ZZ Top Just Hit Their 50th Anniversary Together And Are Still Rocking Out

Aug 13, 2019 by apost team

ZZ Top is one of the most prolific rock and roll bands in the American music scene. Originally forming in Houston, Texas in 1969, the band is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Consisting of Billy Gibbons on guitar and vocals, Dusty Hill as bassist and vocalist, and drummer Frank Beard, ZZ Top has kept their lineup intact throughout their 50-year career, a huge feat for a rock band. 

Releasing their first album in 1971, the band is best known to audiences for its 1983 album Eliminator, a hard rock masterpiece featuring some of the bands biggest hits, including “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’, and “Legs.” Throughout their career, ZZ Top has become a staple of American music, with their sound changing with every new release. In 2004, the band was given the honor of admittance into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, ZZ Top sat down with reporters to talk about their storied career. When asked about what they thought about being together for 50 years, Beard joked that he was dumbfounded, saying that none of them have been married as long as the group has been together. The three guys also talked their first meeting at The Catacombs club in Houston when they were all 20 years old.

When they realized how good they were together, they decided to form their own group. Gibbons, Hill, and Beard were a little coyer when it came to the origin of the band’s name. The CBS interviewer suggested it had to do with B.B. King or Zig Zag rolling papers, but the group remained silent on the subject.

The band also talked about their heavy touring schedule. In the 70s and 80s, ZZ Top shows became legendary, featuring animals like buzzards and longhorn steer in their performances. The band also played an exhausting 300 nights a year. Looking back on it, Gibbons says that since that’s how they started their careers, it didn’t seem so out of the ordinary to them.

To celebrate their 50 years together, ZZ Top is releasing a special 3-disc greatest hits album entitled Goin’ 50. Fittingly, the album contains 50 of the band’s most recognizable songs and even two live renditions of fan favorites.

What do you think of ZZ Top being together for 50 years? Let us know below. Tell your friends and family about the long-standing band.