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ZZ Top

August 20, 2023

ZZ Top[a] is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, it was composed of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top had developed a signature sound based on Gibbons' blues guitar playing style and Hill and Beard's rhythm section. They are popular for their live performances, sly and humorous lyrics, and the matching appearances of Gibbons and Hill, who wore sunglasses, hats and long beards.

ZZ Top
ZZ Top (left to right: Dusty Hill, Frank Beard, Billy Gibbons) performing in June 2016
Background information
OriginHouston, Texas, U.S.
Genres
Years active1969–present
Labels
Members
Past members
  • Dusty Hill
  • Lanier Greig
  • Dan Mitchell
  • Billy Ethridge
Websitezztop.com

ZZ Top formed after Gibbons' previous band, Moving Sidewalks, disbanded in 1969. Within a year, they signed with London Records and released ZZ Top's First Album in 1971. Subsequent releases, such as Tres Hombres (1973) and Fandango! (1975), and the singles "La Grange" and "Tush", gained extensive radio airplay. By the mid-1970s, ZZ Top had become renowned in North America for their live act, including the Worldwide Texas Tour (1976–1977), which was a critical and commercial success.

After a hiatus, ZZ Top returned in 1979 with a new musical direction and image, with Gibbons and Hill wearing sunglasses and matching chest-length beards. With the album El Loco (1981), they began to experiment with synthesizers and drum machines. They established a more mainstream sound and rose to international stardom with Eliminator (1983) and Afterburner (1985), which integrated influences from new wave, punk, and dance-rock. The popularity of these albums' music videos, including those for "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Legs", gave them mass exposure on television channel MTV and made them prominent artists in 1980s pop culture. The Afterburner tour set records for the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour of 1986.

After gaining additional acclaim with the release of their tenth album Recycler (1990), and its accompanying tour, the group's experimentation continued with mixed success on the albums Antenna (1994), Rhythmeen (1996), XXX (1999), and Mescalero (2003). They most recently released La Futura (2012) and Goin' 50 (2019), a compilation album commemorating the band's 50th anniversary. By the time of Hill's death in 2021, ZZ Top had become the longest-running band with an unchanged lineup in the history of popular music.[1] Per Hill's wishes, he was replaced by their longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis on bass.

ZZ Top has released 15 studio albums and sold an estimated 50 million records worldwide.[2][3] They have won three MTV Video Music Awards, and in 2004, the members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Gibbons the 32nd greatest guitarist of all time.[4] The band members have supported campaigns and charities including Childline, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and a fundraiser for the Delta Blues Museum.

History

Early years (1969–1972)

The original line-up was formed in Houston and consisted of Gibbons, bassist/organist Lanier Greig,[5] and drummer Dan Mitchell.[5] The name of the band was Gibbons' idea. The band had a small apartment covered with concert posters and he noticed that many performers' names used initials. Gibbons particularly noticed B.B. King and Z. Z. Hill and thought of combining the two into "ZZ King", but considered it too similar to the original name. He then figured that "king is at the top" which gave him the idea of naming the band "ZZ Top".[6]

ZZ Top was managed by Bill Ham, a Waxahachie, Texas, native who had befriended Gibbons a year earlier. They released their first single, "Salt Lick", in 1969, and the B-side contained the song "Miller's Farm". Both songs credited Gibbons as the composer. Immediately after the recording of "Salt Lick", Greig was replaced by bassist Billy Ethridge, a bandmate of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Mitchell was replaced by Frank Beard of American Blues. Due to lack of interest from the major American record companies, ZZ Top accepted a record deal from London Records, the American affiliate of the British Decca Records label. Unwilling to sign a recording contract, Ethridge quit the band and Dusty Hill, Frank Beard's American Blues bandmate, became his replacement in late 1969. At this moment, all three members of the band were 20 years old. After Hill moved from Dallas to Houston, ZZ Top signed with London in 1970. They performed their first concert together at a Knights of Columbus Hall in Beaumont, Texas, on February 10, 1970. The show was booked by KLVI radio personality Al Caldwell, who was also instrumental in broadcasting the band's first recordings.[7]

In addition to assuming the role as the band's leader, Gibbons became the main lyricist and musical arranger. With the assistance of Ham and engineer Robin Hood Brians, ZZ Top's First Album (1971) was released. It featured "barrelhouse" rhythms, distorted guitars, double entendres, and innuendo. The music and songs reflected ZZ Top's blues influences. Following their debut album, the band released Rio Grande Mud (1972), which produced their first charting single, "Francine".[8]

First decade of success and signature sound (1973–1982)

 
ZZ Top performing live in 1976

ZZ Top released Tres Hombres in 1973, which reached the No. 8 position on the Billboard 200 albums chart by early 1974. The album's sound was the result of the propulsive support provided by Hill and Beard, and Gibbons' "growling" guitar tone. Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the album "brought ZZ Top their first Top Ten record, making them stars in the process".[9] The album included the boogie-driven "La Grange" (written about the Chicken Ranch, a notorious brothel in La Grange, Texas, that also inspired the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas). On the subsequent tour, the band performed sold-out concerts in the US. During this tour, ZZ Top recorded the live tracks that would fill one side of their 1975 album, Fandango!. Fandango!, which also contained one side of new studio songs, was a top-ten album; its single "Tush" peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

ZZ Top began the Worldwide Texas Tour in May 1976 to support Fandango!, and the tour continued through 1977 with 98 shows over 18 months.[10] Tejas, recorded during a break in the tour and released in November 1976, was the final ZZ Top album under their contract with London Records. It was not as successful or as positively received as their previous two efforts, but reached number 17 on the Billboard 200.[11] The singles from Tejas, "It's Only Love" and "Arrested for Driving While Blind", both failed to crack the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Exhausted following the Worldwide Texas Tour, the band needed a break. Frank Beard started by completing a 30 day detox program to kick his drug addiction, which had included a growing heroin problem. "Somewhere during that time I got a cheque for $72,000, my first big money, and I probably spent it all on drugs."[12] Gibbons traveled to Europe, Beard went to Jamaica, and Hill went to Mexico.[12] Hill also spent 3 months working at DFW Airport, saying he wanted to "feel normal" and "ground himself" after years spent performing. In order to help him blend in, he wore a nametag that just said "Joe". The band's break would eventually last almost 2 years.[13] In 1979, when the group returned to record a new album, Gibbons and Hill were now sporting chest-length beards. ZZ Top signed with Warner Bros. Records and released the album Degüello in late 1979. Their hit singles from this period, "Cheap Sunglasses" and "Pearl Necklace", showed a more modern sound.[14]

