ZZ Top, also known as “That Lil’ Ole Band from Texas” is a band for the ages. First formed in 1969 in Houston, TX the band was built around Billy Gibbons and his vision. At the signing of their deal with London Records the band consisted of vocalist/bassist Dusty Hills, vocalist/guitarist Billy Gibbons, and drummer Frank Beard, who would continue to work together for the next fifty years.
ZZ Top is a one of a kind band. Their music has adapted and changed to the trends of the decades but has somehow held true to their roots. With a heavy blues influence and an air for flair on the guitar, ZZ Top created their own style of music that was easy to listen to. By melding together sounds and styles they could even be credited with making Texas known for rock music.
Having minor successes with their first two albums, the band continued making music. By the time they dropped their third album , “Tres Hombres” (released in 1973) they had a breakthrough. ZZ Top skyrocketed to fame only four years after the band had formed. “Tres Hombres” made it to the Billboard Top Ten and earned them their first gold record.
From then on, they could only go up. ZZ Top became a major touring attraction, performing all over the country on their Worldwide Texas Tour from 1976 to 1977. In this time frame they dropped two more albums since their breakthrough third album and had garnered even more chart topping songs.
After a brief hiatus, and signing a new deal with Warner Bros Records, the band was back in business. A few more albums were dropped, and more chart topping songs were created. By the time the 1983 record “Eliminator” was put out, the band had curated their signature look of long beards, hats, and sunglasses. “Eliminator” became their best selling album, going multi-platinum, with hit singles like “Sharp Dressed Man”, “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, and “Legs”. This record was also a turning point for the style of music, heavily leaning on the use of synthesizers and electronic effects alongside the ever present guitar.
ZZ Top continued touring and putting out albums, digging back into their blues roots for their later works. Despite traveling all over the country, ZZ Top always left room for shows in Texas. Their “hometown” shows always garnered a warm welcome and an amazing turnout of fans.
After almost thirty years together, ZZ Top released their album “XXX” to commemorate their time together. They continued to thrive and perform just like they had in their early career, not letting anything stop them.
After another much needed break, ZZ Top signed with American Recordings to make “La Futura” their 2012 album. This album returned them to their pre-eliminator era and focused on the blues sound. They continued to play shows up until 2017, canceling shows when Hill developed health issues. However this didn’t stop them for long; ZZ Top started playing shows again in 2018. In 2019, while still performing, a documentary about their successes and tribulations, “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” debuted on Netflix.
After the pandemic hit in 2020, ZZ Top was kept off the road until 2021. That summer, another extensive tour began, however only four shows in, Hill had to drop out due to health concerns. This led the band to playing their first show without Hill since 1970. Shortly after, Hill passed away in his home in Houston, TX. This didn’t stop Gibbons and Beard from playing however, because with insistence from Hill before he died, the band continued on with Elwood Francis taking his place.
ZZ Top released over 15 albums with its original members and is still playing blues inspired music to this. They are playing this summer with Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Sources
“Billboard.” Google Books, Google, Sept. 1974, https://books.google.com/books?id=RAkEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PT35&dq=zz+top&pg=PT44#v=onepage&q&f=true.
Osmulski, Amy. “ZZ Tops Weekend Entertainment: ‘Little Ol’ Band from Texas’ Receives Warm Welcome from Hub City.” DSpace Home, The University Daily, 29 Sept. 1997, http://collections2.swco.ttu.edu/handle/20.500.12255/352245.
“Texas Band Still Thriving after 30 Years.” The University Daily, 10 Apr. 2000, pp. 5.
“ZZ Top Biography, Songs, & Albums.” AllMusic, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/zz-top-mn0000690254/biography.
ZZTop. “Official Website: ZZ Top.” ZZTop, 12 Dec. 2022, https://www.zztop.com/.
