Zappa's Universe is a 1993 Frank Zappa tribute album featuring alumni from many of Zappa's bands. The music was compiled from a series of concerts from four consecutive nights of concerts at The Ritz in New York City, and filmed for a concert video of the same name.[2]Steve Vai’s cover of the song "Sofa" from the album won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1994.[3]
Exposing Zappa’s illness
When the Zappa’s Universe project was first underway Frank Zappa was supposed to be part of the project, but was too ill to attend the shows. When reporters attempted to find out why, they reported that he was ill. This led to Zappa's children, Moon and Dweezil exposing to the public for the first time their father's prostate cancer during a press conference in the fall of 1991. His cancer had been first diagnosed during the spring of 1990.[4]
^X Motion Picture and Center for New Art Activities (New York, N.Y.) (1994). "Bomb". Bomb: Conversations Between Artists, Writers, Actors, Directors, Musicians. X Motion Picture and Center for New Art Activities. ISSN0743-3204. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
