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Biography

ZZ Top is an American Rock music|rock band from Houston , Texas . Formed in 1969, the group consists of Billy Gibbons (guitar and vocals), Dusty Hill (bass and vocals), and Frank Beard (musician)|Frank Beard (drums and percussion). ZZ Top's early sound was rooted in blues but eventually grew to exhibit contemporary influences. Throughout their career they have maintained a sound based on Hill's and Beard's rhythm section support, accentuated by Gibbons' guitar and vocal style. Their lyrics often gave evidence of band's humor and thematically focus on personal experiences and sexual innuendos.

ZZ Top formed its initial lineup in 1969, consisting of Anthony Barajas (bass and keyboards) and Peter Perez (drums and percussion). After several incarnations, Hill and Beard joined within the following year. Molded into a professional act by manager Bill Ham , they were subsequently signed to London Records and released their ZZ Top's First Album|debut album . They were successful as live performers, becoming known to fans as "that little ol' band from Texas", and their 1973 album Tres Hombres , according to Allmusic , propelled the band to national attention and "made them stars". In 1979, after returning from a one-and-a-half year break of touring, the group reinvented themselves with their 1983 hit album Eliminator (album)|Eliminator and the accompanying Eliminator Tour|tour . ZZ Top incorporated New Wave music|New Wave and Punk rock|punk influences into their sound and performances, and embraced a more iconic image, with Gibbons and Hill sporting chest-length beards and sunglasses. Similar experimentation continued for the remainder of the 1980s and 1990s with varying levels of success. On ZZ Top's 2003 album Mescalero (album)|Mescalero , they adopted a more contemporary sound while maintaining their influences from their earlier musical pursuits.

Maintaining the same members for over forty years, ZZ Top has released 14 studio albums and are among the most popular rock groups, having sold more than 25 million albums in the United States. They have won three MTV Video Music Award|VMAs , and in 2004, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . VH1 ranked ZZ Top at number 44 in its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock". They have performed at many charity events and raised $1 million for the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi .

History

Formation and early years (1969–1971)

ZZ Top formed in Houston on June 20, 1969. Billy Gibbons , who previously formed the Moving Sidewalks in 1966, had suggested "ZZ King" as a potential name for the band after looking at posters of Z. Z. Hill and B.B. King on his apartment wall. According to Gibbons' autobiography Rock + Roll Gearhead , he settled on "ZZ Top" because B.B. King was "on the top". Consisting of Lanier Greig on keyboards and Moving Sidewalks' drummer Dan Mitchell, the group was signed to London Records by manager Bill Ham , and released two singles—"Salt Lick" and "Miller's Farm". Soon after, Greig and Mitchell left the group and were replaced by Billy Etheridge and Frank Beard (musician)|Frank Beard , though Etheridge quit the band in January 1970, and was subsequently replaced by Michael "Cadillac" Johnson; he was replaced by Dusty Hill in the following month: The finalized lineup of ZZ Top performed their first show on February 10, 1970 in Beaumont, Texas . The group's debut album, '' ZZ Top's First Album '', was released in January 1971; the single, "(Somebody Else Been) Shakin' Your Tree", peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100| Billboard Hot 100 . Despite being unpolished, the album established the band's sound and attitude, as Allmusic 's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that it's filled with "fuzzy guitars, barrelhouse rhythms, dirty jokes, and Texan slang".

Rio Grande Mud , Tres Hombres , and Fandango! (1972-1975)

The band's second album, Rio Grande Mud , was released in 1972, receiving favorable reviews and limited radio play. With only one single released from the album, Rio Grande Mud charted at 104 on the Billboard 200| Billboard 200 . After touring in support of the album, ZZ Top released Tres Hombres in 1973. Tres Hombres 's earthy and "infectious" sound were results of the propulsion from Hill and Beard's rhythm support, coupled with Gibbons' "growling" guitar tone. Erlewine wrote that the album "brought ZZ Top their first Top Ten record, making them stars in the process". The album included the boogie-driven " La Grange (song)|La Grange ", which was written about a brothel in La Grange, Texas . On the subsequent tour, the band performed sold-out concerts in the US. ZZ Top recorded the live tracks for their 1975 album, Fandango! , during this tour and showcased their prowess in exciting live audiences. Fandango! was a top ten album and its single, " Tush (song)|Tush ", peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Worldwide Texas Tour and hiatus (1975-1978)

