ZZ Top Biography

Written by The Rock Radio staff, May 2005 © The Rock Radio

Humble beginnings
With their trademark biker beards, elaborate stage productions, and record sales topping 50 million, it's easy to forget that outlaw boogie kings ZZ Top were once just "That Lil' Ol' Band From Texas." Formed in 1969, the hard-living, hard-partying trio took their name (according to legend) as either a tribute to blues man Z.Z. Hill or a combination of the names of two popular cigarette rolling papers, Zig-Zag and Top. With a minimalist approach- Billy F. Gibbons on guitars and vocals, Dusty Hill on bass, and the clean-shaven Frank Beard on drums- the group literally forged their own razor-sharp style. Their sound was a mix of their early blues roots, the border folk songs they'd heard growing up, and the predominant psychedelia of the era.

The lucky '70s
Although the talent of ZZ Top is undoubtable, one can argue that they had a fair share of luck in their early days. Guitarist Billy Gibbons, who'd attained some regional Texas exposure with his band The Moving Sidewalks, met band manager/guru Bill Mack Ham while partying backstage at a Doors concert in 1967. Shortly thereafter, The Moving Sidewalks were opening for Morrison & Co. After several line-up changes, Hill and Beard were recruited from another local group, American Blues, and the classic 'Top was born.

Their debut effort for Warner Brothers Records, ZZ Top's First Album, was released in 1970. Rio Grande Mud, a continued exploration of their deep blues influences, followed in 1972. By this time, ZZ Top were moving away from regional status and had managed to attract attention from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, who once called Gibbons his favorite guitar player.

But their big break came in 1973, with the release of the now-classic album Tres Hombres. That album spawned not only their most famous hit to date, "La Grange," but also cemented their trademark hard blues sound (courtesy of that unforgettable guitar lick, borrowed from John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen.") and set the stage for eventual world domination. 1975's Fandango saw the band refining that sound ("Tush," "Heard It On The X.") and finally garnering some international attention. As a result, band manager Ham booked the trio on the now famous "World Wide Texas Tour," a bombastic, over-the-top stage production that included a ranch set, cowboy props, and, of course, the group's by-then meaty catalog of Southwestern blues/boogie. Though the tour undoubtedly put them over the top, career-wise, it also exhausted them so thoroughly that they were forced to take a three-year hiatus. Back home, however, they continued to record and release albums and score hits. 1976's Tejas contained such gems as "It's Only Love" and "Arrested For Driving While Blind," and 1979's Deguello kept them on the charts and jukeboxes with sultry, high-energy tracks like "I Thank You," "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide," and "Cheap Sunglasses."

The visual '80s
ZZ Top kicked off the '80s in fine form with El Loco, their 7th album proper. By now back on the road at a frantic pace, the band also enjoyed several more charting hits with party classics like "Tube Snake Boogie," "Pearl Necklace," and "Heaven, Hell, Or Houston." But El Loco would be the group's final album in the straight blues/rock vein. Though they'd staunchly refused television appearances since their inception, Gibbons and the boys were fascinated by early MTV. For the first time, with the release of 1983's Eliminator, they filmed accompanying videos, adopted a synthesizer-heavy sound, and began the transformation into the highly visual band they are today. With the songs and videos for such barn-burners as "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Sharp Dressed Man" in strong rotation on MTV and radio, ZZ Top truly achieved that world-wide domination they'd set out to find in their early days. And despite their celebrity status, earnings in the multi-millions, and various personal tragedies, the trio continued to support and celebrate the early blues influences they'd hung their hats on from the beginning.

As a reward from the blues community for their tireless efforts to "keep the blues alive," they were given a piece of wood from blues legend Muddy Waters' shack in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The band used it to make the now-legendary "Muddywood" guitar, which they then sent on tour around the world to raise money for various blues causes. 1985's Afterburner saw them continuing to use the very lucrative synth-formula they'd established earlier in the decade, as well as scoring additional chart hits with the decidedly more polished sound of cuts like "Rough Boy," "Sleeping Bag," and "Velcro Fly."

The Quiet '90s
By 1990, ZZ Top had sold over 50 million records worldwide. Their 10th release, Recycler, gave them their last big radio/video smash in the song "Doubleback." As the alternative rock movement gained momentum and they were hit with several lawsuits (most notably one from their sound man, who claimed he'd written much of the '80's material, and another from a distant relative of John Lee Hooker, who demanded a cut from "La Grange" due to that infamous guitar lick. Both suits were settled out of court.) they began to recede from the public eye. Subsequently, they switched from Warner Bros. to RCA Records and released several more albums, including 1994's Antenna and 1996's Rhythmeen. XXX followed and a slow return to their trademark, rough Texas sound began.

The present and beyond - A return to their roots
With the issue of 2003's Mescalero, there was no doubt that Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard were still a powerful force in the modern blues/rock genre. The album found the trio discarding many of the studio tricks that had brought them such fame in the '80's, and Gibbons' song writing talents once again came to the fore. From the sexy, slow burn of songs like "Piece" the raw, gut-bucket blast of "Buck Nekkid" and the goofy, rock-is-fun wink of "Me So Stupid," Mescalero was the first album since 1981's El Loco to truly embody the essence of classic ZZ Top.

In 2004, after more than three decades of recording, touring, and influencing countless young would-be rockers, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

In 2005, ZZ Top continues to record and tour, bringing their back-country blues, boogie-woogie, and bravado to audiences new and old the world over.

"Country Jesus, hillbilly blues, that's where I learned my licks, So listen to your radio every night..."
ZZ Top - 1975