she's like, well, this is why I'm taking you because 740 00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:55,239 Speaker 1: everyone else wants to go. I'm like, well great, I 741 00:48:55,320 --> 00:48:57,600 Speaker 1: really don't want to go. And then it would become 742 00:48:57,600 --> 00:49:00,360 Speaker 1: an argument, which is like, well I want to take you. 743 00:49:01,440 --> 00:49:05,280 Speaker 1: So you know that I think in a weird way, 744 00:49:05,800 --> 00:49:11,759 Speaker 1: UM in that my being self sufficient or trying to 745 00:49:11,800 --> 00:49:16,839 Speaker 1: be fair minded for all of the family members, um, 746 00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:19,880 Speaker 1: which I really genuinely take seriously and I want to 747 00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:24,239 Speaker 1: try to do. Uh. I think that that's why I 748 00:49:24,280 --> 00:49:27,480 Speaker 1: woke up with this. Um why she asked me for 749 00:49:27,560 --> 00:49:29,960 Speaker 1: help because she she would all the time, you know, 750 00:49:30,280 --> 00:49:33,560 Speaker 1: like a Okay, just to be clear, your three siblings, 751 00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:36,560 Speaker 1: were they capable of giving help? I'm talking about business insight? 752 00:49:37,000 --> 00:49:40,600 Speaker 1: Were they not that kind of person now that financially 753 00:49:41,239 --> 00:49:46,120 Speaker 1: I don't I don't think that they. Um, I don't 754 00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:50,480 Speaker 1: think so. But I mean they might have a different opinion. Um. 755 00:49:50,520 --> 00:49:53,080 Speaker 1: But were they living off the family money or were 756 00:49:53,080 --> 00:49:56,960 Speaker 1: they making their own money? I don't really know to 757 00:49:57,000 --> 00:50:00,160 Speaker 1: the extent all of those details. I mean, they're a 758 00:50:00,200 --> 00:50:02,600 Speaker 1: lot of help given. You know, my brother didn't move 759 00:50:02,600 --> 00:50:05,280 Speaker 1: out until he was thirties seven or thirty six or something, 760 00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:09,279 Speaker 1: which to me is just not my lifestyle. You know that. 761 00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:13,600 Speaker 1: I was like, I want my own space. I don't 762 00:50:13,600 --> 00:50:17,399 Speaker 1: want to have my bedroom next to my mother's, you know. 763 00:50:17,960 --> 00:50:21,200 Speaker 1: I mean, like that doesn't make a bit of sense, 764 00:50:21,760 --> 00:50:25,799 Speaker 1: you know. But there were some pretty awkward, funny moments, uh, 765 00:50:25,840 --> 00:50:32,480 Speaker 1: you know that I've shared with you know, like when 766 00:50:32,960 --> 00:50:36,560 Speaker 1: when he got married, my mom was like, okay, you're 767 00:50:36,560 --> 00:50:43,160 Speaker 1: you're married now and you need to get out, you know. Uh, 768 00:50:43,200 --> 00:50:45,880 Speaker 1: And but you should ask him about you should have 769 00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:51,400 Speaker 1: on the show because he's he's a super amazing talented UM. 770 00:50:51,440 --> 00:50:54,120 Speaker 1: You know, a musician, he's a he's a like he's 771 00:50:54,160 --> 00:50:56,120 Speaker 1: a mutant, like my dad was a mutant. You know. 772 00:50:56,239 --> 00:51:01,560 Speaker 1: He does things with his instruments that are he's I mean, 773 00:51:01,560 --> 00:51:06,080 Speaker 1: he's so he's so phenomenal. I wish that for him. 774 00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:09,480 Speaker 1: If he was born like ten years earlier, he would 775 00:51:09,480 --> 00:51:12,520 Speaker 1: have been more popular than Edward Van Halen, you know, 776 00:51:12,760 --> 00:51:16,160 Speaker 1: like he just I think he missed this window. Um. 777 00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:18,160 Speaker 1: And his music style, in my opinion, has just changed 778 00:51:18,200 --> 00:51:20,520 Speaker 1: a lot because he's you know, by by playing Frank's 779 00:51:20,560 --> 00:51:25,640 Speaker 1: music and really studying it. Um. He again, watch him 780 00:51:25,640 --> 00:51:31,040 Speaker 1: play it's it's it's fucking insane. He's he's really amazing. UM. 781 00:51:31,040 --> 00:51:33,480 Speaker 1: And my my older sister inspired me in so many 782 00:51:33,480 --> 00:51:37,759 Speaker 1: ways because she she does a lot of stand up. Um. 783 00:51:37,920 --> 00:51:43,320 Speaker 1: She wrote her her first book, and I really thought, like, wow, 784 00:51:43,360 --> 00:51:46,480 Speaker 1: I'd love to be able to achieve, you know, for 785 00:51:46,560 --> 00:51:50,399 Speaker 1: someone you know that dropped out of high school, miss 786 00:51:50,480 --> 00:51:53,360 Speaker 1: more than half of years, coolie year and super super 787 00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:56,080 Speaker 1: bad dyslexia. By the way, I have a really weird 788 00:51:56,440 --> 00:52:02,279 Speaker 1: learning disabilities. Um. The idea of of accomplishing what she 789 00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:06,880 Speaker 1: accomplished was so inspiring to me. Um, and and she 790 00:52:07,040 --> 00:52:10,279 Speaker 1: was there for me more than I think my mom 791 00:52:10,440 --> 00:52:14,600 Speaker 1: was too all the time. And I really I was 792 00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:17,160 Speaker 1: really bummed out when she moved out, Like that was 793 00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:19,520 Speaker 1: a huge blow to me. She she moved out I 794 00:52:19,560 --> 00:52:24,400 Speaker 1: think when she was eighteen two, Um, and I was gutted. 795 00:52:24,800 --> 00:52:28,920 Speaker 1: You know, she she's like super mama bear like well, 796 00:52:29,120 --> 00:52:32,120 Speaker 1: was always cooking something, making cy tea and you know 797 00:52:32,280 --> 00:52:38,279 Speaker 1: it's uh, you know it's it's it's just so it's 798 00:52:38,360 --> 00:52:41,440 Speaker 1: just a fucking bummer. That's That's what what happens when 799 00:52:41,760 --> 00:52:44,920 Speaker 1: when like family members died, people call birds go insane, 800 00:52:45,480 --> 00:52:49,279 Speaker 1: birds going sane. That's all I can say. Uh, it's 801 00:52:49,400 --> 00:52:53,280 Speaker 1: it's just a bummer. Okay, So your mother then dies 802 00:52:53,360 --> 00:52:57,120 Speaker 1: and it's public information that she does not divide the 803 00:52:57,320 --> 00:53:01,520 Speaker 1: estate equally. Yeah, what is the inspira nation for that to? 804 00:53:01,640 --> 00:53:03,239 Speaker 1: What did we are you're were it's going to go 805 00:53:03,320 --> 00:53:06,239 Speaker 1: down that way? And what are the family members reactions 806 00:53:06,280 --> 00:53:10,239 Speaker 1: to that? I mean not not great? I mean I 807 00:53:11,040 --> 00:53:20,640 Speaker 1: I think I know why, Um, that decision was