Zz Top

Zz Top

Zz Top Quick Links

News Pictures Music Footage Press Quotes RSS

Biography

ZZ Top (formed 1969)
ZZ Top are an American blues rock band from Houston, Texas made up of Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Dusty Hill.

ZZ Top: Formation
ZZ Top originally included guitarist and lead vocalist Billy Gibbons, Lanier Greig on organ and Dan Mitchell on drums.
In 1969, they released their first single 'Salt Lick'. In the same year, Greig was replaced by Billy Etheridge on bass and Mitchell by Frank Beard. However, Etheridge did not want to make a record deal so he was then replaced by Dusty Hill.

ZZ Top: Musical Career
In 1970, they signed with London Records and released their debut album 'ZZ Top's First Album' in 1971.
Their sophomore album, 'Rio Grande Mud', released in 1972, was a commercial failure. However, '73's 'Tres Hombres' brought them mainstream success and the following tour was a sell-out affair.
In 1978, they took a two year hiatus where Gibbons and Hill grew soon to be iconic chest-length beards.
1979 saw them signed to Warner Bros. Records and they released album 'Deguello' which went platinum.
In 1980, they performed on the German TV show 'Rockpalast' as part of their first trip to Europe. They then released album 'El Loco' in 1981.
In 1983, they released 'Eliminator' which garnered much success with singles 'Gimme All Your Lovin'' and 'Legs' becoming top 40 hits and the album selling 10 million copies; however, there was also much controversy when their former stage manager David Blayney alleged that their sound engineer Linden Hudson co-wrote many of the songs from the album and, even though ZZ Top still deny the extent of his involvement, they were forced to pay Hudson $600,000 due to his copyright of song 'Thug'.
It is also thought that their single 'Under Pressure' was written entirely by Gibbons and Hudson using a synthesizer instead of a bass guitar and a drum machine without Dusty or Frank's knowledge.
Their 1985 'Afterburner' became their highest charting album. Their single 'Velcro Fly' had a video which was choreographed by dancer and singer Paula Abdul. The following world tour lasted into 1987.
They then released a three disc record called 'The ZZ Top Sixpack' which included their top albums but they were remixed to sound more modern with drum machines and echo.
Their last Warner Bros record was 'Recycler' in 1990 but it was not as successful as their previous two albums having switched to their original blues rock sound.
In 1993, ZZ Top inducted Cream into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after being majorly influenced by their sound.
In 1994, they signed to RCA Records and released albums 'Antenna', 'Rhythmeen', 'XXX' and 'Mescalero'.
In 2004, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Rolling Stones star Keith Richards making their induction speech.
In 2006, they ended their contract with RCA and their manager Bill Ham. In 2008, they signed with a new producer Rick Rubin and released their first live DVD 'Live from Texas'.
In 2011, their new song 'Flyin' High' made its debut in space when their astronaut friend Michael Fossum played it on an International Space Station trip.
Later that year, Gibbons announced that their new album had been recorded by was not yet named. It was released in 2012 and named 'La Futura' with the first single 'I Gotsta Get Paid' being used on the advert for the drink Jeremiah Weed and also on the soundtrack for 'Battleship'.

Biography by Contactmusic.com

ZZ Top played a 'best of' set at Glastonbury Festival 2016, they also threw in the odd cover including their version of Jimi Hendrix's 'Foxy Lady'. The group, famous for their long beards, played the Pyramid stage in the Early evening. Glastonbury UK - Friday 24th June 2016.

Zz Top and Billy Gibbons
Zz Top
Zz Top
Zz Top
Zz Top and Billy Gibbons
Zz Top

Kid Rock To Sell Tour Tickets At Just $20 All Summer Long


Kid Rock ZZ Top

Kid Rock has made a massive step in the music industry by capping his upcoming US tour ticket prices at a bargain $20 in the hope of creating a better experience for fans.

The 'All Summer Long' hitmaker is determined to pick up high sales from his cheaper priced admission fees and put a stop to 'scalping'; the practise of re-selling tickets (usually for sold out gigs) at often extortionate prices. He has thenceforth teamed up with Walmart to sell the cheaper tickets, although popular ticket sellers Ticketmaster will still have their own parking and service charges. "

No hidden fees, no gimmicks", Kid Rock insists to Detroit Free Press. The new action even includes his special three night show at the DTE Energy Music Theater in Clarkston, Michigan where he will be supported by ZZ Top.