While the Degüello album went platinum, it only reached number 24 on the Billboard chart.[15] The album produced two popular singles: "I Thank You", a cover of the David Porter/Isaac Hayes composition originally recorded by Sam & Dave, and the band original "Cheap Sunglasses". The band remained a popular concert attraction and toured in support of Degüello. In April 1980, ZZ Top made their first appearances in Europe, performing for the German music television show Rockpalast (later included on the 2009 DVD Double Down Live: 1980 & 2008)[16] and the BBC show The Old Grey Whistle Test.[17] The band shared the BBC's studio with English electronic group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), whom Gibbons felt "were great".[18] Inspired by OMD, ZZ Top introduced a jerky dancing style to their live show and began to experiment with synthesizers,[19][20] which featured prominently on the October 1981 album El Loco.[21] The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard chart, and featured the singles "Tube Snake Boogie", "Pearl Necklace", and "Leila".[22]

Eliminator, Afterburner, and Recycler (1983–1991)

 
Hill and Gibbons in 1983

Gibbons pushed the band into a more modern direction for Eliminator, released in March 1983. The album featured two Top-40 singles ("Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Legs"), and two additional Top Rock hits ("Got Me Under Pressure" and "Sharp Dressed Man"), with the extended dance mix of "Legs" peaking at number 13 on the Club Play Singles chart.[23] The album became a critical and commercial success, selling more than 10 million copies while peaking at No. 9 in the U.S. Billboard pop charts. It is the only ZZ Top album to reach Diamond status in the US.[24]

Several music videos from the album were in regular rotation on MTV, attracting many new fans. The band won their first MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of Best Group Video for "Legs", and Best Direction for "Sharp Dressed Man". The music videos were included in their Greatest Hits video, which was later released on DVD and quickly went multi-platinum.[24]

Eliminator retained Gibbons's signature guitar style while adding elements of new wave music; electronic band Depeche Mode have been cited as an influence on the album.[25] To compose the songs, Gibbons worked closely with live-in engineer Linden Hudson at the band's rehearsal studio in Texas, setting a faster tempo with drum machines and synthesizers. The main recording sessions were once again supervised in Memphis by Terry Manning who collaborated with Gibbons to replace much of the contributions from Hill and Beard.[26] Singer Jimi Jamison joined Manning to provide backing vocals for the album.[27]

Stage manager David Blayney described how Hudson co-wrote much of the material on the album without receiving credit. The band recorded Hudson's song "Thug" without permission, finally paying him $600,000 in 1986 after he proved in court he held the copyright.[26][28][page needed][29][page needed][30]

Despite selling fewer copies than Eliminator, Afterburner (1985) became ZZ Top's highest-charting album (No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard chart),[31] with sales of five million copies.[24] All of the singles from Afterburner were Top-40 hits, with "Sleeping Bag" and "Stages" reaching number one on the Mainstream Rock chart.[31] The music video for "Velcro Fly" was choreographed by pop singer Paula Abdul.[32] In 1987, ZZ Top released The Six Pack, a collection of their first five albums plus El Loco. The albums were remixed with new drum and guitar effects for a more "contemporary" sound similar to Eliminator.[33]

Recycler, released in 1990, was ZZ Top's final studio album under contract with Warner Records. Recycler was also the last of a distinct sonic trilogy in the ZZ Top catalogue, marking a return towards a simpler guitar-driven blues sound with less synthesizer and pop bounce than the previous two albums. This move did not entirely suit the fan base that Eliminator and Afterburner had built up, and while Recycler did achieve platinum status, it never matched the sales of those albums. However, the single "My Head's in Mississippi" did reach No. 1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart that year.[34]

Return to guitar-driven sound (1992–2003)

In 1992, Warner released ZZ Top's Greatest Hits, along with a new Rolling Stones-style cut, "Gun Love", and an Elvis-inflected video, "Viva Las Vegas". In 1993, ZZ Top inducted a major influence, Cream, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1994, the band signed a $35 million deal with RCA Records,[35] releasing the million-selling Antenna. Subsequent RCA albums, Rhythmeen (1996) and 1999's XXX (the second album to feature live tracks) sold well, but did not reach the levels enjoyed previously. In 2003, ZZ Top released a final RCA album, Mescalero, an album thick with harsh Gibbons guitar and featuring a hidden track—a cover version of "As Time Goes By." RCA impresario Clive Davis wanted to do a collaboration record (in the mode of Carlos Santana's successful Supernatural) for this album. In an interview in Goldmine magazine, Davis stated that artists Pink, Dave Matthews, and Wilco were among the artists slated for the project. ZZ Top performed "Tush" and "Legs" as part of the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show in 1997.

A comprehensive four-CD collection of recordings from the London and Warner Bros. years, Chrome, Smoke & BBQ, was released in 2003. It featured the band's first single (A- and B-side) and several rare B-side tracks, as well as a radio promotion from 1979, a live track, and several extended dance-mix versions of their biggest MTV hits. Three tracks from Billy Gibbons' pre-ZZ band, the Moving Sidewalks, were also included.

Critical acclaim and retrospective releases (2004–2011)

 
ZZ Top at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, on June 26, 2010

In 2004, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones gave the induction speech. ZZ Top gave a brief performance, playing "La Grange" and "Tush".

 
Hill and Gibbons performing at Puistoblues in Järvenpää, Finland, on July 4, 2010

In 2006 Tres Hombres and Fandango! received releases of expanded and remastered versions, which used the original mixes free from echo and drum machines and included additional bonus live tracks.

The Eliminator Collector's Edition CD/DVD, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band's iconic RIAA Diamond Certified album, was released September 10, 2008. The release includes seven bonus tracks and a bonus DVD, including four television performances from The Tube in November 1983.[36]

The band performed at the 2009 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on the final night on March 22, 2009. In July, the band appeared on VH1's Storytellers, in celebration of their four decades as recording artists.[37]

La Futura (2012–2020)

 
ZZ Top at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, November 7, 2013
 
ZZ Top performing at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio in 2015

Billy Gibbons stated in an interview in August 2011 that a new album had been recorded, with initial recording taking place in Malibu, California, before moving to Houston, but was still unnamed and had yet to be mixed and mastered.[38] Gibbons said that the expected release date was sometime in March or April 2012 but, later, a late summer or early fall release date was announced.[38] The album was subsequently released on September 11, 2012.[39]

Entitled La Futura, the album was produced by Rick Rubin.[40][41] The first single from the album, "I Gotsta Get Paid", debuted in an advertising campaign for Jeremiah Weed Whiskey and appears on the soundtrack of the film Battleship.[42] The song itself is an interpretation of "25 Lighters" by Texan hip hop DJ DMD and rappers Lil' Keke and Fat Pat.[43] The first four songs from La Futura debuted on June 5, 2012, on an EP called Texicali.[44] DJ Screw was a major influence on the album as well, particularly because Gibbons and Screw both worked with engineer G. L. Moon during the late 1990s.[45]

On March 3, 2015, ZZ Top began a North American tour in Red Bank, New Jersey, at the Count Basie Theatre. After rescheduled dates and additions, the tour ended in Highland Park, Illinois, at the Ravinia Festival on August 27, with the opening act Blackberry Smoke. Jeff Beck joined ZZ Top for seven concerts.[46][47]