made. Uh, 808 00:53:22,160 --> 00:53:27,280 Speaker 1: my mother had a life insurance policy that she bought 809 00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:35,080 Speaker 1: after she sold the Masters, and you know some of 810 00:53:35,080 --> 00:53:40,040 Speaker 1: the financing here, I can't speak someone who probably selves 811 00:53:40,080 --> 00:53:43,880 Speaker 1: life insurance policies will kind of know what I'm talking about, UM, 812 00:53:43,920 --> 00:53:46,400 Speaker 1: but I'll try to explain it. So, she prepaid for 813 00:53:46,440 --> 00:53:50,520 Speaker 1: this this this big you know, life insurance policy, and 814 00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:56,319 Speaker 1: there's something that, uh, I guess she wasn't aware that 815 00:53:56,480 --> 00:53:59,719 Speaker 1: was in there. Um. And the way that she did 816 00:53:59,760 --> 00:54:02,440 Speaker 1: the policy is that she was under the impression that 817 00:54:02,719 --> 00:54:06,759 Speaker 1: she ever needed money, she could borrow against it. But 818 00:54:06,760 --> 00:54:08,759 Speaker 1: there's this thing called a mech that was in there 819 00:54:09,160 --> 00:54:12,000 Speaker 1: that I guess would have had to make her pay 820 00:54:13,160 --> 00:54:16,919 Speaker 1: like a crazy amount on taxes. Right. That was never 821 00:54:17,080 --> 00:54:24,040 Speaker 1: part of um of her understanding. Right. So actually, when 822 00:54:24,080 --> 00:54:27,759 Speaker 1: she needed to uh make some make a payment to 823 00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:32,359 Speaker 1: save all the music, um, she reached out to all 824 00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:36,160 Speaker 1: of us kids, and UM, she was like, hey, listen, 825 00:54:36,320 --> 00:54:38,320 Speaker 1: you know I want to try to this is ultimately 826 00:54:38,760 --> 00:54:41,759 Speaker 1: your life insurance policies for you guys, that I did, 827 00:54:42,320 --> 00:54:44,759 Speaker 1: But what's more important to you money or saving the 828 00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:48,600 Speaker 1: family business? And for me it was no question, like, 829 00:54:49,200 --> 00:54:51,800 Speaker 1: you know, I think the family is the most important 830 00:54:51,920 --> 00:54:55,239 Speaker 1: and uh, yeah, if you needed whatever you need, you 831 00:54:55,239 --> 00:54:59,719 Speaker 1: should do. Uh. My little sister was the same, and 832 00:55:00,880 --> 00:55:04,440 Speaker 1: my older UM brother and older sister just had a 833 00:55:04,440 --> 00:55:09,719 Speaker 1: different opinion. Um. And I think that I think that 834 00:55:09,719 --> 00:55:14,919 Speaker 1: that's a big part of it's a big disappointment because 835 00:55:15,040 --> 00:55:18,520 Speaker 1: it was a lot of arguing that that was going 836 00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:22,080 Speaker 1: on between a lot of stress for me because I 837 00:55:22,080 --> 00:55:23,399 Speaker 1: had to I was the person. I had to find 838 00:55:23,400 --> 00:55:25,960 Speaker 1: the money to make these payments, you know, So she 839 00:55:26,080 --> 00:55:30,880 Speaker 1: never did cash in the life interests, um, because I 840 00:55:30,920 --> 00:55:36,200 Speaker 1: found I found the resources. Um. But I think that 841 00:55:36,239 --> 00:55:40,480 Speaker 1: the notion of like, well, what's what's more important? You know, 842 00:55:40,520 --> 00:55:44,200 Speaker 1: and all these demands were made not by my my, 843 00:55:44,200 --> 00:55:48,560 Speaker 1: my diva diva or I you know, I think that 844 00:55:48,680 --> 00:55:51,279 Speaker 1: just was not a good feeling. But the demands being 845 00:55:51,320 --> 00:55:55,319 Speaker 1: what kind of demands did the other to make? You know, 846 00:55:55,360 --> 00:55:59,239 Speaker 1: you should ask them because you know I already get 847 00:55:59,280 --> 00:56:01,480 Speaker 1: beaten up enough fight, Well, this is your chance to 848 00:56:01,520 --> 00:56:03,839 Speaker 1: tell your side of the story. Well, no, I mean, 849 00:56:04,239 --> 00:56:06,640 Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm not trying to hold anything back, but 850 00:56:06,719 --> 00:56:10,080 Speaker 1: I mean they you should genuinely No, I'm just trying 851 00:56:10,080 --> 00:56:14,759 Speaker 1: to understand before your mother passed, they weren't interested in 852 00:56:14,880 --> 00:56:17,960 Speaker 1: saving the family business, but did they also want to 853 00:56:17,960 --> 00:56:19,799 Speaker 1: sell it so they could get the cash? Is that 854 00:56:19,880 --> 00:56:24,879 Speaker 1: what it was about? They wanted. Um yeah, I mean 855 00:56:25,239 --> 00:56:28,120 Speaker 1: you'd have to ask them. But the way I interpret 856 00:56:28,239 --> 00:56:31,920 Speaker 1: it is like, well, it was never our money to 857 00:56:31,960 --> 00:56:37,000 Speaker 1: begin with, it was. There's so she's asking us what 858 00:56:37,040 --> 00:56:40,920 Speaker 1: to do because the reason why she's asking is we 859 00:56:40,960 --> 00:56:44,520 Speaker 1: would all have to agree, right, So in all of 860 00:56:44,600 --> 00:56:51,240 Speaker 1: us agreeing, um, I think revealed I think the future, 861 00:56:52,080 --> 00:56:56,800 Speaker 1: you know. And it's of my opinion that in that moment, 862 00:56:57,560 --> 00:57:02,279 Speaker 1: if if she was going to put people that will 863 00:57:02,360 --> 00:57:05,880 Speaker 1: do what's right for the entirety of the family in place, 864 00:57:06,440 --> 00:57:08,960 Speaker 1: That's how I view it, you know, And that's my 865 00:57:09,040 --> 00:57:12,359 Speaker 1: goal is I essentially work for the entire family as 866 00:57:12,360 --> 00:57:15,799 Speaker 1: a co trustee. All it means is that someone has 867 00:57:15,840 --> 00:57:18,960 Speaker 1: to have the ultimate authority to say yes or no 868 00:57:19,040 --> 00:57:22,280 Speaker 1: to something. It's that doesn't prohibit you know, I'm not 869 00:57:22,320 --> 00:57:24,680 Speaker 1: going to prohibit anyone in my family from everyone to 870 00:57:24,680 --> 00:57:29,240 Speaker 1: do something that is our mutual legacy. If you will, right, 871 00:57:29,320 --> 00:57:33,160 Speaker 1: we all get the benefit from it. But there's just 872 00:57:34,160 --> 00:57:38,920 Speaker 1: you know, I think it's just weird. It's just weird, Okay. Well, 873 00:57:38,920 --> 00:57:43,000 Speaker 1: the famous story is about Dweezl going on the road 874 00:57:43,280 --> 00:57:45,360 Speaker 1: in the issue of his right to be able to 875 00:57:45,400 --> 00:57:48,080 Speaker 1: do that, he made a lot of public statements. What's 876 00:57:48,120 --> 00:57:52,360 Speaker 1: your viewpoint on that? Well, um, I can tell you 877 00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:57,360 Speaker 1: what happened. So uh, he was like, Okay, this is 878 00:57:57,880 --> 00:58:04,040 Speaker 1: this is my business. Um and you know, if you 879 00:58:05,920 --> 00:58:08,320 Speaker 1: it's so boring, but you know, think of it from 880 00:58:08,360 --> 00:58:13,920 Speaker 1: this perspective. I think in nineteen seventies six, my father 881 00:58:14,080 --> 00:58:22,040 Speaker 1: trademarked Zappa okay and ah, And anytime you get into 882 00:58:22,080 --> 00:58:25,440 Speaker 1: new businesses, if it was like a new trademark where 883 00:58:25,720 --> 00:58:31,200 Speaker 1: you for anyone who knows trademark law or has trademarks, 884 00:58:31,680 --> 00:58:34,720 Speaker 1: if you're going to be selling T shirts with a 885 00:58:35,200 --> 00:58:37,200 Speaker 1: you know, a name or a phrase on it or whatever, 886 00:58:37,280 --> 00:58:41,800 Speaker 1: there's just different classes. Right. So as a family business, 887 00:58:41,840 --> 00:58:48,400 Speaker 1: we own these marks, right, and I think it's really misleading. Uh. 888 00:58:48,440 --> 00:58:50,920 Speaker 1: And a lot of people think that that I tried 889 00:58:51,000 --> 00:58:57,160 Speaker 1: to trademark the name, uh, which is no. I. I 890 00:58:57,280 --> 00:58:59,919 Speaker 1: continue to uphold our marks so that we can act, 891 00:59:00,120 --> 00:59:05,040 Speaker 1: we protect the legacy which is there, which is my 892 00:59:05,200 --> 00:59:10,160 Speaker 1: older brother and older sister's legacy as well, you know. Um, 893 00:59:10,240 --> 00:59:13,400 Speaker 1: and you know there a lot of that got totally 894 00:59:14,040 --> 00:59:19,880 Speaker 1: blown out of uh proportion, And honestly, really I felt 895 00:59:19,920 --> 00:59:23,040 Speaker 1: like I was really being bullied by my older siblings 896 00:59:23,040 --> 00:59:26,280 Speaker 1: to be if I'm being really honest, and I was 897 00:59:26,320 --> 00:59:30,720 Speaker 1: in the frame of mind that it's not. Um, it's 898 00:59:30,760 --> 00:59:32,880 Speaker 1: really not something I feel like ever really talking about 899 00:59:32,920 --> 00:59:35,440 Speaker 1: because I feel like it's nobody's business. It's family business. 900 00:59:35,440 --> 00:59:38,800 Speaker 1: But they you know, you can look at statements I've 901 00:59:38,800 --> 00:59:42,240 Speaker 1: made and statements that they've made, and I try to 902 00:59:42,320 --> 00:59:48,440 Speaker 1: keep it as um, you know, as private as possible. Uh. 903 00:59:49,240 --> 00:59:51,160 Speaker 1: And maybe I'm saying way too much. Maybe I'm totally 904 00:59:51,160 --> 00:59:53,800 Speaker 1: contradicting that notion. But at least up until this moment, 905 00:59:53,840 --> 01:00:03,680 Speaker 1: I really haven't haven't talked. You're asking me, and I am. 906 01:00:03,920 --> 01:00:06,120 Speaker 1: It's I feel like no one should air their own 907 01:00:06,200 --> 01:00:10,720 Speaker 1: family business. But I can honestly tell you that, yeah, 908 01:00:11,840 --> 01:00:14,640 Speaker 1: you know, my feelings were totally hurt, and so many 909 01:00:14,680 --> 01:00:21,120 Speaker 1: mean things were have been said and done, and you know, 910 01:00:21,280 --> 01:00:25,320 Speaker 1: I would never do anything to hurt my my family members. 911 01:00:25,600 --> 01:00:30,720 Speaker 1: Family to me is the most important thing, period. And UM, 912 01:00:30,760 --> 01:00:36,600 Speaker 1: I don't feel entitled to anything. Um. And if you know, 913 01:00:37,360 --> 01:00:39,400 Speaker 1: you asked earlier. And I think when people think that 914 01:00:39,440 --> 01:00:45,960 Speaker 1: there's a money discrepancy, right, if you really think about it, UM, well, 915 01:00:47,000 --> 01:00:50,880 Speaker 1: at least at least in in my case, there were 916 01:00:50,960 --> 01:00:56,360 Speaker 1: things that even weren't. Uh, that's still needed to like 917 01:00:57,080 --> 01:00:59,520 Speaker 1: teas need to be crossed in eyes that needed to 918 01:00:59,520 --> 01:01:05,120 Speaker 1: be dotted. Any chance I could um to have everyone 919 01:01:05,200 --> 01:01:08,560 Speaker 1: have more. That's that's every action I took, you know. 920 01:01:08,640 --> 01:01:12,600 Speaker 1: But the thing is it's an irrevocable trust, right, and 921 01:01:12,840 --> 01:01:14,880 Speaker 1: that means that I can't go against it and they 922 01:01:14,880 --> 01:01:17,360 Speaker 1: can't go against it. And so that doesn't make me 923 01:01:17,600 --> 01:01:21,280 Speaker 1: an asshole. It's just like I'm I'm by law. My 924 01:01:21,560 --> 01:01:24,680 Speaker 1: I have to follow the rules. You know. Now, if 925 01:01:24,760 --> 01:01:30,280 Speaker 1: people can all unanimously agree on something, maybe things can happen. Right, 926 01:01:30,760 --> 01:01:35,000 Speaker 1: but you know so far that you know, at least 927 01:01:35,000 --> 01:01:37,800 Speaker 1: in our family at this moment, you know, things are good. Now. 928 01:01:38,080 --> 01:01:41,200 Speaker 1: It took a while to you know, to kind of 929 01:01:41,520 --> 01:01:43,960 Speaker 1: you know, all get on the same page. And I 930 01:01:44,000 --> 01:01:48,560 Speaker 1: really choked it up to um, you know, the loss 931 01:01:48,640 --> 01:01:52,840 Speaker 1: of I mean, honestly, there's no one else to complain to. 932 01:01:52,960 --> 01:01:54,920 Speaker 1: You know, you are your parents still around, you know 933 01:01:55,400 --> 01:01:58,240 Speaker 1: right right? My mother is ninety, almost gonna be nine three. 934 01:01:58,360 --> 01:02:01,760 Speaker 1: She's losing it. So but you know, the weird thing is, 935 01:02:01,800 --> 01:02:05,000 Speaker 1: like all I feel, all the issues that that went 936 01:02:05,280 --> 01:02:08,720 Speaker 1: maybe unsaid to Frank then got put into my mother 937 01:02:09,400 --> 01:02:11,760 Speaker 1: and you want answers, and you know, x y or 938 01:02:11,840 --> 01:02:18,360 Speaker 1: Z and I really really worked on my relationship with 939 01:02:18,440 --> 01:02:22,640 Speaker 1: my mother in terms of forgiveness or you know, I 940 01:02:23,160 --> 01:02:28,640 Speaker 1: had nothing left to to worry about, you know, and 941 01:02:28,880 --> 01:02:30,360 Speaker 1: I'm not I was never going to change her. And 942 01:02:30,680 --> 01:02:33,320 Speaker 1: that's what I learned, which was I want to be 943 01:02:33,320 --> 01:02:35,480 Speaker 1: able to have the best relationship that I can. And 944 01:02:35,880 --> 01:02:38,480 Speaker 1: you know whose fault is it? And I think I 945 01:02:38,520 --> 01:02:41,240 Speaker 1: believe this for any human being. If you know that 946 01:02:41,320 --> 01:02:44,479 Speaker 1: you have issues with certain people, but you you keep 947 01:02:44,520 --> 01:02:50,520 Speaker 1: going back into you know, having issues, UM, be smarter 948 01:02:50,560 --> 01:02:53,439 Speaker 1: about it, you know, have you think of it, think 949 01:02:53,440 --> 01:02:57,160 Speaker 1: of it in a different way, make make the try 950 01:02:57,200 --> 01:02:59,440 Speaker 1: to do the best you can. You know that. That's 951 01:02:59,480 --> 01:03:04,520 Speaker 1: that's I try to be pretty passive, you know. So 952 01:03:05,000 --> 01:03:09,240 Speaker 1: your brother was on the road and news would say 953 01:03:09,320 --> 01:03:11,720 Speaker 1: you wanted a license for use of the name. He 954 01:03:11,800 --> 01:03:13,760 Speaker 1: always had a license, I mean the whole. So what 955 01:03:13,840 --> 01:03:18,280 Speaker 1: happened was I came up with this idea too. I 956 01:03:18,360 --> 01:03:24,800 Speaker 1: called my brother and well I met with um you'll 957 01:03:24,800 --> 01:03:29,200 Speaker 1: probably know who he is, uh, Bob Dylan's tour manager, 958 01:03:30,160 --> 01:03:36,200 Speaker 1: and the this this other guy named Danny Heaps, and 959 01:03:36,360 --> 01:03:41,160 Speaker 1: I floated this notion of um going back and going 960 01:03:41,200 --> 01:03:45,440 Speaker 1: out on the road, uh and playing Frank's music so 961 01:03:45,520 --> 01:03:48,880 Speaker 1: that you know, new new people could discover the music. 