Dusty Hill

Dusty Hill (born Joe Hill on May 19, 1949 in Dallas, Texas) is bassist and vocalist with Texas Boogie-Blues-Rock group ZZ Top. Hill is noted for his solid, unadorned bass playing, "leather-lung" vocal stylings and his love of Elvis Presley.

He formed ZZ Top in late 1969 with drummer Frank Beard (with whom Hill had played in the bands American Blues, the Warlocks, and the Cellar Dwellers) and Moving Sidewalks' guitarist/vocalist Billy Gibbons. After honing their trademark Texas Boogie-Blues-Rock style, they released the aptly titled ZZ Top's First Album on London Records in 1971.

The band rolled on, intensively touring and recording/releasing albums until 1977, when they took a hiatus. Their long-time manger/producer/image maker Bill Ham used this time to negotiate a deal that allowed the band to keep control of their previous recordings, which would be distributed by their new label, Warner Brothers Records. They reunited two and a half years later in order to start recording under a new Warner Brothers contract. Unbeknownst to the other, both Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons had grown the chest-length beards that quickly became a part of their "wildman" image. Drummer Frank Beard, ironically, does not wear a beard.

The band hit international prominence and their commercial peak with the release of 1983's platinum-selling disc Eliminator. Named after Gibbon's customized 1933 Ford Coupe (which, along with leggy party girls, was featured in several music videos), Eliminator featured the hits "Legs", "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "TV Dinners".

In 1994, the band signed a five-disc deal with RCA Record. Many fans feel that the recordings of this era are as artistically strong as the earlier London and Warner Brothers recordings, but have expressed disappointment with RCA's promotion of these releases.

In July 2000, while on tour in Europe, Hill was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, the treatment of which cancelled several dates in that tour. Hill has since made a remarkable recovery, joking, "You just can't keep down ZZ Top!"

In 2003, a comprehensive collection of recordings from the London and Warner Brother years entitled Chrome, Smoke & BBQ was released. Also in 2003, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They have the distinction of being the only band with a 35 year plus history with all of the original members.

As of 2006, it is reported that ZZ Top is recording their 15th studio album.

Trivia

• On the April 1, 2007 episode of King of The Hill, entitled "Hank Gets Dusted," Dusty Hill appears as Hank Hill's cousin and the so-called "black sheep" of the family.

Discography

Solo albums

• American Blues
• Is Here (1968)
• Do Their Thing (1969)

ZZ Top albums

• ZZ Top's First Album (1971)
• Rio Grande Mud (1972)
• Tres Hombres (1973)
• Fandango! (1975)
• Tejas (1977)
• Deguello (1979)
• El Loco (1981)
• Eliminator (1983)
• Afterburner (1985)
• Recycler (1990)
• Antenna (1994)
• Rhythmeen (1996)
• XXX (1999)
• Mescalero (2003)
• Tres Hombres (Deluxe Remaster) (2006)
• Fandango! (Deluxe Remaster) (2006)

Compilations

• The Best of ZZ Top (1977)
• The ZZ Top Six Pack (1985)
• ZZ Top's Greatest Hits (1992)
• One Foot in the Blues (1994)
• Chrome, Smoke & BBQ (4-disc Box Set) (2003)
• Rancho Texicano (2-disc Greatest Hits) (2004).