Not Fade Away
DUSTY HILL
ZZ Top’s bottom end (1949-2021)
DUSTY HILL’s simple summation of ZZ Top – “we’re unique because we’re the same three guys, playing the same three chords” – always felt like a calculated act of self-deprecation. In truth, the band’s deceptive fusion of blues, psychedelia and rock’n’roll was gradually perfected into a minimalist art form, personified by the bassist’s heightened feel for tone and metre.
Joe Hill was primarily a blues aficionado, having grown up listening to Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters at home in Dallas, before discovering Jack Bruce’s work in Cream. He and older brother Rocky began in local bands The Deadbeats, The Warlocks and American Blues, whose ranks included drummer Frank Beard. American Blues issued two albums in 1968, though Rocky’s subsequent departure led to Dusty and Beard relocating to Houston. Beard successfully auditioned for singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons’ new venture, ZZ Top; when bassist Billy Etheridge quit, Hill grasped his opportunity, the classic lineup making its live debut in Beaumont, Texas, in February 1970.
After a couple of low-selling albums, ZZ Top finally broke through commercially with 1973’s , powered by Hill co-write “La Grange”. Follow-up found Hill. By then, Hill and Gibbons had fully grown out their beards, a trademark look that found its ideal conduit on MTV four years later, when the striking videos for “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” helped go multi-platinum. The album, which incorporated synths and drum machines, made ZZ Top global superstars and was followed by 1985’s equally successful .