962 01:03:49,360 --> 01:03:52,920 Speaker 1: This years ago and I was like, I'll you know, 963 01:03:53,000 --> 01:03:56,000 Speaker 1: I'll call in and you know, see if my my 964 01:03:56,080 --> 01:03:58,120 Speaker 1: brother might want to do it with me, because I 965 01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:02,120 Speaker 1: after my dad passed, I really had an estranged relationship, 966 01:04:03,120 --> 01:04:05,800 Speaker 1: UM with my brother. We started, I mean, we we 967 01:04:05,840 --> 01:04:11,040 Speaker 1: did so much work together and you know, um, I 968 01:04:11,080 --> 01:04:13,320 Speaker 1: don't know, it's just it's still kind of a mystery 969 01:04:13,360 --> 01:04:19,520 Speaker 1: to me to this day. Um around it just feelings 970 01:04:19,760 --> 01:04:23,120 Speaker 1: and things after after my father passed. But um, so 971 01:04:23,240 --> 01:04:26,840 Speaker 1: I wanted to create this opportunity to say, like, hey, 972 01:04:26,840 --> 01:04:29,640 Speaker 1: we haven't played music together in a while, why don't 973 01:04:29,680 --> 01:04:32,640 Speaker 1: we try to help out, you know, the family business 974 01:04:32,880 --> 01:04:35,720 Speaker 1: and do this you know thing called Tappa plays Appa. 975 01:04:36,680 --> 01:04:42,000 Speaker 1: So when I called him, um, he was like, you know, 976 01:04:42,760 --> 01:04:45,520 Speaker 1: I'll just do that, you know, on my own, or 977 01:04:45,680 --> 01:04:48,560 Speaker 1: or that won't ever happen. You know, that's not real. 978 01:04:48,880 --> 01:04:54,000 Speaker 1: Now I'd already contacted, uh, the the people that my 979 01:04:54,080 --> 01:04:56,480 Speaker 1: dad worked with that you know, when for those of 980 01:04:56,520 --> 01:04:58,360 Speaker 1: you who don't know, if you're you know, you have 981 01:04:58,400 --> 01:05:01,360 Speaker 1: a band, you might talk with the booking agent. They uh, 982 01:05:01,480 --> 01:05:04,360 Speaker 1: we'll tell you how much you can get for you know, 983 01:05:04,440 --> 01:05:07,280 Speaker 1: advance on the shows and all of that stuff. So 984 01:05:07,280 --> 01:05:10,200 Speaker 1: so I've done all the legwork. So I basically came 985 01:05:10,240 --> 01:05:16,640 Speaker 1: with a you know, Turkey operation, and um, I said, look, 986 01:05:16,680 --> 01:05:20,400 Speaker 1: there's this is just already in in play. Why don't 987 01:05:20,520 --> 01:05:22,760 Speaker 1: you know come to a meeting, come, you know? He 988 01:05:22,840 --> 01:05:26,280 Speaker 1: just he didn't believe it, right, So we all sit 989 01:05:26,360 --> 01:05:29,520 Speaker 1: down and we have a we have a meeting, and 990 01:05:29,560 --> 01:05:32,160 Speaker 1: it's like it's very real, and I'm like, all right, well, 991 01:05:32,200 --> 01:05:34,760 Speaker 1: now it's time to go and talk with arm you know, 992 01:05:34,800 --> 01:05:37,920 Speaker 1: with Gail and try to get this going. And the 993 01:05:37,920 --> 01:05:41,800 Speaker 1: way that it was ultimately organized was, so, if it's 994 01:05:41,800 --> 01:05:46,080 Speaker 1: going to be Zappa plays Zappa, my mother her feelings were, 995 01:05:47,160 --> 01:05:52,400 Speaker 1: is that fair to Diva and Moon? So she was like, 996 01:05:52,400 --> 01:05:55,200 Speaker 1: I'm going to create this entity called Zappa plays Zappa 997 01:05:55,240 --> 01:05:58,560 Speaker 1: that anyone named Zappa, right, it's uniquely, it's just unique 998 01:05:58,560 --> 01:06:01,320 Speaker 1: for the family that should anyone ever want to do 999 01:06:01,360 --> 01:06:06,280 Speaker 1: anything with Frank's music, this is the entity, right, and 1000 01:06:06,360 --> 01:06:10,680 Speaker 1: so cool, Well, I'm down with that. And then my mother, 1001 01:06:11,000 --> 01:06:13,600 Speaker 1: my brother, myself we went on a world tour to 1002 01:06:13,720 --> 01:06:16,360 Speaker 1: promote around the world that this is this is what 1003 01:06:16,400 --> 01:06:21,800 Speaker 1: we were doing, and um it, you know, we were 1004 01:06:21,840 --> 01:06:24,960 Speaker 1: we were all moving forward and and then I just 1005 01:06:25,040 --> 01:06:29,720 Speaker 1: got into this scenario where you know, my my mother 1006 01:06:30,640 --> 01:06:34,880 Speaker 1: and and my brother and you know, people's emotions and 1007 01:06:34,920 --> 01:06:37,760 Speaker 1: things that you know, And certainly when it came to money, 1008 01:06:38,240 --> 01:06:40,760 Speaker 1: I was like, you know what, guys, you'd keep it 1009 01:06:40,800 --> 01:06:42,960 Speaker 1: all because I've always kind of been there. It's not 1010 01:06:43,000 --> 01:06:45,320 Speaker 1: about the money for me, you know. And I helped 1011 01:06:45,800 --> 01:06:49,480 Speaker 1: whenever I could. I mean, I put the whole fucking 1012 01:06:49,480 --> 01:06:53,320 Speaker 1: show together, you know, conceived of having Frank play in 1013 01:06:53,360 --> 01:06:56,880 Speaker 1: the background where de Weesela was playing guitar, and you know, 1014 01:06:57,200 --> 01:07:00,120 Speaker 1: so it's kind of weird when when I'm trying to 1015 01:07:00,200 --> 01:07:03,920 Speaker 1: put the bizarre world of Frank's APPA together, you know, 1016 01:07:04,000 --> 01:07:07,120 Speaker 1: it's it's strange to me with people who really don't 1017 01:07:07,160 --> 01:07:10,960 Speaker 1: know right when they have like pushback of like, oh, 1018 01:07:11,160 --> 01:07:14,080 Speaker 1: you know, like having video of Frank and playing with 1019 01:07:14,120 --> 01:07:17,360 Speaker 1: the band, you know, that's a cash grab. It's the 1020 01:07:17,400 --> 01:07:21,360 Speaker 1: same thing they said about Tweeesel and and me and 1021 01:07:21,440 --> 01:07:24,320 Speaker 1: Gail when we first announced it, and the same thing 1022 01:07:24,360 --> 01:07:26,600 Speaker 1: that they felt when there's a video of Frank in 1023 01:07:26,640 --> 01:07:30,000 Speaker 1: the background with you know, uh tweel playing. He had 1024 01:07:30,000 --> 01:07:32,000 Speaker 1: to defend all that stuff all day long, and then 1025 01:07:32,680 --> 01:07:35,600 Speaker 1: it just you know, people can read about now who 1026 01:07:35,760 --> 01:07:40,320 Speaker 1: who's the biggest person who's like, you know, the negative 1027 01:07:40,360 --> 01:07:43,959 Speaker 1: about it. You know, let's get to the specific story 1028 01:07:44,000 --> 01:07:47,160 Speaker 1: where he was gonna go on the road Zappa plays Appa, 1029 01:07:47,320 --> 01:07:50,520 Speaker 1: and there was some disagreement between him and you. He 1030 01:07:50,520 --> 01:07:52,880 Speaker 1: he said he wasn't gonna be able to use the name. 1031 01:07:53,320 --> 01:07:57,959 Speaker 1: I know, I said, just pay a dollar for the license. Yeah, 1032 01:07:58,640 --> 01:08:02,440 Speaker 1: a dollar. Here's the reason. Okay, when you pay a 1033 01:08:02,480 --> 01:08:08,440 Speaker 1: dollar for the license, it protects the name and the entity. 