Editing Frank Zappa (section)

===Health deterioration===
{{see also|The Yellow Shark}}
{{Listen|type=music|filename=Zappa_Nlite.ogg|description=One of Zappa's works for Synclavier on ''[[Civilization Phaze III]]'', cited as his "last great work".<ref name="watson05"/>{{rp|100}}|title="N-Lite" (recorded circa 1991-1992, released 1994)|pos=right}}
In 1990, Zappa was diagnosed with terminal [[prostate cancer]]. The disease had been developing unnoticed for years and was considered inoperable.<ref name="A.C. Grimes">{{cite web |url=https://www.grunge.com/132678/frank-zappas-tragic-real-life-story/ |title=Frank Zappa's Tragic Real-Life Story |website=[[Grunge.com]] |access-date=May 1, 2022 |date=September 5, 2018 |author=A.C. Grimes}}</ref><ref name="Pulse1993"/> After the diagnosis, Zappa devoted most of his energy to modern orchestral and [[Synclavier]] works. Shortly before his death in 1993 he completed ''[[Civilization Phaze III]]'', a major Synclavier work that he had begun in the 1980s.<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|374–375}}{{refn|group="nb"|It brought him a posthumous [[Grammy Award]] (with Gail Zappa) for [[Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package|Best Recording Package&nbsp;– Boxed]] in 1994. {{cite web |url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search|title=Grammy Winners|publisher=National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences |access-date=August 18, 2008}}}}

In 1991, Zappa was chosen to be one of four featured composers at the Frankfurt Festival in 1992 (the others were [[John Cage]], [[Karlheinz Stockhausen]], and [[Alexander Knaifel]]).<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Menn| editor-first=Don|contribution=Andreas Mölich-Zebhauser – Preparing the Ensemble Modern for the Frankfurt Festival|title=Zappa! Guitar Player Presents|date=1992|pages=12–13|place=San Francisco, CA|publisher=Miller Freeman|issn=1063-4533}}</ref> Zappa was approached by the German chamber ensemble [[Ensemble Modern]], which was interested in playing his music for the event. Although ill, he invited them to Los Angeles for rehearsals of new compositions and new arrangements of older material.<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|369}} Zappa also got along with the musicians, and the concerts in Germany and Austria were set up for later in the year.<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|369}} Zappa also performed in 1991 in [[Prague]], claiming that "was the first time that he had a reason to play his guitar in 3 years", and that that moment was just "the beginning of a new country", and asked the public to "try to keep your country unique, do not change it into something else".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/related/Adieu_CA.html |title=Pražský Výběr – Adieu CA |website=Globalia.net |access-date=December 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|UFtHqDrJ-fA|Frank Zappa Last Performance (Prague 1991)}} at 3:50</ref>

[[John Kricfalusi]], creator of [[Nickelodeon]]'s ''[[The Ren & Stimpy Show]]'', idolized Zappa and got him to voice the [[Pope]] in the episode "[[Powdered Toast Man (episode)|Powdered Toast Man]]"; as Zappa was too ill to head to [[Spümcø]] at [[Los Angeles]], he recorded his lines at his residence. The episode aired in August 1992 to significant controversy without relation to Zappa's appearance.{{sfn|Komorowski|2017|p=145}}

In September 1992, the concerts went ahead as scheduled but Zappa could only appear at two in Frankfurt due to illness. At the first concert, he conducted the opening "Overture", and the final "[[G-Spot Tornado]]" as well as the theatrical "Food Gathering in Post-Industrial America, 1992" and "Welcome to the United States" (the remainder of the program was conducted by the ensemble's regular conductor [[Peter Rundel]]). Zappa received a 20-minute ovation.<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|371}} "G-Spot Tornado" was performed with Canadian dancer [[Louise Lecavalier]]. It was Zappa's last professional public appearance, as the cancer was spreading to such an extent that he was in too much pain to enjoy an event that he otherwise found "exhilarating".<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|371}} Recordings from the concerts appeared on ''[[The Yellow Shark]]'' (1993), Zappa's last release during his lifetime, and some material from studio rehearsals appeared on the posthumous ''[[Everything Is Healing Nicely]]'' (1999).