RIP Dusty Hill

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/dusty-hill-zz-top-bass-player-and-founding-member-dies-at-72/ar-AAMFIwl

Dusty Hill, the bass player for ZZ Top for more than 50 years, died on Wednesday. He was 72.

Hill’s bandmates Frank Beard and Billy Gibbons confirmed the news Wednesday in a statement that read, “We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. 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.”

Dang you.  

RIP

He wasn't askin' for much...

ZZ Top has been playing together with the original lineup for more than a half century. In high school I thought they were funny because of songs like Legs. Years later, I discovered just how good they really are as musicians. Dusty's bass never really takes the spotlight, but you can't have a three-man band without everyone pulling their weight. I never got a chance to catch them.

Here's one of my favorites. The boys were in their early 20s at the time.

And of course (not the remaster!)...

Im Bad, I'm Nationwide will be played at my funeral. One of my favorite songs.

RIP Dusty.

RIP. Always amazed at how much sound, and how good of sound, they could make come out of just a guitar, bass, and drums.

Anyone surprised to find he was only 72? Between ZZ Top being around since the dawn of time, and their Nudie suits, hats, sunglasses, and beards, he seemed like he's been at least 60 years old for at least the past 30 years. 

preach (fs) said:

Im Bad, I'm Nationwide will be played at my funeral. One of my favorite songs.

RIP Dusty.

I want to get a Cadillac and some cigarettes cause of this song.  Maybe some ladies......
 

Cadillac should bring an "IBIN" ZZ Top version of that V8 Blackwing car coming out in 2022.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I saw them in 03(I think). I forget what their current album was, but it was really good despite getting zero airplay(that I heard anyway).

Like you, my first exposure to them was MTV & I was shocked to find how much - and how awesome - of a back catalog they had  

I heard that he missed their gig in Evansville, IN the other night(something about hip trouble) & their long-time guitar tech filled in. I'm curious if they'll cancel the tour now. 

I'm going to have to take the big Caddy out tonight in memoriam. Maybe I'll rename it Dusty. 

I saw them back in, I think '94-95 (keep in mind I'm only 39)? Either way, they've always been one of my favorites. I was really bummed when my dad texted me earlier to share the news. 

Maybe I'll throw Tres Hombres on the turntable this evening. 

RIP to the blues shuffle in C. 

First concert was at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin with The Outlaws opening.  So much beer and partying the lines to pee in the sinks was way shorter than the urinal lines.  What a show it was!   

1981?
 

There's a Netflix documentary on ZZ Top.  No drama, pretty much a straightforward history of the band.  I liked it.

jwagner (Forum Supporter) said:

There's a Netflix documentary on ZZ Top.  No drama, pretty much a straightforward history of the band.  I liked it.

It's a good one. We went and saw it in the theater when it came through town. It was a one night only deal. Then about 9 months or so later it was on Netflix. 

That's OK. It was better on the big screen.

Hopefully he didn't eat a TV dinner with sauce that was too blue. 

preach (fs) said:

Im Bad, I'm Nationwide will be played at my funeral. One of my favorite songs.

RIP Dusty.

It's one of my favorites too. I saw them shortly after graduating high school in 94 with George Thorogood, it was one of the greatest shows I've ever been to.  The girl I brought only knew of them from legs and whatever else turned up on MTV when we were kids and was blown away by them. I was supposed to see them this September and saw on Facebook that she was planning to drag her family down so her kids could see them. 

Last time I saw them was the day after my birthday in 2017 in a small venue (seats about 3000) with really great acoustics (early 1900's theater).  Most big name bands have a hard time not deafening everyone there because they are used to being on 11 for the big venues.  It was the best of their shows I had been to.

My business partner is a huge ZZ Top fan. He's been covering their music in his own band for decades. He had tickets to go see them here in town at the end of September. To say he's sad about this is an understatement. 

I'll put money on the fact that he's at the shop right now playing on his guitar. 

Dang.

I saw them in Portland Maine in 1991. It was a general admission show and I got there early enough to be five feet from the stage. It was a great show.

They arrived in three pretty amazing tour busses. Not sure which one belonged to who, but I remember one of them had  "Wipe Yo Feets" in pinstripes by the door. Probably Billy's.

I'm a big fan of Blue Jean Blues.

Wow, that's a real loss.

I got in trouble for my band covering Tush at my High School prom. They run deep in me. 
Fandango. 
Rip. 

A mechanic that worked for my dad saw them in Houston, and gave me a picture of Dusty on stage with his Eliminator bass.  I was learning to play bass at the time, and I kept that picture in my high school locker (alongside pictures of Elle, Kathy, and Christy). As a Texan, I’m mad that I never saw them in concert.  I was looking to remedy that in a few months, but as always, life has other plans.

God Speed, Dusty!

Palace theater in Waterbury CT 1974       Convinced a few friends who hadn't heard of them to go with me. They were so loud the front rows backed up till they turned it down a bit. Always been a fan. Saw a display of their cars & bikes at the Peterson Museum back in the 90's.

Man, never got the chance to see them, but from the mid-70's always a fan. Billy's a God, but Frank and Dusty were were he stood. 

That band got so many of us into hotrods with Eliminator.  We didn't know what it was, but it was the coolest car on Earth. Dusty, Frank, and Billy inspired countless kids, myself included,  to dig hotrods and customs, whether they realized it or not.