On September 9, 2016, ZZ Top released Tonite at Midnight: Live Greatest Hits from Around the World. In 2017, they began the 2017 Tonnage Tour,[48] but canceled the last few dates due to Hill's declining health.[49] In 2018, the band announced their six-day Las Vegas run of shows to be held at the Venetian, starting from April 20, 2019.[50] Gibbons told Las Vegas Review-Journal in April 2020 that ZZ Top had been preparing another album.[51] On June 21, 2020, Gibbons stated interest in having Beck appear.[52]

Hill's death and upcoming sixteenth studio album (2021–present)

In July 2021, Hill was forced to leave a tour after a hip injury. ZZ Top performed without him at the Village Commons in New Lenox, Illinois, with Hill's guitar tech Elwood Francis on bass.[53] Five days later, on July 28, ZZ Top announced that Hill had died at his home in Houston at the age of 72.[54] His wife later reported that he had suffered from chronic bursitis.[55] Per Hill's wishes, ZZ Top continued with Francis on bass.[53] Hill had already recorded bass and vocals for ZZ Top's upcoming album.[56]

On July 22, 2022, ZZ Top released Raw, the soundtrack for the band's 2019 documentary That Little Ol' Band from Texas, via Shelter Records/BMG. It was one of their final live albums with Hill.[57]

On December 12, ZZ Top announced a co-headlining tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd for summer 2023, titled The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour. The tour is scheduled to commence July 21, 2023 in West Palm Beach and conclude September 17, 2023 in Camden.

Other appearances

 
ZZ Top Eliminator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2010

ZZ Top appeared in a cameo in Back to the Future Part III as an Old West band, playing an acoustic version of their song "Doubleback" with a large fiddle band.[58]

ZZ Top played Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, along with the Blues Brothers and James Brown.[59] They also performed at the 2008 Orange Bowl game in Miami, as well as the Auto Club 500 NASCAR event at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. On June 23, 2008, the band celebrated the release of their first live concert DVD titled Live from Texas with the world premiere, a special appearance, and charity auction at the Hard Rock Cafe in Houston.[60] The DVD was officially released on June 24, 2008. The featured performance was culled from a concert filmed at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas, on November 1, 2007.

On January 22, 2010, Billy Gibbons, Will Ferrell, and Beck joined a band playing Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" on Conan O'Brien's last Tonight Show appearance. O'Brien joined in on guitar.[61]

In June 2011, various media sources reported that the new song "Flyin' High" would debut in space. Astronaut and friend of ZZ Top Michael Fossum was given the released single to listen to on his trip to the International Space Station.[62][63]

On June 4, 2014, ZZ Top opened the CMT Awards ceremony, performing "La Grange" with Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line.

Musical style

The Guardian described ZZ Top as "part traditional, part contrary, and part of the deep seam of Texas weirdness that stretched from the 13th Floor Elevators through to the Butthole Surfers".[64] Texas Monthly described their music as "loud, macho, greasy, and distorted", with "unrepentant misogynistic references".[65] In the early 1980s, ZZ Top embraced synthesizers and drum machines, drawing inspiration from British electronic acts such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Depeche Mode (while deriving their dance moves from the former).[19][66] Hill and Gibbons worked as a kind of double act, looking similar and employing simple stage choreography that Hill described as "low-energy, high-impact".[64]

ZZ Top's music has been classified as blues rock,[67][68][69][70] hard rock,[71][72][73] boogie rock,[74][75] Southern rock,[76][77] blues,[73][78] and Texas blues.[79]

Drug use

Beard struggled with addiction in the 1970s, claiming to have spent "every bit" of his money earned from ZZ Top's tours on drugs. Beard explains that he had different reasons for taking different drugs, saying "the pills thing came about just from the workload. And the heroin thing came about because I just liked it. I mean, you ever done heroin? It's great. It's a fucking vacation for the mind, and I liked it. I liked it a lot." Beard would eventually enter rehab in the 1980s and is sober to this day.[80]

Hill would "[occasionally] partake" in marijuana until one occasion in a hotel in Amsterdam when Hill was smoking marijuana with guitar tech Elwood Francis and Francis noticed that there was a metal bar embedded into the window frame of the hotel room. Francis, seeing an opportunity for a cruel prank, jumped out the window and (unbeknownst to Hill) grabbed onto the metal bar, making it appear that he had committed suicide. Hill apparently never smoked marijuana again after the incident.[81]

Band members

Timeline

Discography

Main article: ZZ Top discography

Studio albums

Filmography

In addition to recording and performing concerts, ZZ Top has also been involved with films and television. In the eighth episode "Sweet Dreams" in the third season of the American television medical drama St. Elsewhere,[83] Dr. Luther Hawkins's (Denzel Washington) dream sequence was a parody of the music video "Legs" with the group while taking a brief nap in a janitor's closet;[84][85] In 1990, the group appeared as the "Band At the Party" in the film Back to the Future Part III[86] and played the "Three Men in a Tub" in the movie Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme.[87] ZZ Top made further appearances, including the "Gumby with a Pokey" episode of Two and a Half Men in 2010[88] and the "Hank Gets Dusted" episode of King of the Hill in 2007.[89] The band also guest hosted an episode of WWE Raw.[90] Billy Gibbons had a recurring role as the father of Angela Montenegro in the television show Bones; though the character is never named, it is strongly implied that Gibbons is playing himself.[91] Their song "Sharp Dressed Man" was one of the theme songs used for the television show Duck Dynasty, and on the series finale of the show they appeared with Si Robertson as a vocalist to perform the song on stage during Robertson's retirement party.[92] Black Dahlia Films, led by Jamie Burton Chamberlin, of Seattle and Los Angeles, has contributed documentaries and back line screen work (the footage on back screens during live shows) and has become an integral part of the band's film-making.[93][94]

In November 2020, it was announced that the 2019 Netflix documentary That Little Ol' Band from Texas was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Film with the award ceremony scheduled for March 2021.[95]

Awards and achievements

ZZ Top's music videos won multiple VMA awards during the 1980s, topping the categories of Best Group Video, Best Direction, and Best Art Direction for "Legs", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Rough Boy", respectively.[96] Among high honors for ZZ Top have been induction into Hollywood's RockWalk in 1994,[97] the Texas House of Representatives naming them "Official Heroes for the State of Texas",[98] a declaration of "ZZ Top Day" in Texas by then-governor Ann Richards on May 4, 1991,[99] and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. They were also given commemorative rings by actor Billy Bob Thornton from the VH1 Rock Honors in 2007.[35]

ZZ Top has also achieved several chart and album sales feats, including six number-one singles on the Mainstream Rock chart. From the RIAA, ZZ Top has earned four gold, three platinum and two multiple-platinum album certifications, and one diamond album.[24]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Pronounced "Zee Zee Top".