1034 01:08:08,600 --> 01:08:11,160 Speaker 1: So there's so much that the understanding to try to 1035 01:08:11,160 --> 01:08:14,600 Speaker 1: get underneath it of how it protects the global entity 1036 01:08:15,000 --> 01:08:19,080 Speaker 1: of the concept, which is it's for all of the kids, right. 1037 01:08:19,680 --> 01:08:24,200 Speaker 1: That is not something that I guess, you know, that's 1038 01:08:24,200 --> 01:08:29,280 Speaker 1: not his philosophy. And look, you can say like it's 1039 01:08:29,320 --> 01:08:31,640 Speaker 1: just a dollar, you know, and and when you go 1040 01:08:31,680 --> 01:08:35,320 Speaker 1: out and play, it protects the trademark and a license 1041 01:08:35,720 --> 01:08:38,120 Speaker 1: on a global scale, Like you are the only person 1042 01:08:38,760 --> 01:08:41,600 Speaker 1: you know out there in the world who if we 1043 01:08:41,640 --> 01:08:44,040 Speaker 1: want to protect trademarks and all of those things, which 1044 01:08:44,040 --> 01:08:46,000 Speaker 1: he was what he did when my mother was alive. 1045 01:08:46,360 --> 01:08:48,280 Speaker 1: It's not like something it was. It's not like a 1046 01:08:48,280 --> 01:08:53,000 Speaker 1: new concept right on every a poster, you know, for 1047 01:08:53,000 --> 01:08:55,120 Speaker 1: his Apple plays app. But all of that information is there. 1048 01:08:55,160 --> 01:08:57,160 Speaker 1: It's not like some like, wait, all of a sudden, 1049 01:08:57,160 --> 01:08:59,760 Speaker 1: you want to do this now, it's nothing changed. In fact, 1050 01:09:00,280 --> 01:09:03,000 Speaker 1: instead of paying a lot of money for that license, 1051 01:09:03,600 --> 01:09:06,679 Speaker 1: it was a dollar. That's That's the thing that when 1052 01:09:06,880 --> 01:09:09,559 Speaker 1: when I became a co trustee, I was like, all right, 1053 01:09:09,640 --> 01:09:14,760 Speaker 1: fucking it's just a buck, you know. But okay, And 1054 01:09:15,960 --> 01:09:18,800 Speaker 1: the lore is that Moon was aligned with him. What's 1055 01:09:18,840 --> 01:09:21,880 Speaker 1: her problem with the with your operation of the trust? 1056 01:09:22,960 --> 01:09:25,880 Speaker 1: I personally think it's just that they're not the co trustees, 1057 01:09:27,080 --> 01:09:30,360 Speaker 1: you know. But but I'll say all day long, it's 1058 01:09:30,960 --> 01:09:34,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's a title, So like, go make 1059 01:09:34,040 --> 01:09:36,160 Speaker 1: up your own title, fucking do whatever the funk you 1060 01:09:36,160 --> 01:09:40,640 Speaker 1: want to do. How much of it is not a 1061 01:09:40,800 --> 01:09:43,000 Speaker 1: not a lot of it actually, you know, to the 1062 01:09:43,040 --> 01:09:47,800 Speaker 1: extent that things that were kind of left um uh, 1063 01:09:48,840 --> 01:09:53,080 Speaker 1: like the publishing is kind of it's it's really not that. 1064 01:09:53,160 --> 01:09:59,000 Speaker 1: I mean, uh, the the percentages at the end of 1065 01:09:59,000 --> 01:10:02,320 Speaker 1: the day are are not even quite that anymore. That's 1066 01:10:02,360 --> 01:10:04,320 Speaker 1: what I was referring to earlier to the extent that 1067 01:10:04,400 --> 01:10:09,120 Speaker 1: I could make more benefit for everyone things that weren't 1068 01:10:09,240 --> 01:10:15,960 Speaker 1: inside the um inside the trust. It's I'm not trying 1069 01:10:16,000 --> 01:10:20,759 Speaker 1: to be vague. It's it's like the granular minutia of like, oh, fuck, 1070 01:10:20,840 --> 01:10:24,639 Speaker 1: my mom didn't do this contract right, or this needs 1071 01:10:24,680 --> 01:10:26,680 Speaker 1: to be done because we have a deal with this 1072 01:10:26,800 --> 01:10:29,760 Speaker 1: partner or X, Y or Z. As as much as 1073 01:10:29,800 --> 01:10:32,639 Speaker 1: I could be like this is the easiest way that 1074 01:10:32,720 --> 01:10:35,760 Speaker 1: doesn't go against the trust, that everyone gets more, right, 1075 01:10:36,400 --> 01:10:38,599 Speaker 1: every chance I've been able to do that. I've done 1076 01:10:38,600 --> 01:10:43,960 Speaker 1: that every single time. Okay, Now, when we talked previously 1077 01:10:44,120 --> 01:10:46,880 Speaker 1: said when you took over the trust, there really wasn't 1078 01:10:46,880 --> 01:10:49,799 Speaker 1: any money coming in, not a dime. Was five million 1079 01:10:49,800 --> 01:10:52,160 Speaker 1: dollars in the hole. That's not the case anymore. Okay. 1080 01:10:52,160 --> 01:10:55,479 Speaker 1: The five million dollars were those payments to purchase uh 1081 01:10:55,560 --> 01:11:01,439 Speaker 1: the assets. Oh there's there's a meal in different you know, 1082 01:11:01,560 --> 01:11:05,280 Speaker 1: things that were uncovered in legal bills and just tons 1083 01:11:05,320 --> 01:11:08,120 Speaker 1: of stuff. It's just and that's not the case since 1084 01:11:08,160 --> 01:11:12,759 Speaker 1: you since you've taken over the operation, you have gotten 1085 01:11:12,800 --> 01:11:16,439 Speaker 1: rid of the debt. No debt, Okay, how much income 1086 01:11:16,479 --> 01:11:18,439 Speaker 1: you know, I don't need a specific dollar for you, 1087 01:11:18,520 --> 01:11:20,880 Speaker 1: which wouldn't tell me. Is it enough for all four 1088 01:11:20,920 --> 01:11:28,120 Speaker 1: of you to live on? Um? Yeah, considerable amount of money. No, 1089 01:11:28,320 --> 01:11:32,280 Speaker 1: I think people may have a very expensive lifestyles. Uh, 1090 01:11:32,439 --> 01:11:35,439 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know. I can't tell you, but yes, 1091 01:11:35,479 --> 01:11:39,280 Speaker 1: to up to two people in the world, yes, you 1092 01:11:39,320 --> 01:11:42,679 Speaker 1: could make a lot of money. Can you sell the assets? 