About
Also known as: Z Z Top, ZZTop
Formed in Houston in 1969, ZZ Top spent over five decades as one of rock's most distinctive trios — Billy Gibbons on guitar and vocals, Dusty Hill on bass and vocals, and Frank Beard on drums. Their signature came from Gibbons' blues-rooted playing and the deadpan sly humor of their lyrics, while the matching sunglasses, hats, and chest-length beards worn by Gibbons and Hill made them instantly recognizable. Early albums Tres Hombres and Fandango! and singles "La Grange" and "Tush" became staples of classic rock radio, and the massive Worldwide Texas Tour of 1976–77 cemented their live reputation across North America. The 1980s brought a sharp commercial leap: Eliminator and Afterburner wove in new wave, punk, and dance-rock influences, and videos for "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Legs" made them a fixture of MTV and 1980s pop culture. The Afterburner tour set records for highest attendance and highest gross of 1986. In 2018 they held the Guinness world record for the longest-running major act with an unchanged lineup; that era ended when Hill died in 2021, and was succeeded by longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis. ZZ Top has released 15 studio albums, sold an estimated 50 million records, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