References

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Bibliography

External links

August 20, 2023
american, rock, band, formed, 1969, houston, texas, years, composed, vocalist, guitarist, billy, gibbons, drummer, frank, beard, bassist, vocalist, dusty, hill, until, hill, death, 2021, developed, signature, sound, based, gibbons, blues, guitar, playing, styl. ZZ Top a is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston Texas For 51 years it was composed of vocalist guitarist Billy Gibbons drummer Frank Beard and bassist vocalist Dusty Hill until Hill s death in 2021 ZZ Top had developed a signature sound based on Gibbons blues guitar playing style and Hill and Beard s rhythm section They are popular for their live performances sly and humorous lyrics and the matching appearances of Gibbons and Hill who wore sunglasses hats and long beards ZZ TopZZ Top left to right Dusty Hill Frank Beard Billy Gibbons performing in June 2016Background informationOriginHouston Texas U S GenresBlues rockhard rockboogie rockSouthern rockYears active1969 presentLabelsAmericanRCAWarner Bros LondonMembersBilly Gibbons Frank Beard Elwood FrancisPast membersDusty Hill Lanier Greig Dan Mitchell Billy EthridgeWebsitezztop wbr comZZ Top formed after Gibbons previous band Moving Sidewalks disbanded in 1969 Within a year they signed with London Records and released ZZ Top s First Album in 1971 Subsequent releases such as Tres Hombres 1973 and Fandango 1975 and the singles La Grange and Tush gained extensive radio airplay By the mid 1970s ZZ Top had become renowned in North America for their live act including the Worldwide Texas Tour 1976 1977 which was a critical and commercial success After a hiatus ZZ Top returned in 1979 with a new musical direction and image with Gibbons and Hill wearing sunglasses and matching chest length beards With the album El Loco 1981 they began to experiment with synthesizers and drum machines They established a more mainstream sound and rose to international stardom with Eliminator 1983 and Afterburner 1985 which integrated influences from new wave punk and dance rock The popularity of these albums music videos including those for Gimme All Your Lovin Sharp Dressed Man and Legs gave them mass exposure on television channel MTV and made them prominent artists in 1980s pop culture The Afterburner tour set records for the highest attended and highest grossing concert tour of 1986 After gaining additional acclaim with the release of their tenth album Recycler 1990 and its accompanying tour the group s experimentation continued with mixed success on the albums Antenna 1994 Rhythmeen 1996 XXX 1999 and Mescalero 2003 They most recently released La Futura 2012 and Goin 50 2019 a compilation album commemorating the band s 50th anniversary By the time of Hill s death in 2021 ZZ Top had become the longest running band with an unchanged lineup in the history of popular music 1 Per Hill s wishes he was replaced by their longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis on bass ZZ Top has released 15 studio albums and sold an estimated 50 million records worldwide 2 3 They have won three MTV Video Music Awards and in 2004 the members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame In 2015 Rolling Stone ranked Gibbons the 32nd greatest guitarist of all time 4 The band members have supported campaigns and charities including Childline St Jude Children s Research Hospital and a fundraiser for the Delta Blues Museum Contents 1 History 1 1 Early years 1969 1972 1 2 First decade of success and signature sound 1973 1982 1 3 Eliminator Afterburner and Recycler 1983 1991 1 4 Return to guitar driven sound 1992 2003 1 5 Critical acclaim and retrospective releases 2004 2011 1 6 La Futura 2012 2020 1 7 Hill s death and upcoming sixteenth studio album 2021 present 2 Other appearances 3 Musical style 4 Drug use 5 Band members 6 Discography 7 Filmography 8 Awards and achievements 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 Bibliography 13 External linksHistory EditEarly years 1969 1972 Edit The original line up was formed in Houston and consisted of Gibbons bassist organist Lanier Greig 5 and drummer Dan Mitchell 5 The name of the band was Gibbons idea The band had a small apartment covered with concert posters and he noticed that many performers names used initials Gibbons particularly noticed B B King and Z Z Hill and thought of combining the two into ZZ King but considered it too similar to the original name He then figured that king is at the top which gave him the idea of naming the band ZZ Top 6 ZZ Top was managed by Bill Ham a Waxahachie Texas native who had befriended Gibbons a year earlier They released their first single Salt Lick in 1969 and the B side contained the song Miller s Farm Both songs credited Gibbons as the composer Immediately after the recording of Salt Lick Greig was replaced by bassist Billy Ethridge a bandmate of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Mitchell was replaced by Frank Beard of American Blues Due to lack of interest from the major American record companies ZZ Top accepted a record deal from London Records the American affiliate of the British Decca Records label Unwilling to sign a recording contract Ethridge quit the band and Dusty Hill Frank Beard s American Blues bandmate became his replacement in late 1969 At this moment all three members of the band were 20 years old After Hill moved from Dallas to Houston ZZ Top signed with London in 1970 They performed their first concert together at a Knights of Columbus Hall in Beaumont Texas on February 10 1970 The show was booked by KLVI radio personality Al Caldwell who was also instrumental in broadcasting the band s first recordings 7 In addition to assuming the role as the band s leader Gibbons became the main lyricist and musical arranger With the assistance of Ham and engineer Robin Hood Brians ZZ Top s First Album 1971 was released It featured barrelhouse rhythms distorted guitars double entendres and innuendo The music and songs reflected ZZ Top s blues influences Following their debut album the band released Rio Grande Mud 1972 which produced their first charting single Francine 8 First decade of success and signature sound 1973 1982 Edit This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed March 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message ZZ Top performing live in 1976ZZ Top released Tres Hombres in 1973 which reached the No 8 position on the Billboard 200 albums chart by early 1974 The album s sound was the result of the propulsive support provided by Hill and Beard and Gibbons growling guitar tone Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the album brought ZZ Top their first Top Ten record making them stars in the process 9 The album included the boogie driven La Grange written about the Chicken Ranch a notorious brothel in La Grange Texas that also inspired the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas On the subsequent tour the band performed sold out concerts in the US During this tour ZZ Top recorded the live tracks that would fill one side of their 1975 album Fandango Fandango which also contained one side of new studio songs was a top ten album its single Tush peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 ZZ Top began the Worldwide Texas Tour in May 1976 to support Fandango and the tour continued through 1977 with 98 shows over 18 months 10 Tejas recorded during a break in the tour and released in November 1976 was the final ZZ Top album under their contract with London Records It was not as successful or as positively received as their previous two