Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band
Don Van Vliet

Don Glen Vliet

January 15, 1941

December 17, 2010

United States

Singer (with a multi-octave range), multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and performer until he retired from music in 1982, at which time he he gave up the "Beefheart" moniker and pursued a successful career as a visual artist, using the name "Don Van Vliet". His paintings have been exhibited in many major museums. Beefheart was also a published poet.

Beefheart and Frank Zappa knew each other from their teen years when they developed a friendship over a shared an interest in Chicago blues. Over the years, the pair had a love-hate relationship, but collaborated on several occasions.

Beefheart was known to be harsh - even cruel - and exploitive of the musicians whom he hired for his band. Band members resented the fact that Beefheart took sole credit for the compositions that were really more collaborations. In his 2010 book, "Beefheart: Through the Eyes of Magic", John French recalled in detail his mistreatment by Beefheart, but he nonetheless worked for him on-again, off-again between 1966 and 1980 and remained in contact with Beefheart until the latter's death. Many musical artists have cited Beefheart as an important influence.

Bill Harkleroad   Guitarist in The Magic Band (1969-1974)
Gary Lucas   Guitarist in The Magic Band (1980-1982)
John French   intermittent member of The Magic Band

Mallard