Frank Zappa Versus James Baker III

The unlikely conflict between legendary rock musician Frank Zappa and Ronald Reagan's then-Secretary of the Treasury began with perceived insulting remarks aimed at Baker's wife Susan.

The PMRC

In 1985 Susan Baker co-founded the Parents Music Resource Center with Tipper Gore, the wife of Senator Al Gore along with the wives of nine other senators and six Congressmen. The PMRC's main objective was to put pressure on the music business to establish industry self-censorship, particularly warnings on record labels regarding "offensive" and "suggestive" lyrics. "D/A" for drugs and alcohol, "V" for violence, "O" for occult, and "X" for explicit lyrics.

Strangely enough, Frank Zappa's all instrumental album, "Jazz From Hell", wound up on the PMRC's list of albums with offensive lyrics.

The Hearings

Due to the clout of their husbands, Congressional hearings were held on this topic later that year. Tipper and Susan Baker would be among those testifying. Frank Zappa, John Denver, and Twisted Sister's Dee Snider were scheduled to testify against the PMRC, contending that label censorship would be a violation of First Amendment rights.

When taking the stand, Susan Baker, in particular, linked "dangerous" pop lyrics to teen suicide. When Frank Zappa took the stand, he called PMRC members "a group of bored Washington housewives." In particular, he was perceived as mocking Mrs. Baker's Southern accent. This prompted then Vice President George H.W. Bush to say that Zappa's remarks were "very personal and ugly."

Zappa versus James Baker III

Five years after the PMRC Congressional hearings, Frank Zappa met playwright Vaclav Havel, the leader of Czechoslovakia and long-time Mothers of Invention fan. They hit it off so well that Havel appointed Zappa the "Special Ambassador to the West on Trade, Culture, and Tourism."

By 1990, James Baker III was serving as Secretary of State under then President George H.W. Bush. When he heard of Frank Zappa's appointment, Baker flew to Czechoslovakia. He gave Havel an ultimatum, "You can do business with the United States or you can do business with Frank Zappa."

Intimidated by the special visit from the U.S. Secretary of State, Havel made Zappa's appointment an honorary one, not an official appointment.

Frank Zappa died of cancer three years later. Parental Advisory Labels, also known as "Tipper Stickers", still appear on CD labels.