efforts but reached number 17 on the Billboard 200 11 The singles from Tejas It s Only Love and Arrested for Driving While Blind both failed to crack the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 Exhausted following the Worldwide Texas Tour the band needed a break Frank Beard started by completing a 30 day detox program to kick his drug addiction which had included a growing heroin problem Somewhere during that time I got a cheque for 72 000 my first big money and I probably spent it all on drugs 12 Gibbons traveled to Europe Beard went to Jamaica and Hill went to Mexico 12 Hill also spent 3 months working at DFW Airport saying he wanted to feel normal and ground himself after years spent performing In order to help him blend in he wore a nametag that just said Joe The band s break would eventually last almost 2 years 13 In 1979 when the group returned to record a new album Gibbons and Hill were now sporting chest length beards ZZ Top signed with Warner Bros Records and released the album Deguello in late 1979 Their hit singles from this period Cheap Sunglasses and Pearl Necklace showed a more modern sound 14 While the Deguello album went platinum it only reached number 24 on the Billboard chart 15 The album produced two popular singles I Thank You a cover of the David Porter Isaac Hayes composition originally recorded by Sam amp Dave and the band original Cheap Sunglasses The band remained a popular concert attraction and toured in support of Deguello In April 1980 ZZ Top made their first appearances in Europe performing for the German music television show Rockpalast later included on the 2009 DVD Double Down Live 1980 amp 2008 16 and the BBC show The Old Grey Whistle Test 17 The band shared the BBC s studio with English electronic group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark OMD whom Gibbons felt were great 18 Inspired by OMD ZZ Top introduced a jerky dancing style to their live show and began to experiment with synthesizers 19 20 which featured prominently on the October 1981 album El Loco 21 The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard chart and featured the singles Tube Snake Boogie Pearl Necklace and Leila 22 Eliminator Afterburner and Recycler 1983 1991 Edit Hill and Gibbons in 1983Gibbons pushed the band into a more modern direction for Eliminator released in March 1983 The album featured two Top 40 singles Gimme All Your Lovin and Legs and two additional Top Rock hits Got Me Under Pressure and Sharp Dressed Man with the extended dance mix of Legs peaking at number 13 on the Club Play Singles chart 23 The album became a critical and commercial success selling more than 10 million copies while peaking at No 9 in the U S Billboard pop charts It is the only ZZ Top album to reach Diamond status in the US 24 Several music videos from the album were in regular rotation on MTV attracting many new fans The band won their first MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of Best Group Video for Legs and Best Direction for Sharp Dressed Man The music videos were included in their Greatest Hits video which was later released on DVD and quickly went multi platinum 24 Eliminator retained Gibbons s signature guitar style while adding elements of new wave music electronic band Depeche Mode have been cited as an influence on the album 25 To compose the songs Gibbons worked closely with live in engineer Linden Hudson at the band s rehearsal studio in Texas setting a faster tempo with drum machines and synthesizers The main recording sessions were once again supervised in Memphis by Terry Manning who collaborated with Gibbons to replace much of the contributions from Hill and Beard 26 Singer Jimi Jamison joined Manning to provide backing vocals for the album 27 Stage manager David Blayney described how Hudson co wrote much of the material on the album without receiving credit The band recorded Hudson s song Thug without permission finally paying him 600 000 in 1986 after he proved in court he held the copyright 26 28 page needed 29 page needed 30 Despite selling fewer copies than Eliminator Afterburner 1985 became ZZ Top s highest charting album No 4 on the U S Billboard chart 31 with sales of five million copies 24 All of the singles from Afterburner were Top 40 hits with Sleeping Bag and Stages reaching number one on the Mainstream Rock chart 31 The music video for Velcro Fly was choreographed by pop singer Paula Abdul 32 In 1987 ZZ Top released The Six Pack a collection of their first five albums plus El Loco The albums were remixed with new drum and guitar effects for a more contemporary sound similar to Eliminator 33 Recycler released in 1990 was ZZ Top s final studio album under contract with Warner Records Recycler was also the last of a distinct sonic trilogy in the ZZ Top catalogue marking a return towards a simpler guitar driven blues sound with less synthesizer and pop bounce than the previous two albums This move did not entirely suit the fan base that Eliminator and Afterburner had built up and while Recycler did achieve platinum status it never matched the sales of those albums However the single My Head s in Mississippi did reach No 1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart that year 34 Return to guitar driven sound 1992 2003 Edit In 1992 Warner released ZZ Top s Greatest Hits along with a new Rolling Stones style cut Gun Love and an Elvis inflected video Viva Las Vegas In 1993 ZZ Top inducted a major influence Cream into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame In 1994 the band signed a 35 million deal with RCA Records 35 releasing the million selling Antenna Subsequent RCA albums Rhythmeen 1996 and 1999 s XXX the second album to feature live tracks sold well but did not reach the levels enjoyed previously In 2003 ZZ Top released a final RCA album Mescalero an album thick with harsh Gibbons guitar and featuring a hidden track a cover version of As Time Goes By RCA impresario Clive Davis wanted to do a collaboration record in the mode of Carlos Santana s successful Supernatural for this album In an interview in Goldmine magazine Davis stated that artists Pink Dave Matthews and Wilco were among the artists slated for the project ZZ Top performed Tush and Legs as part of the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show in 1997 A comprehensive four CD collection of recordings from the London and Warner Bros years Chrome Smoke amp BBQ was released in 2003 It featured the band s first single A and B side and several rare B side tracks as well as a radio promotion from 1979 a live track and several extended dance mix versions of their biggest MTV hits Three tracks from Billy Gibbons pre ZZ band the Moving Sidewalks were also included Critical acclaim and retrospective releases 2004 2011 Edit ZZ Top at the Crossroads Guitar Festival on June 26 2010In 2004 ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones gave the induction speech ZZ Top gave a brief performance playing La Grange and Tush Hill and Gibbons performing at Puistoblues in Jarvenpaa Finland on July 4 2010In 2006 Tres Hombres and Fandango received releases of expanded and remastered versions which used the original mixes free from echo and drum machines and included additional bonus live tracks The Eliminator Collector s Edition CD DVD celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band s iconic RIAA Diamond Certified album was released September 10 2008 The release includes seven bonus tracks and a bonus DVD including four television performances from The Tube in November 1983 36 The band performed at the 2009 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on the final