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Billy Gibbons

Along with the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons is unquestionably one of the finest blues-rock guitarists to ever emerge from Texas. Born on either March 4 or December 16, 1950 (both dates have been given in the past), and raised in Houston, Texas, Gibbons grew up in a home that favored both classical and country sounds, but upon discovering Elvis Presley via an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Gibbons became transfixed by rock & roll. It wasn’t long before he discovered other early rock & rollers (Little Richard) as well as bluesmen (Jimmy Reed) via a local radio station. Soon after receiving a Gibson Melody Maker electric guitar and a Fender Champ amp for Christmas in 1963, Gibbons began emulating his heroes — forming his first band when he was 14 (the Saints). The guitarist later joined a group around the mid-’60s called the Coachmen, who specialized in more psychedelic-based sounds, inspired by the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and the local Texas outfit 13th Floor Elevators (led by a young Roky Erickson). Gibbons’ band eventually changed their name to the Moving Sidewalks, issuing a lone album in 1968, Flash, although an early single, “99th Floor,” would later receive attention when included years later on the Pebbles: Vol. 2 compilation. While the Moving Sidewalks never made a splash outside of Texas, Gibbons must have been pleased when Jimi Hendrix (with whom the Sidewalks toured with around this time) began endorsing the guitarist as one of his favorite new players to the media.

Rio Grande Mud When the Moving Sidewalks folded in 1969, Gibbons sought to form a more straight-ahead, boogie/blues-rock-based band, and after hooking up with a pair of other fellow Texans, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard, ZZ Top were born. The power trio slowly but steadily built up a solid following, largely due to Gibbons’ tasty guitar playing and muscular riffs (especially evidenced on such renowned tracks as “La Grange” and “Tush”). Over the course of five classic albums over a six-year span (1970’s self-titled debut, 1972’s Rio Grande Mud, 1973’s Tres Hombres, 1975’s Fandango, and 1976’s Tejas), ZZ Top became one of the country’s top rock bands before taking a three-year break. When they returned, the musical climate had changed considerably, and ZZ Top opted to change with the times — as a more modern, electronic sound was merged with their blues-rock roots on such albums as 1979’s Deguello and 1981’s El Loco. But with the release of 1983’s Eliminator, the new approach came together for the group, while both Gibbons and Hill happened to come across a gimmick that will be forever associated with the group: long and stringy beards that grew down to their chests. It didn’t hurt that the group was responsible for some of MTV’s most popular video clips of all time (which always seemed to primarily focus on good-looking girls and a snazzy 1933 Ford three-door coupe, rather than the bandmembers), “Give Me All Your Loving,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Legs.” Gibbons and Hill also became known for their assortment of matching and outlandish guitars, which were also always on display in their videos.

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Live Review

Billy F. Gibbons at the Paramount

Read "Billy F. Gibbons at the Paramount" reviewed by Mike Perciaccante


Billy F. Gibbons The Paramount The Big Bad Blues Tour Huntington, NY October 28, 2018 Jimi Hendrix said that Billy F. Gibbons was “America's best young guitarist" during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. That's high praise and some pretty heady stuff. Gibbons is best known as the lead guitarist for ZZ Top and for his trademark flowing beard. For the past forty-seven years, since ...

2
Blues Deluxe

Fall 2018

Read "Fall 2018" reviewed by Doug Collette


Blues Deluxe is a regular column comprised of pithy takes on recent blues and roots-music releases of note. It spotlights titles in those genres that might otherwise go unnoticed under the cultural radar. Introductory text goes here. Shemekia Copeland America's Child Alligator Records 2018 Notwithstanding its topical undercurrent, Shemekia Copland's American's Child packs a wallop because of its fundamental musical virtues: the quality of the material, the unity of the core accompanists ...

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Album Review

Billy Gibbons and the BFGs: Perfectamundo

Read "Perfectamundo" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


We are one hell of a long way from 1971 and ZZ Top's First Album (London). That music was as purely organic chewing tobacco and loose as the dust on the bank of the Rio Grande. Well, all that ended in 1976 with Tejas (London), which was the beginning of the band's ascendency to pop stardom in the '80s with songs shining with polish, humor, and technology. Break forward 40 years and band-frontman Billy Gibbon's picks up where he left ...

3
Live Review

The Moving Sidewalks: New York, NY, March 30, 2013

Read "The Moving Sidewalks: New York, NY, March 30, 2013" reviewed by Mike Perciaccante


The Moving Sidewalks B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill New York, NY March 30, 2013 Before the beard, before ZZ Top and before the dawn of the '70s, Billy Gibbons was the guitar slinger for another Texas-based band. The Moving Sidewalks were active during the late '60s--1967 to 1969, to be precise--in Houston. The band's sound was heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix, The 13th Floor Elevators, Texas Blues, Lightnin' Hopkins, Freddie King, T-Bone Walker, The ...

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Perfectamundo

Concord Music Group
2015

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