Continue reading: Kid Rock To Sell Tour Tickets At Just $20 All Summer Long

Bonnaroo Festival 2013 Lineup Announced: Our Top 5 Picks Beyond The Headlines


Tom Petty Sir Paul McCartney Mumford And Sons Bjork Cat Power ZZ Top Kendrick Lamar

This year’s Bonnaroo Festival takes place in Manchester, Tennessee, on June 13-16 and the lineup is boasting some pretty heavyweight talent, with the likes of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Mumford & Sons and Sir Paul McCartney stealing the headline slots. Beyond the draw of the top billing, though – who should you go and see if you manage to bag a ticket to Bonnaroo 2013? Here’s our Top 5 Bonnaroo Bets.

1. Bjork – We can’t remember the last time there was an opportunity to see Bjork in such a superb festival setting (okay, we probably could, if we cast our minds back a little but it’s far from a frequent occurrence). The eccentric Icelandic songstress always puts on a fabulous show, both visually and sonically, setting fire to all of your senses, whether you are a hardened Bjork fan or simply wandering past the stage, wondering what the hell might be going on.

2. Cat Power – OK. This one comes with a warning. When she’s on form, Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) will provide you with one of the most emotionally charged, cathartic live music experiences that you’re likely to experience. On a bad day, though, it can be torturous to witness. All part of the Cat Power charm, of course, but a gamble, nonetheless.

Continue reading: Bonnaroo Festival 2013 Lineup Announced: Our Top 5 Picks Beyond The Headlines

Bonnaroo 2013 Lineup Announcement

Posted on20 February 2013

Bonnaroo 2013 Lineup Announcement

Bjork, Paul McCartney And R Kelly: Variegated Lineup For Tennessee's Bonnaroo Festival


Sir Paul McCartney Mumford And Sons Bjork R Kelly Wu Tang Clan The National The Lumineers David Byrne Kendrick Lamar Nas ZZ Top

The Bonnaroo festival line-up has been released and it's something to get yourself excited about. Not got a ticket? You'll definitely want to get yourself one once you see who'll be performing. 

The Bonnaroo festival info page is a veritable delight of explaining Out There and In Here. Out There is out here, where we are now, beyond the limits temporally or spatially of the festival itself, but In There, in the festival, the festival organisers want it to be a haven of positivity, safety and, above all, supreme amounts of fun. They describe it as "4 of the best days ever" and "an escape into Excitement. Music. Art. Discoveries. Trees. Fresh Air. Green Grass... Friends (Old / New). Adventure. Overwhelming happiness. Hugging a stranger by accident. Sharing and Generosity. Bonnaroovian Dancing. Hyperbolic verbiage..." and the list goes on. Sounds good, right? Well, the line-up is even better, and suitable for all genres you may find yourself remotely interested in. 

Here's the best of the list, from the headliners down to the early stars: Paul McCartney, Grammy winners Mumford & Sons, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Bjork, R Kelly, Wu-Tang Clan, The National, The Lumineers, David Byrne, St Vincent, Passion Pit, The XX, Kendrick Lamar, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Of Monsters and Men, Nas, ZZ Top, Beach House, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, A$AP Rocky, Tame Impala, Gaslight Anthem, Billy Idol, Foals, Local Natives, Alt-J, The Tallest Man on Earth, Earl Sweatshirt, The Vaccines, Frank Turner, Purity Ring... and once again, the list goes on. Check out the website to see the rest.

Continue reading: Bjork, Paul McCartney And R Kelly: Variegated Lineup For Tennessee's Bonnaroo Festival

ZZ Top - La Futura Album Review


The original Texan trio have returned with style. Some nine years after the release of their previous record Mescalero, ZZ Top have produced one of their most consistent efforts in recent memory. With Rick Rubin behind the console for La Futura, Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and (the beardless) Frank Beard have managed to put together a collection of ten tracks that conjure a feeling of warmth, of Texas and the melting pot of cultures that have defined their home state.