1093 01:11:43,960 --> 01:11:47,280 Speaker 1: And are your siblings talking about doing that or want 1094 01:11:47,320 --> 01:11:50,960 Speaker 1: that to happen? Well, they wouldn't. They wouldn't be able 1095 01:11:51,000 --> 01:11:54,080 Speaker 1: to do that. Um. I mean we can talk about, 1096 01:11:54,400 --> 01:11:56,920 Speaker 1: you know, those kinds of things, but as the co 1097 01:11:57,120 --> 01:12:00,880 Speaker 1: trustees that that's I think that that's the psychological rub, 1098 01:12:01,040 --> 01:12:04,680 Speaker 1: which is, you know, at the end of the day, Um, 1099 01:12:04,720 --> 01:12:08,880 Speaker 1: it doesn't take it's it's not everyone's signature on something, 1100 01:12:09,520 --> 01:12:13,080 Speaker 1: you know. Um. But what I say to them, which 1101 01:12:13,080 --> 01:12:14,960 Speaker 1: I've always said to them, is like, well, anything that 1102 01:12:15,000 --> 01:12:18,479 Speaker 1: you want to do, right, let's do it. You know. 1103 01:12:18,520 --> 01:12:20,920 Speaker 1: So like all you gonna do is literally anything that 1104 01:12:20,960 --> 01:12:23,040 Speaker 1: you want to do as long as it doesn't contradict 1105 01:12:23,080 --> 01:12:25,479 Speaker 1: obviously like a contract with a partner or something like 1106 01:12:25,520 --> 01:12:31,040 Speaker 1: that's you know, we're not gonna be cavalier and and uh, 1107 01:12:31,080 --> 01:12:35,559 Speaker 1: you know again Negate something for someone else. But we 1108 01:12:35,640 --> 01:12:38,200 Speaker 1: have the best benefit. I mean, we're the we're it's 1109 01:12:38,240 --> 01:12:43,600 Speaker 1: our business. So I can make the the most favorable 1110 01:12:43,640 --> 01:12:47,760 Speaker 1: scenario for every single one in the family happen as 1111 01:12:47,840 --> 01:12:51,960 Speaker 1: long as it's the exact same scenario for everyone. So 1112 01:12:52,320 --> 01:12:57,000 Speaker 1: the benefit I get is the same benefit that Dweeesel gets, 1113 01:12:57,080 --> 01:12:59,880 Speaker 1: the same benefit that Moon gets. There's not some magic. 1114 01:13:01,000 --> 01:13:05,000 Speaker 1: There's not some discrepancy, right. That's that's where like I 1115 01:13:05,240 --> 01:13:09,080 Speaker 1: sometimes think back and like what is the real argument 1116 01:13:09,080 --> 01:13:11,519 Speaker 1: over what what was anyone getting all their you know, 1117 01:13:11,560 --> 01:13:15,519 Speaker 1: pennies in a twist over when it is you know 1118 01:13:16,439 --> 01:13:19,800 Speaker 1: um As an example, if you decided to make a 1119 01:13:19,840 --> 01:13:24,360 Speaker 1: documentary film, right and you're the director, we don't get 1120 01:13:24,400 --> 01:13:27,320 Speaker 1: your directing fee, I understanding, you know what I mean, Like, 1121 01:13:27,360 --> 01:13:30,640 Speaker 1: if you're gonna do actual business, the estate gets what 1122 01:13:30,720 --> 01:13:33,559 Speaker 1: the estate gets. But if you decided, like my brother 1123 01:13:33,680 --> 01:13:35,479 Speaker 1: is going out there and he's you know, playing the music, 1124 01:13:35,479 --> 01:13:38,840 Speaker 1: I was like paying pay a dollar to keep all 1125 01:13:38,880 --> 01:13:43,920 Speaker 1: the money from the ticket sales, you know, right, Like 1126 01:13:44,080 --> 01:13:46,920 Speaker 1: you know here, that's that is it? Right? That? That 1127 01:13:46,960 --> 01:13:52,120 Speaker 1: was literally the deal. The discrepancy was, well, you know, 1128 01:13:52,400 --> 01:13:55,720 Speaker 1: there's merch. What merch is sold at the show, and 1129 01:13:55,800 --> 01:13:58,719 Speaker 1: what does everyone get? Like, well, the trust spells out 1130 01:13:59,080 --> 01:14:01,640 Speaker 1: what people get that can't be changed. So there's two 1131 01:14:01,680 --> 01:14:03,840 Speaker 1: ways to do it. You can either buy it all 1132 01:14:04,360 --> 01:14:06,800 Speaker 1: right and then sell it whatever price you want, or 1133 01:14:08,040 --> 01:14:09,680 Speaker 1: which is which is a way to do it? Like 1134 01:14:09,720 --> 01:14:13,719 Speaker 1: buy it at like fucking rock bottom prices right because 1135 01:14:13,720 --> 01:14:17,240 Speaker 1: it costs money to manufacture it, you know, but even 1136 01:14:17,479 --> 01:14:21,920 Speaker 1: a viig that would go to the trust is paying yourself, right, 1137 01:14:22,160 --> 01:14:23,720 Speaker 1: do you know what I mean? Like the madness of 1138 01:14:23,760 --> 01:14:26,960 Speaker 1: all of that. So I'm like, there's this is not 1139 01:14:27,240 --> 01:14:31,120 Speaker 1: some um, it's not rocket science. This this kind of 1140 01:14:31,120 --> 01:14:34,800 Speaker 1: business happens all day, every day with people. You know. Yeah, 1141 01:14:34,920 --> 01:14:37,439 Speaker 1: it totally makes sense. So what's your relationship with Moon 1142 01:14:37,479 --> 01:14:41,640 Speaker 1: and do Easel today? It's it's better, It's it's you know, 1143 01:14:41,840 --> 01:14:45,240 Speaker 1: like my sister actually emailed me today over something pretty 1144 01:14:45,520 --> 01:14:50,679 Speaker 1: um horrific. Uh that was you know, I'm not gonna 1145 01:14:50,680 --> 01:14:53,479 Speaker 1: get into but I'm like, oh, that's it was like 1146 01:14:53,680 --> 01:14:56,760 Speaker 1: that's bananas, you know, like, you know, I let me 1147 01:14:56,800 --> 01:14:59,599 Speaker 1: know if you need anything. You know, it's scary, Uh, 1148 01:14:59,680 --> 01:15:03,200 Speaker 1: since you Sagan um And and my brother used out 1149 01:15:03,240 --> 01:15:05,840 Speaker 1: on the road. He's you know, he he and I 1150 01:15:05,920 --> 01:15:10,960 Speaker 1: took took a it was a much longer journey to 1151 01:15:11,160 --> 01:15:15,639 Speaker 1: kind of get back to you know, uh a working 1152 01:15:16,080 --> 01:15:20,439 Speaker 1: you know scenario. But I mean he's I don't think 1153 01:15:20,520 --> 01:15:23,879 Speaker 1: he's He's like my dad. He never stops. He's always working, 1154 01:15:24,600 --> 01:15:29,080 Speaker 1: he's always playing music. So even just scheduling things or 1155 01:15:29,320 --> 01:15:31,320 Speaker 1: you know, we we just we have to do a 1156 01:15:31,360 --> 01:15:33,559 Speaker 1: better job. I think all of us in the family. 1157 01:15:33,600 --> 01:15:39,160 Speaker 1: It's it's all the communication. And I'm pretty cautious. So 1158 01:15:39,520 --> 01:15:42,000 Speaker 1: when I'm like, all right, if if you you know, 1159 01:15:42,040 --> 01:15:45,760 Speaker 1: and there and they want information, right, so I give 1160 01:15:45,840 --> 01:15:48,200 Speaker 1: them as like it's really simple. I'm like, okay, here's 1161 01:15:48,240 --> 01:15:51,360 Speaker 1: what we'll do. Anything that happens, we basically send out 1162 01:15:51,400 --> 01:15:54,320 Speaker 1: like our internal like here's all the things that happened 1163 01:15:54,360 --> 01:15:56,320 Speaker 1: with the business. You guys are all, you know, all 1164 01:15:56,360 --> 01:15:58,200 Speaker 1: on the same page. This is all the exciting things 1165 01:15:58,240 --> 01:16:01,799 Speaker 1: are happening that everyone's in to know, right, But literally 1166 01:16:01,840 --> 01:16:04,519 Speaker 1: no one ever calls, no, no one ever calls, like 1167 01:16:04,640 --> 01:16:07,439 Speaker 1: you give them all the information, right and like anything 1168 01:16:07,479 --> 01:16:10,960 Speaker 1: you want to do right, just I've they've never called, okay, 1169 01:16:10,960 --> 01:16:13,719 Speaker 1: switching gear, so what are you doing to enhance the brand? 