ZZ Top

Hailing from Houston, Texas (United States), the band ZZ Top was formed in 1969 by Billy Gibbons (vocals, guitar, and harmonica), Dusty Hill (vocals, bass, and keyboards), and Frank Beard (drums, percussion, and backing vocals). Their first album, titled ZZ Top’s First Album, was released in 1971, followed in 1972 by Rio Grande Mud. While both albums appeared on the U.S. charts—at No. 201 and No. 104, respectively—it wasn’t until the release of Tres Hombres in 1973 that the trio achieved greater fame. That album reached No. 8 on the Billboard chart, thanks in large part to the future classic “La Grange” (No. 41). Fandango! in 1975 (No. 10), Tejas in 1976 (No. 17), and Degüello in 1979 (No. 24) rounded out a successful decade for ZZ Top. It was after this album that Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons decided to grow beards that would become increasingly imposing over the years and one of their trademarks—a look they would never give up, even when a famous razor brand offered them a million dollars to shave them off. The 1980s began with El Loco in 1981 (No. 17), and the next three albums all made it into the Top 10: Eliminator in 1983 (No. 9), Afterburner in 1985 (No. 4, their highest chart position), and Recycler in 1990 (No. 6). After this commercial peak, ZZ Top continued to appear regularly on the charts, whether with Antenna (No. 14 in 1994), Rhythmeen (No. 29 in 1996), or Mescalero. With its No. 57 ranking in 2003, this album quickly made people forget the commercial failure of XXX, which peaked at No. 100 in 2003—the trio’s lowest ranking on the Billboard charts since 1972. With La Futura in 2012, produced by Rick Rubin, ZZ Top returned to the Top 10 (No. 6). Since then, numerous live albums and compilations have been added to the band’s discography, which has spanned five decades without a single change in its lineup. It was, in fact, the passing of bassist Dusty Hill on July 28, 2021, that led to his replacement by Elwood Francis. Following the release of the documentary That Little Ol’ Band from Texas (2019), followed by its soundtrack RAW (2022), and a new live album, Luck of the Draw (2024), the band suffered the loss of its mustachioed drummer Frank Beard, who died on August 17, 2026, at the age of 77.

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