Photos by Peter Mackay - Laurel Canyon 2000-2003
Frank Zappa and his extended family lived in the famed Log Cabin in Laurel Canyon, Hollywood, from May to September 1968 after returning from the 6-month Garrick run in NYC. The building was built in the early 1900's by silent movie cowboy star Tom Mix who reputedly entertained Wyatt Earp there after the latter had moved to California. Before Zappa took over the place for $700/month it was occupied by (Mothers Auxiliary) Carl Franzoni's commune, renting from an African-American widow who owned it. The Log Cabin was destroyed in a (reputedly drug related) fire around 1970 long after FZ had moved elsewhere in Laurel Canyon, leaving only the basement and a few other structures to be seen. On the adjacent hillside one can still see an artificial grotto inhabited in Zappa's days by members of the GTO's, an all-girl group produced by FZ which included the later Pamela Des Barres. Both this band and the Mothers themselves used to practice in the basement seen in the pictures below. The old-time picture of the Log Cabin reproduced below is the only one I have ever seen of the intact building. The property was sold for $1.5 million in 2003 and the basement was filled in as shown below.
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Log Cabin 2000
Log Cabin 2001
Log Cabin 2003
