Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Posted on 05/18/2026 6:29:39 PM PDT by DoodleBob
Ike Willis, the singer who spent nearly a decade in Frank Zappa’s band, died of unspecified causes on Sunday at the age of 70.
The news was reported on social media by multiple sources, including Willis' former Zappa bandmate drummer Chad Wackerman. Willis had previously announced his battle with prostate cancer in 2021.
Willis was a student at St. Louis’ Washington University when he met Zappa at a concert in 1977. The aspiring musician offered his services as a vocalist and later auditioned for Zappa in Los Angeles. That began a collaboration that ran for close to a decade, with Willis recording and touring with Zappa’s band.
Willis’ first project with Zappa was the three-part rock opera Joe’s Garage, released in 1979. He also appeared on Tinseltown Rebellion (1981), You Are What You Is (1981), Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch (1982), The Man From Utopia (1983), Them or Us (1984), Thing-Fish (1984) and Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention (1985). He also played rhythm guitar on the trio of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar albums.
Willis was a mainstay of Zappa’s touring band during this era as well, taking time off in 1981 and 1982 to spend time with his newborn children.
In the latter part of his career, Willis toured with various Zappa tribute acts and performed his original material in the Ike Willis Band. "After Frank passed on, the audiences are so thankful and so grateful," Willis told JamBase in 2022. "I miss him so much. Even I have to have my Frank fix, you know what I’m saying? I miss playing this stuff."
In his tribute on social media, Wackerman described Willis as “so much fun to be around.” “His ability to be creative and humorous gave Frank so much joy onstage," Wackerman continued. “He was a talented guitarist, but more than that, he was one of the most incredible singers I have had the honor to work with. Some nights onstage, his singing would give me chills.”
|
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
Sad ping.
RIP
They’re dropping like flies now......In ten years most all will be gone...........
He must have joined up with Frank Z when he was in his teens.
Frank left the stage way back in 1993, back when Tipper Gore was trying to ban songs by Prince, mainly because of the lyrics in “Darling Niki”.
What the F all these people my age are dying left and right. Doesn’t make me feel particularly confident.
Ike was born in 1956. If he joined Frank in 1979, that’d make him 23.
Frank’s last rock band tour was 1988. I saw him that tour- the band was killer, including Ike, Chad Wackerman, Bobby Martin, Scott Thunes, Ed Mann, Mike Keneally, and a horn section.
The PMRC/Tipper Gore nonsense/hearings were on September 19, 1985.
Saw him with Frank sometime in the 80s.
Another great is gone.
Sad.
L
🎶”It wasn’t very large
There was just enough room
To stack the drums
In the corner over by the Dodge
It was a Fifty-Four
With a mashed-up door
And a cheesy little amp’
With a sign on the front
that said Fender Champ
And a second-hand guitar
It was a Stratocaster with a whammy-bar
Hey! We would jam in Joe’s Garage…”🎶
Same here. Am I having heartburn or a heart attack? Only my cardiologist knows for sure.
Ike’s voice has lived in my head from the first time I heard, “Why does it hurt when I pee?”, which as a teenager, I thought was the funniest song ever.
I know some of the old crew toured with Dweezil’s Zappa Plays Zappa shows - don’t know if Ike was one of them.
Lucille has messed my mind up.
Packard Goose.
The list goes on.
One of my favorites was his vocals on Purple Haze and Sunshine of Your Love from a sound check. Absolutely awesome. To bridge the gap two songs, he sings
“Isaac Hayes
Gabby Hayes, well
Willie Mays
Helen Hayes.”
If you could play with Frank you had to be top notch.
Frank died from prostate cancer himself, attributing it to living too near where the Army stored mustard gas (his father was a chemist/metallurgist who worked at several different bases).
His father also brought liquid mercury home, which Frank played with like a toy. I’d wager that and the 1950s-era nasal treatments with radioactive material had more to do with it. Still, 52 is too soon to go for such a prolific and creative mind.
I’ve been an Ike fan since Joe’s Garage. I even downloaded some of his more recent stuff just last week because I was going through some of my favorite Zappa songs. He was an excellent musician and vocalist and will be missed.
“They’re dropping like flies now......In ten years most all will be gone...........”
___________________________________________________________
I’ve been noticing that too. Most of them are younger than me, so I notice even more.
Yes. Caught that line up in Muskegon Michigan.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.