ZZ Top - La Futura Album Review

Lead single I Gotsta Get Paid opens La Futura in style, a reworking of the classic Hip Hop track 25 Lighters by Lil' Keke. Where once the track had manufactured drums and keyboard lines, Top have made it dusty and as soulful as anything from their extensive back catalogue. Gibbons' growling vocals and enviable guitar work provide the focal point for second track Chartreuse, reworking the classic riff of Rainbow's Long Live Rock & Roll and creating a different beast entirely; twelve bar blues at its very finest.

Heartache in Blue has swagger in abundance; a steady and rolling drumbeat allowing Gibbons to unleash his astonishing voice once again. Singers' voices so often wear badly with age but Gibbons' has matured; gravelly and powerful, yet equally easy and laid back. I Don't Wanna Lose, Lose You continues in the same vein, again driven by Beard's excellent command of the kit. Flyin' High made its debut in space, requested by American astronaut and fan Mike Fossum on his way to the International Space Station early this summer

Continue reading: ZZ Top - La Futura Album Review

Skrillex And Jack White Lead The Festivities At Virgin Mobile FreeFest


Skrillex Jack White Alabama Shakes ZZ Top Santigold Richard Branson

Skrillex and Jack White were amongst the highlights of Saturday’s Virgin Mobile FreeFest (October 6, 2012). Over 50,000 people crowded into the Merriweather Post Pavilion to enjoy the three stages worth of music, from the likes of Alabama Shakes, ZZ Top and Santigold; an eclectic mix of old and new, sure to keep the punters satisfied. Tickets to the event were free and Virgin boss Richard Branson spoke to the Washington Post backstage, explaining the work that FreeFest does with homeless youths.

Skrillex was clearly a big draw for the event; one punter, Liz Carr, 27, told the Post that she and her friends had a goal for the evening and that was “to not be blacked out by the time Skrillex comes on.” Whether or not she achieved her aims, we may never know. But those that did manage to stay conscious until the US producer played his headline, 90 minute set, were treated to a “bombardment of riotous dubstep songs with sci-fi lasers, flames, smoke and sparks to match.” Jack White’s 50 minute set was deemed too brief by those in attendance, who called him back onstage for an encore, in a rather unusual manner – by “WHOA-OH-OH-ing the guitar riff from ‘Seven Nation Army.’

It was down to Jack White that the festival-goers at FreeFest were treated to a glimpse of ZZ Top, too. They may not be the hippest band on the planet but when you’re playing at the personal request of Jack White, you’ve instantly earned yourself a few extra nods of approval.


ZZ Top To Be Awarded With Classic Rock Magazine Living Legends Award


ZZ Top Jimmy Page Jeff Beck Ozzy Osbourne Rush

ZZ Top are to be honored as living legends by the editors of Classic Rock magazine. The bearded rockers, writers of songs such as Gimme All Your Lovin', follow in some illustrious footsteps indeed, with previous winners of the award including the likes of Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop and Rush, and the band will join them when the Classic Rock Roll of Honor ceremony takes place in London later this year.

Continue reading: ZZ Top To Be Awarded With Classic Rock Magazine Living Legends Award

Video - Billy Gibbons Gives The Thumbs Up To Photographers Outside David Letterman


ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons is seen arriving for The Late Show With David Letterman at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York. Billy raises a hand to the photographers as he crosses the road to sign autographs for his fans. As he enters the building, he gives the photographers the thumbs up.

ZZ Top formed in 1969 and were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. During their career they sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and even made a cameo appearance in Back to the Future: Part III

Billy Gibbons, Ed Sullivan, The Late Show With David Letterman and ZZ Top Thursday 10th November 2011 Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top arriving at the Ed Sullivan Theater for 'The Late Show with David Letterman'. New York City, USA

Billy Gibbons, Ed Sullivan, The Late Show With David Letterman and Zz Top

ZZ Top Saturday 11th September 2010 perform on stage for the John Varvatos Rocked NYC 10 year Anniversary Party at the John Varvatos store previously known as CBGB on Bowery New York City, USA

Zz Top

Zz Top Quick Links

News Pictures Music Footage Press Quotes RSS




Advertisement
Advertisement