Tejas (album)|Tejas , released in 1976, was not as successful or as positively received as their previous efforts, although the album went to No.17 on Billboard s Pop Albums chart. ZZ Top continued the Worldwide Texas Tour in support of Tejas , though they had been touring for seven years. The band went on what was supposed to be a 90-day break from public appearances. Gibbons traveled to Europe, Beard had gone to Jamaica , and Hill went to Mexico . The break extended to two years, during which Gibbons and Hill grew chest-length beards:

Degüello , El Loco , and Eliminator (1979–1984)

In 1979, ZZ Top signed with Warner Bros. Records and released the album Degüello . While the album went platinum, it only reached No.24 on the Billboard chart. The album produced two singles, including " I Thank You (song)|I Thank You ," a cover of a song recorded by Sam and Dave , and " Cheap Sunglasses ." The band remained a popular concert attraction and Degüello Tour|toured in support of Degüello . In April 1980, ZZ Top made their first appearance in Europe, performing for the German music television show Rockpalast . The next album, El Loco , was released in October 1981, featuring three singles (" Tube Snake Boogie ," " Pearl Necklace (song)|Pearl Necklace ," and "Leila").

ZZ Top's next album was even more successful. Eliminator (album)|Eliminator , released in March 1983, featured two Top 40 singles (" Gimme All Your Lovin' " and " Legs (song)|Legs "), four Mainstream Rock hits (including " Got Me Under Pressure " and " Sharp Dressed Man "), and "Legs" peaking at No.13 on the Hot Dance Club Songs|Club Play Singles chart. Eliminator was a critical and commercial success, selling more than 10 million copies, and several music videos were in regular rotation on MTV. The band also won their first MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video|Best Group Video for "Legs," and MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction|Best Direction for "Sharp Dressed Man." The music videos were included in their Greatest Hits (ZZ Top DVD)|Greatest Hits video, which has been released on DVD ever since and quickly went multi-platinum.

The “Eliminator” album was not without controversy. According to former stage manager David Blayney in his book, "Sharp Dressed Men," sound engineer Linden Hudson co-wrote much of the material on the album as a live-in high-tech music teacher to Beard and Gibbons. Despite continued denials by the band, it settled a five-year legal battle with Hudson, paying him a sum of money after he allegedly proved he held the copyright on the song "Thug."

Afterburner and Recycler (1985-1993)

Despite not selling as many copies as Eliminator , 1985's Afterburner (album)|Afterburner was still as successful commercially, becoming their highest-charting album, and racking up sales of 5 million units. All of the singles from Afterburner were Top 40 hits, with two hitting No.1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The music video for " Velcro Fly " was choreographed by pop singer Paula Abdul . ZZ Top's grueling Afterburner World Tour lasted well into 1987, which also saw the release of The ZZ Top Sixpack , a three-disc collection of ZZ Top's albums from 1970 to 1981, with the exception of Degüello. The albums "ZZ Top's First Album", "Rio Grande Mud", "Tres Hombres", "Fandango" and "Tejas" were remixed with the result that the sound of the material from the first five albums was changed to sound like they had been recorded in the 1980s, with echo and drum machines, and very unlike their original album sound.Merlis and Bessman, p. 2 Many of the original mixes were used on the 2003 CD box set Chrome, Smoke & BBQ and it's companion piece Rancho Texicano . Also, remastered versions of Tres Hombres and Fandango were eventually released on CD in 2010 with the original mixes intact. However, the remaining songs from ZZ Top's First Album , Rio Grande Mud and Tejas have never appeared on CD in their original mixes.

Recycler (album)|Recycler , released in 1990, was ZZ Top's last studio album under contract with Warner Records. Recycler was also the last of a distinct sonic trilogy in the ZZ Top catalogue. The collection actually marked a return towards the earlier, simpler guitar-driven blues sound with less synthesizer and pop bounce of the previous two albums. This move did not entirely suit the fan base that Eliminator and Afterburner had built up, and while Recycler did achieve platinum status, it never matched the sales of Eliminator and Afterburner . The cartoonish and sexy-ZZ-girl videos continued in singles like "My Head's in Mississippi", "Give It Up", and "Burger Man".

ZZ Top contributed a song, " Doubleback ", and appeared as an acoustic band in the wild-west dance scene in the 1990 movie Back to the Future Part III . The band also appeared in the 1990 TV movie '' Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme , portraying the Rub-a-dub-dub|Three Men in a Tub . In 1992, Warner released ZZ Top's Greatest Hits along with a new Rolling Stones -style cut "Gun Love" and an Elvis -inflected video, "Viva Las Vegas". In 1993, ZZ Top inducted a major influence, Cream (band)|Cream , into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .

RCA Records and Mescalero (1994-2003)

The band then signed to a $35& nbsp;million deal with RCA Records , releasing the million-selling Antenna (ZZ Top album)|Antenna in 1994. Subsequent RCA albums, Rhythmeen (1996) and 1999's XXX (ZZ Top album)|XXX (the second album to feature live tracks) sold well, but did not reach the levels enjoyed previously. ZZ Top, however, continued to play to enthusiastic live audiences. In 2003 ZZ Top released a final RCA album, Mescalero (album)|Mescalero , an album thick with harsh Gibbons guitar and featuring a hidden track – a cover version of " As Time Goes By (song)|As Time Goes By ". RCA impresario Clive Davis wanted to do a collaboration record (in the mode of Carlos Santana 's successful Supernatural ) for this album. In an interview in Goldmine magazine, artists Pink (singer)|Pink , Dave Matthews , and Wilco were among the artists slated for the project.

A comprehensive four-CD collection of recordings from the London and Warner Bros. years, Chrome, Smoke & BBQ , was released in 2003. It featured the band's first single (A- and B-side), several rare B-side tracks as well as a radio promotion from 1979, a live track and several extended dance mix versions of their biggest MTV hits. Three tracks from Billy Gibbons' pre-ZZ band, The Moving Sidewalks, were also included.

Hall of Fame and touring (2004–present)

In 2004, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones gave the induction speech. ZZ Top gave a brief performance, playing "La Grange" and "Tush."

Expanded and remastered versions of the original studio albums from the 1970s and ’80s are currently in production. Marketed as "Remastered and Expanded," these releases include additional live tracks which were not present on the original recordings. Three such CDs have been released to date ( Tres Hombres , Fandango! , and Eliminator ). The first two were released in 2006 and use the original mixes free from echo and drum machines, while "Eliminator" was released in 2008. The Eliminator re-release also features a collector's edition version containing a DVD featuring several videos and additional live tracks.

As of 2006, it was reported that ZZ Top were recording their 15th studio album. There was no release, however, and on September 17, 2006, the band ended their tenure with RCA Records and further left their manager Bill Ham , president of Lone Wolf Management. No reasons were publicized for these changes. In December 2006, Sanctuary Management added ZZ Top to its roster.

ZZ Top performed at the 2008 Orange Bowl game in Miami , as well as the Auto Club 500 NASCAR event at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California|Fontana , California. On June 23, 2008, ZZ Top celebrated the release of their first live concert DVD entitled Live From Texas with the world premiere, a special appearance, and charity auction at the Hard Rock Cafe in Houston. The DVD was officially released on June 24, 2008. The featured performance was culled from a concert filmed at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas on November 1, 2007.

In July 2008, the band announced they have signed with producer Rick Rubin and are recording a new album. Rubin will be producing the next album, and it has been reported that the band will be aiming to move back to their pre-80s La Grange sound., Billboard.com. Retrieved December 30, 2009.

