Born on December 16: Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top's bearded leader

Always imperturbably faithful to his Southern blues rock, the Texan was born in Houston in 1949 and is now celebrating his 75th birthday.

It's hard to imagine that the old man, with the abundant facial hair (now salt-and-pepper) and the irremovable Setson, could ever have been hairless and seen in short pants. In fact, since the trio's first sticky electric flights in 1971, such as “Brown Sugar” and “Goin'Down To Mexico”, ZZ Top have rapidly honed their image as sunburnt ranchers. In fact, they recorded their first five albums for British label London Records! Yet with spicy, even Hispanic tracks like 'Rio Grande Mud' (1972), 'Tres Hombres' (1973), 'Fandango' (1975) and 'Tejas' (1976), it's clear that this is a far cry from the Thames fog!

Most of the tracks are built around a basic rhythm, around which Billy Gibbons weaves his electric illuminations on one of the 9 or 10 Gibson Les Pauls (vintage if you please) that he loves so much. With the exception of a touch of offbeat humor, there are no convoluted messages on ZZ Top either, just snapshots of a daily life crushed by the divine star (“Waiti'n'For The Bus” or “La Grange”) and, of course, a few soaked stories like “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers”. By the way, if he doesn't neglect Bourbon, Billy Gibbons also has a passion for Belgian Trappist beers, with a preference for Westmalle and Orval.

ZZ Top lived in the bosom of a blues rock that was certainly enjoyable, but also repetitive. But that's forgetting that the three bearded men know how to appeal to a wider audience. From the very first years of MTV music channel in August 1981, they understood the benefits and potential impact on their still modest success. In 1983, the “Eliminator” album marked a shift towards heavier rock. Relying on two of their other passions, big backfiring engines and pretty, short-clothed girls, they racked up platinum records all over the world. Their music videos, such as “Gimme All Your Lovin'” and “Sharp Dressed Man”, may seem a little outdated today, but their combination of all the above-mentioned ingredients was essential to the trio's worldwide success. Although their success gradually waned, the trio continued to capitalize on the same recipes with almost obsessive relentlessness until bassist Dusty Hill passed away in July 2021 at the age of 72.

Never happier than on stage, Billy Gibbons now alternates between more intimate performances with the BFG's and concerts with the indefatigable ZZ Top. Bassist Elwood Francis may have replaced Dusty Hill, but walls of amplifiers (all wired for electricity, otherwise it's no fun) are still very much present. So Billy still has no intention of retiring!

(Stéphane Soupart - Tr.: MH - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)
Photo: Billy Gibbons with ZZ Top in Mannheim (Germany), September 22, 1986