Captain Beefheart

Born: 15th January 1941, Glendale, California, USA.
Died: 17th December 2010, Arcata, California, USA.
Captain Beefheart, aka Don Van Vliet; vocalist, harp-player, saxophonist, flautist, songwriter, lyricist, poet & painter. As a frontman of "Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band" or working without , the captain recorded a dozen official albums. Several live releases would follow, some of them perhaps not entirely official. Van Vliet's career path was also interwoven with that of , and was followed by secluded 'retirement' with his wife in 1982 when he began painting full time. He maintained an affinity for wildlife throughout his life and was a keen conservationist. He forged a successful career as a painter, exhibiting in galleries in New York, the UK and Europe, before dying of complications from multiple sclerosis. First recorded appearance: "A Low Forceps Delivery," featuring Don Glen Vliet, at Glendale Research Hospital 16:25 hours on 1941-01-15.