He was a member of the band for five decades.
ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill has died. The news was confirmed by the band on Wednesday in a statement. He was 72.
“We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX,” surviving members Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard said. “We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the ‘Top’. We will forever be connected to that “Blues Shuffle in C.” You will be missed greatly, amigo.”
On July 23, ZZ Top announced that Hill was leaving their current tour and return to Texas due to a hip issue.
ZZ Top were scheduled to hit the road in 2020 with Def Leppard, but the tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ZZ Top have been rocking strong together for five decades. The band formed in Houston, TX in 1969 and released their debut album in 1971. To date, the band has released 15 studio albums that have produced countless hit rock anthems.
From 1983-1990, ZZ Top enjoyed their greatest commercial success, infusing elements of new wave, punk, and synth-pop into their bluesy riff-rock. The band released three albums in this span – Eliminator, Afterburner, and Recycler – all of which debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Top 200.
The band’s music videos for “Legs”, “Rough Boy”, and“Sharp Dressed Man” all garnered MTV Video Music Awards for the band. With 13 multi-platinum albums, and 1 diamond album, ZZ Top have sold over 25 million albums sold in the U.S. alone. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
