Mia Zapata

MIA ZAPATA

Mia Zapata (August 25, 1965 – July 7, 1993) was the singer of Seattle indie band The Gits.

Zapata spent her childhood in Louisville, Kentucky. She founded The Gits along with Joe Spleen (guitar), Matt Dresdner (bass), and Steve Moriarty (drums) in Yellow Springs, Ohio in 1986. She sang and played guitar. The Gits recorded their first unofficial demo in 1988, though it wasn’t released until 1996. The band moved to Seattle in 1989.

The Gits soon became known as great live performers, due mostly to Zapata’s charisma. They released singles “Precious Blood” (1990), “Second Skin” (1991), “Spear and Magic Helmet” (1991), followed by their first album Frenching the Bully (1992). They promoted it by touring in the USA and Europe, even though they had neither a permanent record label contract nor professional services to support them. In 1993 they began recording their second album Enter: The Conquering Chicken.

In Seattle on July 7, 1993 Mia was raped and murdered. Her friends created a self-defense group called Home Alive as a tribute to her. Home Alive organized concerts and released CDs with the participation of such artists as Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Heart, and The Presidents of The United States of America.

Mia is buried at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.

If you would like to light a candle for her, you can do it here.