night on March 22 2009 In July the band appeared on VH1 s Storytellers in celebration of their four decades as recording artists 37 La Futura 2012 2020 Edit ZZ Top at the Alamodome in San Antonio Texas November 7 2013 ZZ Top performing at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio in 2015Billy Gibbons stated in an interview in August 2011 that a new album had been recorded with initial recording taking place in Malibu California before moving to Houston but was still unnamed and had yet to be mixed and mastered 38 Gibbons said that the expected release date was sometime in March or April 2012 but later a late summer or early fall release date was announced 38 The album was subsequently released on September 11 2012 39 Entitled La Futura the album was produced by Rick Rubin 40 41 The first single from the album I Gotsta Get Paid debuted in an advertising campaign for Jeremiah Weed Whiskey and appears on the soundtrack of the film Battleship 42 The song itself is an interpretation of 25 Lighters by Texan hip hop DJ DMD and rappers Lil Keke and Fat Pat 43 The first four songs from La Futura debuted on June 5 2012 on an EP called Texicali 44 DJ Screw was a major influence on the album as well particularly because Gibbons and Screw both worked with engineer G L Moon during the late 1990s 45 On March 3 2015 ZZ Top began a North American tour in Red Bank New Jersey at the Count Basie Theatre After rescheduled dates and additions the tour ended in Highland Park Illinois at the Ravinia Festival on August 27 with the opening act Blackberry Smoke Jeff Beck joined ZZ Top for seven concerts 46 47 On September 9 2016 ZZ Top released Tonite at Midnight Live Greatest Hits from Around the World In 2017 they began the 2017 Tonnage Tour 48 but canceled the last few dates due to Hill s declining health 49 In 2018 the band announced their six day Las Vegas run of shows to be held at the Venetian starting from April 20 2019 50 Gibbons told Las Vegas Review Journal in April 2020 that ZZ Top had been preparing another album 51 On June 21 2020 Gibbons stated interest in having Beck appear 52 Hill s death and upcoming sixteenth studio album 2021 present Edit In July 2021 Hill was forced to leave a tour after a hip injury ZZ Top performed without him at the Village Commons in New Lenox Illinois with Hill s guitar tech Elwood Francis on bass 53 Five days later on July 28 ZZ Top announced that Hill had died at his home in Houston at the age of 72 54 His wife later reported that he had suffered from chronic bursitis 55 Per Hill s wishes ZZ Top continued with Francis on bass 53 Hill had already recorded bass and vocals for ZZ Top s upcoming album 56 On July 22 2022 ZZ Top released Raw the soundtrack for the band s 2019 documentary That Little Ol Band from Texas via Shelter Records BMG It was one of their final live albums with Hill 57 On December 12 ZZ Top announced a co headlining tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd for summer 2023 titled The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour The tour is scheduled to commence July 21 2023 in West Palm Beach and conclude September 17 2023 in Camden Other appearances Edit ZZ Top Eliminator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2010ZZ Top appeared in a cameo in Back to the Future Part III as an Old West band playing an acoustic version of their song Doubleback with a large fiddle band 58 ZZ Top played Super Bowl XXXI in 1997 along with the Blues Brothers and James Brown 59 They also performed at the 2008 Orange Bowl game in Miami as well as the Auto Club 500 NASCAR event at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana California On June 23 2008 the band celebrated the release of their first live concert DVD titled Live from Texas with the world premiere a special appearance and charity auction at the Hard Rock Cafe in Houston 60 The DVD was officially released on June 24 2008 The featured performance was culled from a concert filmed at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie Texas on November 1 2007 On January 22 2010 Billy Gibbons Will Ferrell and Beck joined a band playing Lynyrd Skynyrd s Free Bird on Conan O Brien s last Tonight Show appearance O Brien joined in on guitar 61 In June 2011 various media sources reported that the new song Flyin High would debut in space Astronaut and friend of ZZ Top Michael Fossum was given the released single to listen to on his trip to the International Space Station 62 63 On June 4 2014 ZZ Top opened the CMT Awards ceremony performing La Grange with Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line Musical style EditThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it December 2021 The Guardian described ZZ Top as part traditional part contrary and part of the deep seam of Texas weirdness that stretched from the 13th Floor Elevators through to the Butthole Surfers 64 Texas Monthly described their music as loud macho greasy and distorted with unrepentant misogynistic references 65 In the early 1980s ZZ Top embraced synthesizers and drum machines drawing inspiration from British electronic acts such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Depeche Mode while deriving their dance moves from the former 19 66 Hill and Gibbons worked as a kind of double act looking similar and employing simple stage choreography that Hill described as low energy high impact 64 ZZ Top s music has been classified as blues rock 67 68 69 70 hard rock 71 72 73 boogie rock 74 75 Southern rock 76 77 blues 73 78 and Texas blues 79 Drug use EditBeard struggled with addiction in the 1970s claiming to have spent every bit of his money earned from ZZ Top s tours on drugs Beard explains that he had different reasons for taking different drugs saying the pills thing came about just from the workload And the heroin thing came about because I just liked it I mean you ever done heroin It s great It s a fucking vacation for the mind and I liked it I liked it a lot Beard would eventually enter rehab in the 1980s and is sober to this day 80 Hill would occasionally partake in marijuana until one occasion in a hotel in Amsterdam when Hill was smoking marijuana with guitar tech Elwood Francis and Francis noticed that there was a metal bar embedded into the window frame of the hotel room Francis seeing an opportunity for a cruel prank jumped out the window and unbeknownst to Hill grabbed onto the metal bar making it appear that he had committed suicide Hill apparently never smoked marijuana again after the incident 81 Band members EditCurrent members Billy Gibbons guitars lead and backing vocals 1969 present Frank Beard drums percussion 1969 present Elwood Francis bass backing and lead vocals 2021 present Current touring musicians Johnny Reynolds keyboards 2021 present Former members Dan Mitchell drums 1969 Lanier Greig Hammond organ bass 1969 died 2013 82 Billy Ethridge bass keyboards 82 1969 1970 Dusty Hill bass backing and lead vocals keyboards 1970 2021 his death TimelineDiscography EditMain article ZZ Top discography Studio albums ZZ Top s First Album 1971 Rio Grande Mud 1972 Tres Hombres 1973 Fandango 1975 Tejas 1976 Deguello 1979 El Loco 1981 Eliminator 1983 Afterburner 1985 Recycler 1990 Antenna 1994 Rhythmeen 1996 XXX 1999 Mescalero 2003 La Futura 2012 Filmography EditIn addition to recording and performing concerts ZZ Top has also been involved with films and television In the eighth episode Sweet Dreams in the third season of the American television medical drama St Elsewhere 83 Dr Luther Hawkins s Denzel Washington dream sequence was a parody of the music video Legs with the group while taking a brief nap in a janitor s