Dale Frances Bozzio (née Consalvi; born March 2, 1955) is an American rock and pop vocalist. She is best known as co-founder and lead singer of the '80s new wave band Missing Persons and for her work with Frank Zappa. While with Zappa, she performed significant roles in two of his major works, Joe's Garage (1979) and Thing-Fish (1984). Bozzio has released four solo albums and one EP.
She co-founded Missing Persons in 1980 with former Zappa musicians Warren Cuccurullo and Terry Bozzio (her husband from 1979 to 1986). In addition to being the band's lead vocalist, she also contributed lyrics. Missing Persons released one EP and six albums, including Spring Session M (1982), which achieved gold record status.
After Missing Persons disbanded in 1986, Bozzio was signed to Prince's Paisley Park label which released her first solo album, Riot in English (1988). Bozzio subsequently reformed Missing Persons and continues to perform the band's repertoire at venues across the United States. She has also participated periodically in reunions of the original band and has continued her work as a solo artist. In 2014, Bozzio was signed to Cleopatra Records and released a new studio album titled Missing in Action. During the summer of 2014, she signed with GRA Records for a new album to be produced by Stephan DeReine.
Early life
Bozzio was born Dale Frances Consalvi in Medford, Massachusetts. From the age of 16, she studied drama at Emerson College and worked as a Bunny at the Playboy Club in Boston. She was named Boston Playboy Club Bunny of the Year in 1975.
In 1976, Bozzio traveled to Playboy Mansion West in Los Angeles at the request of Hugh Hefner, to interview for a position as a Valentine party hostess. The opportunity provided for both a continuing relationship with Playboy and for living arrangements in Los Angeles, from which she could pursue an acting career. But Bozzio rejected Hefner's offer and thus failed to secure living arrangements. However, shortly thereafter, she chanced upon musician and composer Frank Zappa, whom she had met previously at one of his concerts in Boston. That encounter led to her employment with Zappa.
Bozzio posed nude for Hustler, being featured in an edition published in February 1985.
With Frank Zappa
Zappa hired Bozzio to voice the part of Mary in his rock opera Joe's Garage (1979) which was under development at the time. In that role she sang about issues such as the Roman Catholic Church, sexuality, and the culture of rock bands. In "Packard Goose", Bozzio, again as the voice of Mary, gave a brief monologue concerning how information, knowledge, wisdom, truth, beauty, love, and music relate to each other, with music as the best.
Bozzio's voice can also be heard in the 1979 film Baby Snakes and in the single "I Don't Wanna Get Drafted" (1980), a criticism of the U.S. military draft policy at that time. "I Don't Wanna Get Drafted" was also included on the album The Lost Episodes (1996).
In 1984, Bozzio was cast in Zappa's musical, Thing-Fish. In voicing the part of Rhonda, she played opposite her real-life husband at the time, Terry Bozzio, who voiced the character Harry, Rhonda's husband. In Thing-Fish, Bozzio articulated some of the album's topics such as feminism, female sexuality, young urban professionals, and the state of Broadway musical theater.
In November 1991, participating along with other alumni in Zappa's fiftieth birthday tribute concert, Zappa's Universe, Dale revised the words in her recitation of her lines in "Packard Goose" to, "Music...and Frank Zappa...are the best."
Missing Persons
Bozzio, along with Zappa touring guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and Terry Bozzio who had been one of Zappa's drummers, founded Missing Persons in 1980. Missing Persons had multiple hits during the first half of the 1980s and disbanded in 1986, shortly after the release of their third album titled Color in Your Life (1986).
Bozzio continued to record and perform after the breakup of the original Missing Persons band. During the early 1990s, she toured with her own group using the band name and performing Missing Persons songs. In June 2005, Missing Persons featuring Dale Bozzio appeared on week five of the NBC show Hit Me Baby One More Time.
Dale and Missing Persons were referenced in season 2 of the CW TV network show iZombie in 2015. A recurring character played by Jessica Harmon is FBI agent Dale Bozzio, who works on missing persons cases.
Solo career
Bozzio's solo album Riot in English was released in 1988 on Prince's Paisley Park Records, under the mononym Dale. The lead single "Simon Simon" reached #33 on the Billboard dance chart.