research (and creativity) from students in MUSC-4454-01
 
ZZ Top
Artifacts of Texas Music

ZZ Top

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ZZ Top is an American rock band that was formed in Houston, Texas in 1969. The band consisted of three members with Billy Gibbons (Lead Guitar/Vocals), Dusty Hill (Bass/Vocals), and Frank Beard (Drums) This band raised into prominence in the early 1970s and known for their various hits such as “La Grange”, “Tush” and “Gimmie all your Lovin”. The band has released 15 studio albums and their success lead them to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

In 1969 Frank Beard and Dusty Hill were friends and played music together on many occasions. Billy then met Frank and introduced him to Dusty, The three decided to get together on one afternoon and play together. After 2 hours of the band playing together and signs of great chemistry, the 3 decided to form the band.

In 1973 they released their 3rd album Tres Hombre’s and gained massive success with their main single “La Grange”. The band was praised for their album and the fans loved the hard rock sound. The band preformed in sold out shows all across the United States and it looked like their band was on the rise. However in 1976, they released their final album of their London Records contract titled “Tejas”. This album was not received well as the band lost a lot of their rough style of playing to make the music more commercial, but diehard ZZ Top fans weren’t behind it. This article written in The University Daily sums up what these diehard ZZ Top Fans were feeling at the time.

After this 1976 flop the band took a 3 year hiatus die to stress from years of touring as well as James Beard fighting his drug addiction. The band returned in 1979 where Gibbons and Hill debuted their signature chest long beards. They signed with Warner Bros Records and began their return to the rock scene.

In 1983 Gibbons began to move the band in a more risky direction as he wanted to go a more mainstream directions again. This time the move was a wise one as “Eliminator” became a great success. Backed by their most massive hits such as “Gimmie All Your Lovin”, “Legs”, and “Sharp Dressed Man” the album sold over 10 million copies and peaked at 9 on the Billboard Charts. This album was also boosted by the fact that their music videos were played daily on MTV. The interview at the beginning of the article talks extensively about the behind the scenes and thought process behind the “Gimmie all your Lovin” music video. The creativity behind these music videos helped their songs become a huge success. They continued this momentum with their 1985 release “Afterburner” which became the bands highest charting album peaking at 4 on Billboard. These albums solidified their spot amongst the great rock bands as well as one of the top musical acts to come out of Texas. In 2002 this all came together when the trio preformed a sold out show at The Astrodome. While this extinct venue was special in its own right, the band preformed a spectacular show in the same city they formed in 33 years earlier.

The band would continue to preform in sold out shows while still releasing albums. Which brings me to my first encounter with the band. I was a huge NASCAR fan as a kid and I remember that every year when they raced at Texas a band would preform that has long beards and played old rock songs. Their look would make them easily recognizable and I would always refer to them as “The guys with the beards”. Now years later I listen to the band frequently and enjoy their body of work. It says a lot about their longevity.

The band would continue to tour up until this year, 2021. In July Dusty Hill had to leave tour due to a hip injury. 5 days later it was announced that Dusty had passed due to bursitis. The band continued to tour under Dusty’s wishes with guitar tech Elwood Francis on bass. Dusty had already recorded his parts for an upcoming album before his passing. It is uncertain what the future of the band will be, but the band has already secured it’s spot amongst the greats and their music will be continued to play for decades to come.

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