The ''Eliminator Collector's Edition'' CD/DVD, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band's iconic RIAA Diamond Certified album, was released September 10, 2008. The release includes seven bonus tracks and a bonus DVD, including four television performances from The Tube (TV series)|The Tube in November 1983.

The band performed at the 2009 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo on the final night on March 22, 2009. In July, the band appeared on VH1 's VH1 Storytellers|Storytellers , in celebration of their four decades as recording artists.

On January 22, 2010, Billy Gibbons accompanied Will Ferrell and others playing " Free Bird " on Conan O'Brien 's last show. O'Brien joined in on guitar.

On June 8, 2011, a press release, reported on various media sources, announced that the new song "Flyin' High" will debut in space. Astronaut and friend of ZZ Top, Michael Fossum, was given the released single to listen to on his trip to the International Space Station.

Billy Gibbons stated in an interview in August 2011 that the new album had been recorded, with initial recording taking place in Malibu, California before moving to Houston, but was still unnamed and had yet to be mixed and mastered. Gibbons said that the expected release date was sometime in March or April 2012.

Discography

'' ZZ Top's First Album (1971)

Rio Grande Mud (1972)

Tres Hombres (1973)

Fandango! (1975)

Tejas (album)|Tejas (1976)

Degüello (1979)

El Loco (1981)

Eliminator (album)|Eliminator (1983)

Afterburner (album)|Afterburner (1985)

Recycler (1990)

Antenna (ZZ Top album)|Antenna (1994)

Rhythmeen (1996)

XXX_(ZZ_Top_album)|XXX (1999)

Mescalero (album)|Mescalero (2003)

Filmography

In addition to recording and performing concerts, ZZ Top has also been involved with films and television. In 1990, the group appeared as the "band at the party" in the film Back to the Future Part III , and played the "Three Men in a Tub" in the movie '' Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme . ZZ Top made further appearances, including the "Gumby with a Pokey" episode of Two and a Half Men in 2010 and the " Hank Gets Dusted " episode of King of the Hill in 2007. The band were also List of WWE Raw guest stars|guest hosts on an episode of WWE Raw . In 2008, ZZ Top performed "Sharp Dressed Man" with David Cook (singer)|David Cook at the season 7 finale of American Idol . Billy Gibbons also portrays the father of Angela in the television show Bones (TV series)|Bones .

Awards and achievements

Despite ZZ Top's popularity and success in the 1970s, it wasn't until the 1980s that they started winning major awards and honors. ZZ Top's music videos won awards throughout the 1980s, winning once each in the categories MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video|Best Group Video , MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction|Best Direction , and MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction|Best Art Direction . The videos that won the VMAs are "Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man," and " Rough Boy ." Some of the high honors ZZ Top have achieved include induction into Guitar Center#Hollywood's RockWalk|Hollywood's RockWalk in 1994, the Texas House of Representatives naming them "Official Heroes for the State of Texas", a declaration of "ZZ Top Day" in Texas by then-governor Ann Richards on May 4, 1991, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. They were also given commemorative rings by actor Billy Bob Thornton from the VH1 Rock Honors in 2007.

ZZ Top also holds several chart and album sales feats, including six number one singles on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. From the Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA , ZZ Top has achieved 4 gold, 3 platinum, and 2 multi-platinum album certifications, in addition to one diamond album.
In addition to this, many of their songs have become classic rock and hard rock radio staples.

Undetermined Music Artists

zztop

Biography

History

Formation and early years (1969–1971)

Rio Grande Mud , Tres Hombres , and Fandango! (1972-1975)

Worldwide Texas Tour and hiatus (1975-1978)

Degüello , El Loco , and Eliminator (1979–1984)

Afterburner and Recycler (1985-1993)

RCA Records and Mescalero (1994-2003)

Hall of Fame and touring (2004–present)

Discography

Filmography

Awards and achievements

See also

References

Bibliography

Footnotes

External links

Copyright Citations