1170 01:16:14,280 --> 01:16:20,240 Speaker 1: And uh, you know, drive revenue up. Well, Um, first 1171 01:16:20,320 --> 01:16:25,759 Speaker 1: and foremost, uh, the musical content, right. I think the fans, 1172 01:16:26,200 --> 01:16:30,599 Speaker 1: you know, love the music, and I think I think 1173 01:16:30,600 --> 01:16:33,719 Speaker 1: that people are seeing the difference between the projects that 1174 01:16:34,200 --> 01:16:36,720 Speaker 1: my mother has done and then the projects that I've 1175 01:16:36,720 --> 01:16:39,920 Speaker 1: put out. I think people are really enjoying them. I 1176 01:16:40,000 --> 01:16:42,840 Speaker 1: brought you some, right, So how many projects if you 1177 01:16:42,960 --> 01:16:48,920 Speaker 1: release since you're in control? Oh I should I should 1178 01:16:48,920 --> 01:16:55,360 Speaker 1: know that, but I don't. Um, maybe twelve, you know, 1179 01:16:55,439 --> 01:17:02,439 Speaker 1: but they've been pretty substantial. Um, So you're putting out 1180 01:17:02,800 --> 01:17:06,400 Speaker 1: physical product the hardcore fans by it, you're doing the 1181 01:17:06,560 --> 01:17:09,360 Speaker 1: show on the show. We'll get back to that. Any 1182 01:17:09,439 --> 01:17:15,240 Speaker 1: other ideas that you're contemplating rev done? You know, I'm 1183 01:17:15,280 --> 01:17:19,720 Speaker 1: I have been speaking about, um, you know, we can 1184 01:17:19,800 --> 01:17:24,240 Speaker 1: approach to do a biopic and my mother really kind 1185 01:17:24,240 --> 01:17:28,240 Speaker 1: of started that and she had some pretty amazing friends, 1186 01:17:28,320 --> 01:17:33,800 Speaker 1: great like really amazing filmmakers. UM. So that's more like 1187 01:17:33,800 --> 01:17:36,600 Speaker 1: a I think a waiting game because some of the 1188 01:17:36,600 --> 01:17:41,160 Speaker 1: people are are extraordinary, Yeah, that have expressed interests and 1189 01:17:41,160 --> 01:17:46,840 Speaker 1: that I think would be UM cool. So tell us 1190 01:17:46,920 --> 01:17:51,320 Speaker 1: about the road show, the Hologram show. It's a it's 1191 01:17:51,320 --> 01:17:56,280 Speaker 1: a visual smart sport of awesome bro. It is a 1192 01:17:56,280 --> 01:18:02,479 Speaker 1: a unique UM visual experience. You know, for me, I 1193 01:18:02,479 --> 01:18:05,639 Speaker 1: think it blurs the lines between cinema and a live concert. 1194 01:18:05,760 --> 01:18:10,160 Speaker 1: Because to to do what we we did, I selected 1195 01:18:11,080 --> 01:18:18,000 Speaker 1: and isolated never before heard UM recordings from a rehearsal 1196 01:18:18,360 --> 01:18:21,080 Speaker 1: that my dad had in the seventies. That's kind of 1197 01:18:21,120 --> 01:18:24,519 Speaker 1: like the long haired like early seventies. That's kind of 1198 01:18:24,560 --> 01:18:27,439 Speaker 1: how I always see him in my mind's eye. UM. 1199 01:18:27,479 --> 01:18:32,520 Speaker 1: And I was wanted to, I think, have this seventies 1200 01:18:33,160 --> 01:18:38,560 Speaker 1: vibe to the show. UM. So after listening to the 1201 01:18:38,600 --> 01:18:43,000 Speaker 1: audio and and some really great song choices and some 1202 01:18:43,080 --> 01:18:47,160 Speaker 1: great performances. UM, then I started to work in earnest 1203 01:18:47,560 --> 01:18:51,880 Speaker 1: in conceiving of the storytelling all of the visuals. So 1204 01:18:51,920 --> 01:18:56,160 Speaker 1: I directed the entire show. You know, I produced the show. UM. 1205 01:18:56,960 --> 01:19:00,360 Speaker 1: I'm grateful to the company Illusion because it's you know, 1206 01:19:00,560 --> 01:19:02,639 Speaker 1: they put up all the money. UM, and I really 1207 01:19:02,640 --> 01:19:05,559 Speaker 1: got to I had a really good time, um, you 1208 01:19:05,600 --> 01:19:10,439 Speaker 1: know doing it. And and I designed the stage you 1209 01:19:10,479 --> 01:19:14,040 Speaker 1: know of how it works. And some of the early 1210 01:19:14,640 --> 01:19:19,200 Speaker 1: UM development I did on on some pretty fun projects 1211 01:19:19,240 --> 01:19:22,439 Speaker 1: that never quite saw the light of day. But some 1212 01:19:23,120 --> 01:19:29,120 Speaker 1: interesting experimentation I did at Disney I brought into Um. 1213 01:19:29,439 --> 01:19:32,240 Speaker 1: You know some of the way that the the the 1214 01:19:32,280 --> 01:19:37,280 Speaker 1: people that experienced the show, the holographic projection unit. And 1215 01:19:37,360 --> 01:19:41,559 Speaker 1: I say holographic projection unit lightly because it's not truly 1216 01:19:41,600 --> 01:19:44,800 Speaker 1: it's not a true hologram, but people people like to 1217 01:19:44,840 --> 01:19:49,000 Speaker 1: describe it that way. UM, but you know, it gives 1218 01:19:49,000 --> 01:19:52,000 Speaker 1: you a sense of volumetric projection. You know that that 1219 01:19:52,320 --> 01:19:55,320 Speaker 1: when you have a photo real asset um, like the 1220 01:19:55,320 --> 01:19:59,000 Speaker 1: photo real version of my dad, Um, you know, it 1221 01:19:59,240 --> 01:20:03,400 Speaker 1: looks like he's really on stage. And the way that 1222 01:20:03,640 --> 01:20:09,320 Speaker 1: the system that we deployed um sits higher than the stage. 1223 01:20:09,520 --> 01:20:17,760 Speaker 1: So I created uh um monitors underneath the the the 1224 01:20:17,840 --> 01:20:24,160 Speaker 1: quote unquote holographic projection system, which then elevated the band 1225 01:20:24,439 --> 01:20:27,800 Speaker 1: so that it gives the appearance it's almost like having 1226 01:20:27,800 --> 01:20:29,840 Speaker 1: a stage on top of the stage, so that the 1227 01:20:29,880 --> 01:20:32,759 Speaker 1: band is on the same plane of existence as Frank. 1228 01:20:33,520 --> 01:20:37,519 Speaker 1: And then I surround this magic box that we can have, 1229 01:20:37,960 --> 01:20:40,800 Speaker 1: you know, a photo rel franc appear on stage. I 1230 01:20:40,880 --> 01:20:44,960 Speaker 1: surrounded all of that with all of these other monitors, right. 