![]() ![]() They joined guitarist-vocalist Billy Gibbons of the Houston psychedelic band Moving Sidewalks in the recently-formed ZZ Top, just after they released their first single "Salt Lick", in 1969. Rocky left and Dusty and Beard moved to Houston. At this time, Rocky wanted to focus on "straight blues", while Dusty wanted the band to rock more. In 1968, American Blues relocated to Houston. I got probably less shit about having blue hair than about having long hair, because I believe they thought I was crazy." and at that time we had long, blue hair – in the 60s in Texas. Hill recalled, "Being a musician in Texas had its own set of risks. In 1969, Hill was a member of a fake version of the British band the Zombies with Beard. From 1966 to 1968, American Blues played the Dallas- Fort Worth- Houston circuit. Hill, Rocky, and the future ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard played in local Dallas bands the Warlocks, the Cellar Dwellers, and American Blues. If you don't play well, standing up there with lights on, it really stands out, so it behooves you to get your shit up pretty quick." He did not enjoy school, and achieved poor grades according to Hill, "Part of the problem was that by the time I was 13 I was already playing in local bars, so school kinda got in the way of that and I resented it." ZZ Top He said, "I kind of learned how to play on stage and whatnot, and embarrassment is a great motivator. Unlike many bassists, he did not learn to play guitar first. After Rocky formed a band with a drummer, Dusty took up bass at the age of 13. Hill began singing for money with his brother Rocky at the age of 8. Like his future bandmates, Hill grew up listening to blues music, which he said was uncommon in white families he recalled shocking the parents of his childhood friends when he brought records by Muddy Waters or Son House to their houses. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School, where he played the cello. He and his older brother Rocky, also a musician, were raised in the Lakewood neighborhood of East Dallas. Hill was born in Dallas, Texas, on May 19, 1949. In line with his wishes, he was replaced by the band's longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis. He died in 2021 after a period of declining health. Hill was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of ZZ Top in 2004. Critics described his basslines as a critical part of ZZ Top's sound, complementing Gibbons' guitar showmanship. Hill favored simple compositions and a "big", distorted sound. In 1968, he and the drummer Frank Beard joined the guitarist Billy Gibbons in ZZ Top they went on to release albums including the bestselling Eliminator (1983). As a child, he began performing music with his brother, Rocky Hill. He also sang lead and backing vocals and played keyboards. In many ways, ZZ Top's upward trajectory began with "Tush" - and it proved a fitting swan song for one of rock's most beloved bassists.ĭusty Hill's Final ZZ Top Show, July 18, 2021, Iroquois Amphitheater in Louisville, Ky.Joe Michael " Dusty" Hill (– July 28, 2021) was an American musician who was the bassist of the rock band ZZ Top for more than 50 years. Not bad for the little ol' blues band from Texas that played its first show to one whole person. Diamond albums, iconic videos and arena tours followed in the years to come, cementing ZZ Top's status as one of the biggest rock bands in the world in the '80s. It's fitting that they closed their set with "Tush," which became the band's first Top 20 hit back in 1975. I feel most comfortable when I can move around."Įven if he wasn't moving around, Hill was still full of vigor during his last performance with ZZ Top. I don't play jazz I don't sit down and play. After the hip, there was some talk about sitting on a stool, but I've never sat down. As much as the pain and suffering of the injury, the anguish of not being able to play was at least that bad. ![]() We go ahead and do the show, if at all possible – but if it can't be done, it can't be done. We've played in hurricanes and all sorts of things. “I hate to be damaged,” the bassist told UCR in 2018 when discussing his medical maladies. All three incidents forced ZZ Top to postpone tour dates. He battled hepatitis C in 2000, injured his hip after falling on a tour bus in 2014 and suffered a fractured shoulder and “tummy ailment” in 2016. "Dusty emphatically grabbed my arm and said, 'Give Elwood the bottom end, and take it to the Top,'" Gibbons told SiriusXM radio host Eddie Trunk. Gibbons and Beard announced in a statement that Hill was “on a short detour back to Texas to address a hip issue,” but that “per Dusty’s request, the show must go on!”įrancis will continue to play with ZZ Top, as Hill insisted they not break up following his death. ![]() ZZ Top played their next show on July 23 at the Village Commons in New Lenox, Ill., with longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis filling in for Hill. ![]()
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