Rock and roll has evolved and fractured through more than 70 years of rebellious history. Whether it’s still alive today is up for debate. But for some, its raw essence remains grounded in one core element: the gritty, powerful sound of a guitar pick striking metal strings and the resulting roar pouring out of an amp at full blast.
Few have embodied that essence more faithfully than ZZ Top. The iconic Texas trio, known for their thunderous blues rock, have been cranking out high-octane riffs and stripped-down jams for over five decades. With Billy Gibbons on guitar and vocals, they’ve left an unmistakable mark on rock music.
Now, Gibbons is looking ahead to ZZ Top’s upcoming shows with unshakable enthusiasm.
“We are so anxious to get on down to Australia,” Gibbons shared during a recent Zoom interview. “We will be bringing a long list of robust loudness.”
ZZ Top is one of rock’s classic power trios—one guitar, one bass, one drum kit. Their blues-inspired sound, delivered at a gut-punching volume, has drawn comparisons to Led Zeppelin. But where Zeppelin’s music often ascended into mythic territory, ZZ Top kept things gritty and grounded. Their music was primal, rhythmic, and filled with energy that seemed to radiate straight from the soil of Texas.
The lineup was simple: Gibbons on guitar, Dusty Hill on bass, and Frank Beard on drums. Hill and Gibbons shared vocals, with Gibbons delivering his lines in a grizzled growl and Hill adding a softer, more melodic tenor.
ZZ Top’s songs were soaked in blues tradition—often sexy, sometimes silly, always soulful. Their breakout hit La Grange celebrated a legendary Texas brothel, while Tush turned a warm-up riff into a roaring crowd-pleaser.
“That has a rather interesting backstory,” Gibbons recalls. “We were warming up for a show way down in Alabama in a rodeo arena with a dirt floor. It was hot, and I started cranking out a warm-up guitar riff. The lighting director came running up and said, ‘Keep at it, whatever you’re doing is resonating!’”
The band quickly jotted down the idea backstage.
“At the time, down in Texas, the word ‘tush’ was kind of slang for something fine, or ‘the ultimate’—or ‘rico’ in Spanish. I said, ‘Well, let’s use this word—it means ‘the best!’”
Asked if he knows most people think of a different meaning for “tush,” Gibbons laughs. “There are other connotations as well, which we’ll leave to one’s imagination.”
ZZ Top solidified their reputation in the ‘70s with hard-hitting blues rock. But in the 1980s, the band pulled off a transformation. They infused their sound with a new brightness on hits like Legs and Sharp Dressed Man, and they embraced a stylized look—most notably, those legendary beards.
Their facial hair, along with outlandish hats and matching suits, became part of their identity. They leaned into the spectacle, becoming larger-than-life figures on MTV and beyond.
Yet time has taken its toll, both on ZZ Top and rock music in general. In 2021, Dusty Hill passed away from complications related to bursitis.
“It was a good run,” Gibbons says with quiet reflection.
Taking Hill’s place is Elwood Francis, Hill’s longtime guitar tech, who now sports a beard of his own in tribute.
Over the years, Gibbons has become a living legend. His stories are peppered with names like Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan. Asked about playing with Clapton, he casually mentions chatting with him for his 80th birthday the week before.
And as for Dylan? Gibbons recalls one of his most cherished memories.
“One of my proudest possessions is a recording of Bob Dylan singing [our song] My Head’s in Mississippi. He was playing in Mississippi. He turned to his band and said, ‘I hope you know it, because we’re going to do it!’”
Gibbons’ love for music traces all the way back to childhood, when his mother took him to see Elvis Presley at age five. That early exposure ignited a passion that’s never gone out.
And for him, rock and roll isn’t just music—it’s something deeper.
“It’s gotta save your soul, man,” he says. “I think that’s really true.”
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