1231 01:20:45,920 --> 01:20:49,960 Speaker 1: So the trick of the show, and I think that 1232 01:20:50,080 --> 01:20:52,080 Speaker 1: if you know, I go see a ton of concerts 1233 01:20:52,520 --> 01:20:56,719 Speaker 1: and I'm I'm frustrated a lot of the time where um, 1234 01:20:56,800 --> 01:21:00,800 Speaker 1: the visuals are kind of on repeat, right you might see, 1235 01:21:01,200 --> 01:21:02,920 Speaker 1: you know, like I went to Guns and Roses. I 1236 01:21:03,000 --> 01:21:05,360 Speaker 1: love the show, but I noticed that it's the same 1237 01:21:05,800 --> 01:21:09,040 Speaker 1: skull and Roses, you know, going around a hundred and 1238 01:21:09,040 --> 01:21:14,640 Speaker 1: fifty billion times. UM. So the benefit actually of the 1239 01:21:14,680 --> 01:21:18,400 Speaker 1: fact that we have uh, Frank's vocals and his guitarist 1240 01:21:18,439 --> 01:21:20,960 Speaker 1: to a click track meant that all of the visuals 1241 01:21:21,040 --> 01:21:26,360 Speaker 1: can be done in time. So the the storytelling narrative 1242 01:21:26,880 --> 01:21:31,679 Speaker 1: happens um across all of the screens, which was a 1243 01:21:31,680 --> 01:21:35,160 Speaker 1: whole fucking clusterfuck to figure out how to fire the 1244 01:21:35,240 --> 01:21:38,559 Speaker 1: video in sync with the band, and then because it's 1245 01:21:38,560 --> 01:21:40,840 Speaker 1: a live band, making up all the you know, doing 1246 01:21:40,920 --> 01:21:44,080 Speaker 1: all of the other parts, you know, other than Frank's 1247 01:21:44,120 --> 01:21:47,000 Speaker 1: vocals or maybe some sound effects that we might have 1248 01:21:47,080 --> 01:21:52,320 Speaker 1: had as that relate to what you see. Um. But 1249 01:21:52,400 --> 01:21:55,400 Speaker 1: even Ed Man was you know, he's he made so 1250 01:21:55,439 --> 01:21:58,640 Speaker 1: many great sounds that plused the experience. Um, you know, 1251 01:21:58,760 --> 01:22:03,280 Speaker 1: live every night. So you go on this journey. The 1252 01:22:03,280 --> 01:22:07,880 Speaker 1: the the story I wanted to tell was um from 1253 01:22:07,880 --> 01:22:13,360 Speaker 1: my childhood, teenage mind. UM, my dad introduced me to 1254 01:22:13,600 --> 01:22:16,280 Speaker 1: Marvel Comics. He was one of the first people to 1255 01:22:16,360 --> 01:22:21,479 Speaker 1: advertise in comics for music, and or he might be 1256 01:22:21,560 --> 01:22:23,400 Speaker 1: the only person who ever did it for all I know, 1257 01:22:23,560 --> 01:22:27,280 Speaker 1: but um, he Jack Kirby and my dad were friends, 1258 01:22:27,680 --> 01:22:30,360 Speaker 1: and I have all these awesome memories of like hanging 1259 01:22:30,360 --> 01:22:33,920 Speaker 1: out with Jack fucking Kirby and my dad and listening 1260 01:22:33,960 --> 01:22:38,320 Speaker 1: to Jack talk about how he thought, um, George Lucas 1261 01:22:38,400 --> 01:22:41,360 Speaker 1: ripped him off with Star Wars because really Darth Vader 1262 01:22:41,520 --> 01:22:44,320 Speaker 1: is Doctor Doom and kind of went through all the 1263 01:22:44,320 --> 01:22:46,720 Speaker 1: other characters that were the archetypes that he thought for 1264 01:22:46,720 --> 01:22:48,559 Speaker 1: Star Wars, and I was like, Oh, my god, fucking 1265 01:22:48,560 --> 01:22:54,000 Speaker 1: you beads conversation ever nerded at And uh so my 1266 01:22:54,080 --> 01:22:57,000 Speaker 1: dad really, my mother and father really loved Nora and Red, 1267 01:22:57,320 --> 01:22:59,920 Speaker 1: you know, the silver Surfer from the Planet's end locked 1268 01:23:00,439 --> 01:23:06,080 Speaker 1: um and the Power Cosmic and uh when my dad passed, 1269 01:23:06,560 --> 01:23:10,560 Speaker 1: we were all together as a family, and I I 1270 01:23:10,640 --> 01:23:16,160 Speaker 1: just really remembered the the Power Cosmic because the light 1271 01:23:16,280 --> 01:23:19,320 Speaker 1: in the room and I just felt like, there's like 1272 01:23:19,400 --> 01:23:22,000 Speaker 1: this light that left the room and escaped. And this 1273 01:23:22,160 --> 01:23:25,960 Speaker 1: the narrative I've held with me since his passing is 1274 01:23:26,000 --> 01:23:28,639 Speaker 1: that he kind of went full power Cosmic and went 1275 01:23:28,880 --> 01:23:32,360 Speaker 1: you know, he's now touring the cosmic us, right, and 1276 01:23:32,840 --> 01:23:38,519 Speaker 1: that that thing that I that I gave myself, UM, 1277 01:23:38,600 --> 01:23:41,120 Speaker 1: that story that I've had in my brain for so long, 1278 01:23:41,640 --> 01:23:44,920 Speaker 1: that was the starting point for for how I was 1279 01:23:45,280 --> 01:23:47,479 Speaker 1: thinking about the journey that the audience would go on. 1280 01:23:47,560 --> 01:23:52,120 Speaker 1: So really the opening of the show is Frank harnessing 1281 01:23:52,280 --> 01:23:57,679 Speaker 1: as much of of this power to um journey back 1282 01:23:57,920 --> 01:24:02,599 Speaker 1: to us for this wonderful night of music. UM and 1283 01:24:02,680 --> 01:24:06,600 Speaker 1: he you know, so it's like it's it's the cosmos 1284 01:24:06,640 --> 01:24:11,040 Speaker 1: and the giant star star filled Frank head, you know, massive, 1285 01:24:11,240 --> 01:24:15,080 Speaker 1: and then it all coalesced into this one bright ball 1286 01:24:15,120 --> 01:24:17,320 Speaker 1: of light that you know, blast the audience and when 1287 01:24:17,320 --> 01:24:19,519 Speaker 1: you're you know you open your eyes again, there is 1288 01:24:19,680 --> 01:24:24,320 Speaker 1: Frank holographically, you know, on stage, just fucking crushing the 1289 01:24:24,400 --> 01:24:29,240 Speaker 1: solo for Cosmic Debris UM. And then I wanted to 1290 01:24:29,280 --> 01:24:32,080 Speaker 1: make sure that from song to song you're never seeing 1291 01:24:32,080 --> 01:24:35,639 Speaker 1: the same experience, so you just it's it's all rooted 1292 01:24:35,840 --> 01:24:41,120 Speaker 1: in UM things, animation styles or films styles that my 1293 01:24:41,240 --> 01:24:44,360 Speaker 1: dad loved, or conversations I had with him. All of 1294 01:24:44,400 --> 01:24:49,400 Speaker 1: that became the nutrients that went into the storytelling. That 1295 01:24:50,360 --> 01:24:53,920 Speaker 1: that's the that's the show I grew out of memories 1296 01:24:54,000 --> 01:24:58,760 Speaker 1: and and really fond recollections, uh that I had with 1297 01:24:58,800 --> 01:25:02,040 Speaker 1: my dad. And you know, he loved Terry Gilliam. He 1298 01:25:02,080 --> 01:25:04,880 Speaker 1: loved the art style of you know, Monty Python. So 1299 01:25:05,320 --> 01:25:10,120 Speaker 1: for Stinkfoot, you know, we we went um searching for 1300 01:25:10,960 --> 01:25:13,960 Speaker 1: thousands and thousands of postcards that we could that we 1301 01:25:14,120 --> 01:25:17,000 Speaker 1: chopped up to kind of get to to emulate that 1302 01:25:17,080 --> 01:25:21,719 Speaker 1: style of animation. Um, and it's it's that song became 1303 01:25:21,800 --> 01:25:27,720 Speaker 1: this biological attack, this evil stinkfoot, you know, force of 1304 01:25:27,840 --> 01:25:32,680 Speaker 1: nature that first takes over Havana and and you know 1305 01:25:32,760 --> 01:25:35,639 Speaker 1: then spreads to the rest of the world. So it's 1306 01:25:35,760 --> 01:25:37,960 Speaker 1: quite a show. But in any event, you've been listening 1307 01:25:38,040 --> 01:25:41,000 Speaker 1: to Ahmed Zappa. This is the source on all things 1308 01:25:41,120 --> 01:25:46,960 Speaker 1: Zappa Co. Trustee of the Zappa Trust. Ahmed, You're obviously 1309 01:25:47,000 --> 01:25:49,760 Speaker 1: creative man. A lot of synaps is firing. Thanks so 1310 01:25:49,840 --> 01:25:52,640 Speaker 1: much for being on the podcast. Thank you, thank you 1311 01:25:52,680 --> 01:25:55,720 Speaker 1: for having me. Let's do it again sometime, you bet. 1312 01:25:55,800 --> 01:25:57,799 Speaker 1: Until next time. This is Bob left Slas