Captain Beefheart

Known as an enigmatic persona, Beefheart frequently constructed myths about his life and was known to exercise extreme, dictatorial control over the Magic Band. Although he achieved little commercial success, he sustained a cult following and became an influence on many experimental rock and punk-era artists.
Van Vliet began performing as Captain Beefheart in 1964, when he joined the original Magic Band lineup. The group's 1969 album Trout Mask Replica would rank 58th in Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. After a period of recording more conventional blues rock to dissatisfaction among critics and fans, Beefheart formed a new Magic Band with a group of younger musicians and regained critical approval on his final recordings.
In 1982, Van Vliet retired from music and pursued a career in visual art. His abstract expressionist paintings and drawings command high prices, and have been exhibited in art galleries and museums across the world.