‘You will be missed greatly, amigo’
Dusty Hill, the bearded bassist for Texas trio ZZ Top, died in his sleep in his Houston home. The surviving members announced this on Facebook on Wednesday.
“We are saddened to hear today’s news that our Compadre Dusty Hill passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. We, along with legions of ZZ top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your kindness and continued commitment to give the ‘top’ this monumental low. We will forever be associated with this “blues shuffle in C”. You will be missed very much, amigo, “read a post by Frank Beard and Billy Gibbons.
Hill, born in Dallas, turned 72 on Wednesday.
Condolences came quickly from other musicians, including rock band Junkyard, Blue Mother Tupelo, and Gary P. Nunn, who simply wrote “Damn”.
Rapper Bun B thanked Hill and ZZ Top on social media “for all the frat music and for helping make being a Texan cool”.
In a tweet, Governor Greg Abbott called Hill “a great friend and a remarkable Texan”.
On July 23, the band posted on their website that Hill was “on a short detour back to Texas to tackle a hip problem” during the tour. He was temporarily replaced by Elwood Francis, the band’s longtime guitar technician.
Jesse Dayton wrote that he was “devastated”. Michael Sweet, front man for Stryper, called it “a real eye opener to see how many colleagues have recently left and what seems to be so suddenly”.
Hill moved to Houston in the late 1960s and founded ZZ Top with Gibbons and Beard. Together they released more than a dozen albums that combine blues, rock and a distinctive Texas groove. They achieved early hits with “La Grange” and “Tush” but had their greatest success in the 80s, infusing their dark sound with a more elaborate pop production. Music videos for Gimme All Your Lovin ‘, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” became MTV staples.
“We have been heavily influenced by the blues, especially from Texas and Memphis,” Hill told Chronicle’s Andrew Dansby in January as he pondered the band’s 50th anniversary. “But we also loved Cream. And that was part of the inspiration of original things that inspired them. And I remember thinking it was (expletive) that Americans were not doing anything with the same vigor and fresh approach. It took Eric Clapton and people like that, and thank God they did. What were they? it was rock ‘n’ roll, but also blues.
“What we did was never traditional blues. But it’s blues. It’s more rock than blues. But these English blues cats did us a huge favor. You won a whole new audience for the blues. “
Hill made several film and television appearances, including “Back to the Future Part III,” “The Drew Carey Show,” and “King of the Hill,” where he played himself as Hank Hills’ cousin.
In 2004 ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame. The band’s last album was “La Futura” in 2012 and they have been working on new material over the past few years. A 50-year anniversary tour has been canceled due to the ongoing pandemic.
“Starting a band is so much fun,” Hill told The Chronicle of his early days. “It was new and exciting for us. I had played in a threesome with my brother and I loved playing with my brother, but everything was different with Billy. And Frank and I felt comfortable playing together. So we got tight. ” quite fast.”
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