closet 84 85 In 1990 the group appeared as the Band At the Party in the film Back to the Future Part III 86 and played the Three Men in a Tub in the movie Mother Goose Rock n Rhyme 87 ZZ Top made further appearances including the Gumby with a Pokey episode of Two and a Half Men in 2010 88 and the Hank Gets Dusted episode of King of the Hill in 2007 89 The band also guest hosted an episode of WWE Raw 90 Billy Gibbons had a recurring role as the father of Angela Montenegro in the television show Bones though the character is never named it is strongly implied that Gibbons is playing himself 91 Their song Sharp Dressed Man was one of the theme songs used for the television show Duck Dynasty and on the series finale of the show they appeared with Si Robertson as a vocalist to perform the song on stage during Robertson s retirement party 92 Black Dahlia Films led by Jamie Burton Chamberlin of Seattle and Los Angeles has contributed documentaries and back line screen work the footage on back screens during live shows and has become an integral part of the band s film making 93 94 In November 2020 it was announced that the 2019 Netflix documentary That Little Ol Band from Texas was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Film with the award ceremony scheduled for March 2021 95 Awards and achievements EditZZ Top s music videos won multiple VMA awards during the 1980s topping the categories of Best Group Video Best Direction and Best Art Direction for Legs Sharp Dressed Man and Rough Boy respectively 96 Among high honors for ZZ Top have been induction into Hollywood s RockWalk in 1994 97 the Texas House of Representatives naming them Official Heroes for the State of Texas 98 a declaration of ZZ Top Day in Texas by then governor Ann Richards on May 4 1991 99 and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 They were also given commemorative rings by actor Billy Bob Thornton from the VH1 Rock Honors in 2007 35 ZZ Top has also achieved several chart and album sales feats including six number one singles on the Mainstream Rock chart From the RIAA ZZ Top has earned four gold three platinum and two multiple platinum album certifications and one diamond album 24 See also EditList of artists who reached number one on the U S Mainstream Rock chartNotes Edit Pronounced Zee Zee Top References Edit Milano Brett August 10 2021 Oldest Bands in Music Acts That Defy the Laws of Age and Time uDiscover Music Retrieved August 20 2021 Falcon Gabriel July 21 2019 ZZ Top After 50 years they ve still got legs CBS News Retrieved March 4 2020 Blackstock Peter May 15 2019 ZZ Top at 50 Billy Gibbons takes us back to the beginning Austin American Statesman Retrieved May 15 2019 100 Greatest Guitarists Rolling Stone December 8 2015 Retrieved March 4 2020 a b Dansby Andrew February 16 2013 Greig early ZZ Top member dies at 64 Houston Chronicle Retrieved July 28 2014 Uncle Joe Benson The Story ZZ Top 9 11 15 The Stor SoundCloud Archived from the original on October 7 2015 Retrieved September 13 2015 Hlavaty Craig February 10 2020 ZZ Top played its first show together 50 years ago houstonchronicle com Retrieved May 25 2022 Wilkening Matthew April 4 2015 Revisiting ZZ Top s Second Album Rio Grande Mud Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved June 5 2019 Woodstra Chris Bush John Erlewine Stephen Thomas 2007 All Music Guide Required Listening Classic Rock Hal Leonard Corporation p 256 ISBN 978 0 87930 917 6 Moreno Ricky October 22 2020 Live Rattlesnakes and Rock n Roll The Story of ZZ Top s Worldwide Texas Tour stmuscholars com Retrieved May 25 2022 Tejas Awards AllMusic Retrieved July 28 2014 a b di Perna Alan July 2 2008 ZZ Top Cars Guitars amp Three Unlikely Rock Stars Guitar World Archived from the original on October 30 2008 Lifton Dave August 31 2019 Why Dusty Hill Spent ZZ Top s 70s Hiatus Working at an Airport Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved July 30 2021 Erlewine Stephen Thomas July 28 2021 ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill dies at 72 Los Angeles Times Retrieved August 22 2021 Deguello Awards AllMusic Retrieved July 28 2014 Pinfold William January 15 2010 Double Down Live 1980 2008 ZZ Top Record Collector No 372 Retrieved May 3 2022 ZZ Top Old Grey Whistle Test Session 1980 BBC Radio 2 April 1980 Retrieved October 11 2021 West Mike 1982 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Omnibus Press pp 19 42 ISBN 0 7119 0149 X a b Simmons Sylvie July 1 15 1982 Over the Top Kerrang No 19 p 6 Billy Gibbons We steal our dance moves heavily off Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Breihan Tom July 28 2021 ZZ Top s Dusty Hill Dead at 72 Stereogum Archived from the original on July 28 2021 Retrieved August 22 2021 Bosso Joe June 3 2013 Billy Gibbons talks ZZ Top The Complete Studio Albums 1970 1990 MusicRadar Archived from the original on July 12 2014 Retrieved October 30 2020 El Loco Awards AllMusic Retrieved July 28 2014 Eliminator Awards AllMusic Retrieved July 28 2013 a b c d Gold amp Platinum ZZ Top Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved August 22 2021 Fricke David November 10 2015 Billy Gibbons My Life in 15 Songs Rolling Stone Retrieved November 1 2020 a b Blayney David 1994 Sharp Dressed Men New York Hyperion pp 196 203 ISBN 0 7868 8005 8 McCracken Mitch November 20 2009 Where are they now Jimi Jamison of Survivor The Sun Times Archived from the original on April 4 2019 Retrieved October 31 2020 Frost Deborah 1985 ZZ Top Bad and Worldwide New York Rolling Stone Press ISBN 0020029500 Sinclair David 1986 Tres Hombres The Story of ZZ Top Virgin ISBN 0 86369 167 6 Staff March 1987 Who Writes the Songs Texas Monthly Vol 15 no 3 p 82 a b Afterburner Awards AllMusic Retrieved July 28 2013 Paula Abdul Times Topics The New York Times August 5 2009 Retrieved December 19 2010 Erlewine Stephen Thomas ZZ Top Six Pack AllMusic Retrieved August 22 2021 Mainstream Rock Dec 08 1990 Billboard November 28 2013 Retrieved July 21 2019 a b VH1 Rock Honors 2007 Honorees VH1 2007 Archived from the original on July 3 2012 Retrieved December 19 2010 Eliminator Reissue Coming March 25th ZZtop com January 14 2008 Archived from the original on July 18 2011 VH1 to Premiere ZZ Top Storytellers Press release AHN June 10 2009 Archived from the original on July 25 2011 Retrieved December 18 2010 a b ZZ Top Sowing and Stitching Away at New Album Says Billy Gibbons Ultimate Classic Rock Archived from the original on December 25 2011 Retrieved September 22 2011 La Futura Arrives This September from ZZ Top ZZtop com August 3 2012 Archived from the original on October 14 2012 Fricke David Helton Eric Murphy Matthew November 29 2011 Billy Gibbons on the band s next album Rolling Stone Retrieved July 28 2014 La Futura by ZZ Top MP396 September 13 2012 Archived from the original on December 28 2013 Retrieved July 28 2014 Battleship 2012 Soundtracks Internet Movie Database Retrieved July 28 2014 Giles Jeff May 30 2012 ZZ Top s New Single Based on 90s Rap Song Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved July 28 2014 Release Day ZZtop com Archived from the original on July 29 2014 Retrieved July 7 2012 Ratliff Ben September 6 2012 Traveling at the Speed of Molasses The New York Times Retrieved July 28 2014 ZZ Top 2015 North American Tour Schedule with Jeff Beck amp Blackberry Smoke Zz top concerttournewshub Archived from the original on October 6 2015 Retrieved March 29 2015 Upcoming Tour Dates Zztop com Retrieved March 29 2015 Giles Jeff October 25 2016 ZZ Top Announce 2017 Tonnage Tour Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved October 1 2018 Wilkening Matthew October 17 2017 ZZ Top Cancel Remaining 2017 Tour Dates Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved October 1 2018 ZZ Top returning to Venetian in 2019 KTNV TV September 24 2018 Retrieved October 1 2018 Katsilometes John April 20 2020 Billy Gibbons says ZZ Top cooking up new album Las Vegas Review Journal Retrieved May 9 2020 Kielty Martin June 21 2020 New ZZ Top Album Could Contain Song They Started 50 Years Ago Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved July 4 2020 a b Wilkening Matthew July 28 2021 Dusty Hill Insisted ZZ Top Not Break Up Following His Death Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved July 28 2021 Greene Andy July 28 2021 ZZ Top Bassist Dusty Hill Dead at 72 Rolling Stone Retrieved July 28 2021 Dusty Hill s Widow Thanks Fans for Their Support Following ZZ Top Bassist s Death Blabbermouth net August 3 2021 Retrieved August 3 2021 Early Wednesday morning my world and yours would lose a great musician and I would lose my greatest love He woke me up and we talked and as he was sweetly chatting with me he suddenly stopped and he was gone in an instant Johnson Kevin August 7 2021 Dusty Hill s Bass and Vocals Will Be on Next ZZ Top Album No Treble Retrieved August 9 2021 ZZ Top Raw live album and new tour announced Louder Loudersound com March 8 2022 Retrieved August 2 2022 Greene Andy July 25 2019 Flashback ZZ Top Visit Hill Valley in Back to the Future Part III Rolling Stone Retrieved May 3 2022 Stevenson Doriean January 25 2021 Best and worst Super Bowl halftime shows CBS News Retrieved March 5 2021 Events Hardrock com June 23 2008 Archived from the original on September 28 2011 Retrieved October 2 2011 Rotman Natalie January 23 2010 O Brien ends run on Tonight show after 7 months Press release Associated Press Archived from the original on June 2 2017 Retrieved May 9 2015 ZZ Top Debuts New Song in Space Ultimate Guitar August 6 2001 Retrieved July 28 2014 Kaufman Spencer June 9 2011 ZZ Top Premiere New Song Flyin High on Russian Spacecraft Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved September 30 2019 a b Hann Michael July 29 2021 Dusty Hill s voice tone and passion for the blues lifted ZZ Top into greatness The Guardian Retrieved July 30 2021 Patoski Joe Nick December 1996 Still ZZ After All These Years Texas Monthly Hann Michael November 12 2018 Gimme All Your Lovin was a perfectly calibrated rock song and was admired and covered by electronic acts Financial Times Archived from the original on August 9 2021 Koda Cub ZZ Top Artist Biography AllMusic Retrieved July 28 2014 Bashe Patricia George Warren Holly eds 2001 The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock amp Roll 3rd ed Simon amp Schuster ISBN 978 0 7432 0120 9 Talevski Nick 2006 Rock Obituaries Knocking on Heaven s Door Omnibus Press p 173 ISBN 978 1 8460 9091 2 How ZZ Top s First Album Established an Unbeatable Blues Rock Blueprint Dig January 16 2021 Retrieved May 3 2022 McPadden Mike 2012 ZZ Top If You Like Metallica Backbeat Books ISBN 9781476813578 Zalkind Ronald 1980 Contemporary Music Almanac 1980 1981 1st ed Schirmer Books p 349 a b Myers Marc April 4 2022 ZZ Top s Rio Grande Mud at 50 The Wall Street Journal Retrieved May 3 2022 Bonson Fred August 31 1996 Wea s Greatest Hits Billboard Vol 108 no 35 p 34 ISSN 0006 2510 It was the band s second album Tres Hombres that established their boogie rock credentials by peaking at No 8 in 1974 Cibula Matt January 4 2004 ZZ Top Mescalero PopMatters Retrieved February 20 2014 Josh Jackson amp Paste Music Staff February 26 2018 The 50 Best Southern Rock Albums of All Time Paste Retrieved June 20 2018 Apple Steve September 13 1973 ZZ Top Tres Hombres Rolling Stone Archived from the original on October 2 2007 Miller Jim July 3 1975 ZZ Top Fandango Rolling Stone Archived from the original on November 12 2007 Hunter James September 22 2012 La Futura Rolling Stone Retrieved May 3 2022 Kielty Martin ZZ Top s Frank Beard Details 70s Heroin Addiction A Regret Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved January 16 2023 Elwood Francis on Instagram So I m in Dusty s room on the 3rd floor of a hotel in Amsterdam It s early summer fantastic weather outside and the windows were open Dust didn t smoke weed but on occasion in Amsterdam he would partake This was one of those occasions It was only Dusty the TM and myself armed with a single joint We slowly puffed a drag or 2 each and we re probably talking about Andy Griffith or something similar just casual conversation I walked over to the window and while looking out noticed this metal bar embedded in the concrete as part of the window frame It was extended outside the window just below the bottom of the frame I pulled around on the bar and checked its stability then sat back down After I passed the joint to Dusty on the next round I got up and jumped out the window They can t see that I had grabbed the rail with my hand as I was passing over it and was just hanging there like I would on monkey bars Dusty and Pablo freaked out and jumped up not knowing what the heck to do They ran over to the window expecting to see me splattered on the sidewalk but found me hanging there laughing They both just remained confused about what happened while I popped back inside Dusty didn t smoke weed anymore after that Nor did he let me around any open windows One of me best pranks it was Instagram Retrieved January 16 2023 a b Giles Jeff February 21 2014 Meet the Other Three Members of ZZ Top Ultimate Classic Rock Retrieved September 16 2017 St Elsewhere 1984 Trivia Internet Movie Database Retrieved May 27 2023 St Elsewhere Luther s ZZ Top Dream YouTube O Brien Glenn February 1986 Life at the Top Spin Vol 1 no 10 p 40 ISSN 0886 3032 Back to the Future Part III 1990 Full Cast amp Crew Internet Movie Database Retrieved July 28 2014 Mother Goose Rock n Rhyme 1990 Full Cast amp Crew Internet Movie Database Retrieved July 28 2014 Two and a Half Men Gumby with a Pokey 2010 Full Cast amp Crew Internet Movie Database Retrieved July 28 2014 King of the Hill Hank Gets Dusted TV episode 2007 Internet Movie Database 2007 Retrieved July 28 2014 WWF Raw Is War Episode dated 20 July 2009 Internet Movie Database 2009 Retrieved July 28 2014 Axmaster Sean March 28 2017 The Love Story of Bones Booth and Brennan in 12 Episodes Vulture com Retrieved April 22 2017 Legendary Rock Band Makes Surprise Appearance on Final Episode of Duck Dynasty Country Rebel March 30 2017 Retrieved April 22 2017 Black Dahlia Films Seattle WA Blackdahliafilms com Archived from the original on February 4 2015 Retrieved February 22 2015 New ZZ Top tour features West Seattle talent West Seattle Herald September 7 2012 Retrieved February 22 2015 Category 84 Best Music Film PDF The Recording Academy November 20 2020 p 53 Retrieved November 30 2020 1986 Video Music Awards MTV Retrieved December 19 2010 Hollywood s RockWalk ZZ Top Guitar Center 2007 Retrieved December 19 2010 Yonke David September 9 2009 ZZ Top Rocking hard since 69 Toledo Blade Retrieved December 18 2010 Member News Releases Press release Texas House of Representatives September 29 2005 Archived from the original on February 20 2011 Retrieved December 18 2010 Bibliography EditThomas David 1985 Elimination The ZZ Top Story London Omnibus Press ISBN 0711907188 External links EditOfficial website ZZ Top at Curlie ZZ Top Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ZZ Top at Wikipedia s sister projects Media from Commons Data from Wikidata Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title ZZ Top amp oldid 1169938252, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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