For Dusty Hill

 

This was a section of the next blogpost, but I thought that it would work better as a post of it’s own;

Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard of ZZ Top issued a message to fans that bassist/keyboard player/co-lead singer Dusty Hill had passed away.

I was immediately hit by their music when I caught the video for Gimme All Your Lovin’ on Top Of The Pops, and if I’m being honest it had nothing to do with the ladies in the video, because even though I was a little over twelve and a half when that video came out, I wasn’t really that bothered about “girls” back then (I’ve made up for that since then, lol).

My friend Jim Annison hates that the material from the Eliminator and Afterburner albums were my in-road to the band, but they were. Damn, I even think that Velcro Fly is a shit hot song! 

Dusty was incredibly important to the sound of the band, not just because as the bassist he put the bottom into the “Top”, but he was also the keyboard player, which was important to their growth in the eighties, a period that despite arguments from the bluesy rock ZZ Top stalwarts, it brought in a lot of fans, a lot of whom then fell in love with their back catalogue.

He didn’t sing lead vocals on many songs in comparison to guitarist Billy Gibbons, but Dusty had some dirtiness in his vocal that was incredible.

Video for a live version of the song Tush from 1980 - https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR0Duta5TKDCujpebwYOkVE6FRn7vKW_lS_rSv_Phl8DSBixR-vDaYH6Pk8&v=Kt3Y9TtR1h8&feature=youtu.be

Now I do know that Dusty wasn’t the original bassist for the band, just as Frank Beard wasn’t the original drummer.  However, that is the trio who appears on every record that the band ZZ Top have released, and they are all important to the sound that is ZZ Top to my way of thinking.

Rest in peace Dusty.

Dusty’s lead vocals;

ZZ Top’s First Album: Going Down To Mexico, and co-lead vocals on Squank.

Rio Grande Mud - co-lead vocals on Francine & Chevrolet

Tres Hombres - co-lead vocals on Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers

Fandango - Tush, Balinese and Jailhouse Rock, co-lead vocals on Backdoor Hell and Heard It On The X

Tejas - Ten Dollar Man, co-lead vocals on It’s Only Love, Pan Am Highway Blues and Avalon Hideaway

Deguello - Hi-Fi Mama

El Loco - Party On The Patio, co-lead vocals on Don’t Tease Me

Eliminator - Bad Girl and I Got The Six

Afterburner - Can’t Stop Rocking and Delirious

Antenna - World Of Swirl, Antenna Head and Deal Goin’ Down

Rhythmeen - Loaded

Triple X - (Let Me Be) Your Teddy Bear

Mescalero - Piece

La Futura - Drive By Lover