Freak Out!: My Life with Frank Zappa

In 1967, 21-year-old Pauline Butcher was working for a London secretarial agency when one evening a call came through from a Mr Frank Zappa asking for a typist to come to his hotel room. The assignment would change her life forever.

After this chance encounter, at Frank's request, Pauline moved with him, his family and his band the Mothers of Invention to a log cabin in the Hollywood Hills. There, the 'straight' young girl from Twickenham spent her days in the company of a succession of famous names, including Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Captain Beefheart and Tiny Tim. Often working nights and sleeping days, for three years Pauline served as Zappa's secretary, running his fan club, the United Mutations and organising rehearsals, live appearances and recording sessions for the GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously), an all-female rock act supported and produced by Zappa.

Freak Out is the captivating story of a naive young girl thrust into the mad world of a musical legend. A vivid depiction of the late sixties rock 'n' roll scene and the stark realities behind Hollywood's perceived glamor, this memoir is also the most revealing and intimate portrait of Frank Zappa ever written.

Author: Pauline Butcher
Publisher: Plexus Publishing
Published: 10/11/2011
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.10w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780859654791

About the Author
London-born Pauline Butcher worked in Los Angeles as Frank Zappa's PA from 1967-1971. During this time, she ran the fan club of the Mothers of Invention, and managed the all-girl rock act the GTOs. After returning to England in the early 1970s, she studied at Cambridge University, and went on to teach A-level psychology. She now lives in Singapore with her husband. This is her first book.