By Andrew Daly
Born in Houston, Texas, on December 16, 1949, William Frederick Gibbons, aka Billy, aka the lead guitarist for ZZ Top, has defined a generation of Les Paul-loving, long-beard-wearing, boogie-woogie rock listeners for over 50 years.
His solos are iconic, his riffs legendary, and his legacy unmatched. Albums like Tres Hombres (1973), Tejas (1976), Eliminator (1983), and Afterburner (1985) have stood the test of time. If you spent any amount of time listening to FM radio, you’ve probably heard songs like “La Grange,” “Pearl Necklace,” “Cheap Sunglasses,” and “Sharp Dressed Man,” all of which are defined by Gibbons’ trademark blues-rock badassery.
Though ZZ Top hasn’t released new music since 2012’s La Futura, and his partner in crime, bassist Dusty Hill, passed away in 2021, Gibbons is still plugging away in concert. But with guitar tech turned bassist Elwood Francis in the fold and longtime drummer Frank Beard still backing Gibbons up, there’s hope that the Texas icons will still serve up one more record.
In the meantime, Gibbons has been strutting his stuff onstage throughout 2024. ZZ Top co-headlined a trek with fellow classic rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd. Beyond that, Gibbons is taking things day by day and not sweating them. “The legacy stands as providing the soundtrack to having a good time and staying at it for more than five decades,” he says.
As for what’s next, Gibbons, in typically cryptic fashion, tells Goldmine: “Throughout the eons, the changes within the band are constantly ongoing. We dig ’em; it keeps things lively. Speaking of lively, the spotlight goes to Elwood! Our main man with the new ‘bottom of the top.'”
Adding: “Elwood is a brilliant player and really knows his stuff as a stalwart supporter going past three decades. He’s got the feel and the intuition and has long been a practitioner of the ZZ ethos: do it, do it good, and keep doing it. He has those Dusty shoes to fill and deftly rose to the occasion. That is where it’s at!”
GOLDMINE: What experiences taught you the most about playing guitar as you came up in Texas?
BILLY GIBBONS: Enticing is the word. Modern sounds began emanating from the back-alley joints. They slipped into the ethos, ultimately ripping an unexpected change and radicalizing the sonic landscape with exciting expressions of creativity stepping out of the dark. Mesmerizing moments lay waiting.
Its positivity erupted and not a second too soon ’cause once the genie was outta the bottle, one could say, ‘Stand back, Jack, it’s hell on wheels.’ With records spinning and radios blasting, the time was right to pick up six and slam it like ya like it. Prophetic words from B.B. King: ‘Pick up and play what you wanna hear.’
GM: What about that early Texas scene made it so fertile for guitarists?
BG: The desolation surrounding the beginnings of what became Texas laid lots of time to simply exist, taking on anything — whatever that may be — and get good at gettin’ good. The presence of the Spanish guitar lying about suggests a hint of what was coming… and coming on strong inventiveness from desire.
GM: Was there one player that should have made it but didn’t?
BG: Everybody most likely knows that invisible someone in the wave of insanely appealing skills. There are handfuls of invisible players with the energy and technique that bring idealism-to-applicationism.
GM: Are there any moments or key memories that stick out most for you?
BG: One key memory that might shed light on things was the ever-thriving exchanges between country and western sounds, such as Conjunto compositions mixing with R&B and blues scenes in Texas, from down the borderline, up to San Antone, and throughout the Houston action, all the way around Dallas and Fort Worth and back down to the Gulf Coast and resonating 24/7.
The joints were jumping day and night, and the evidence can easily be found to this day. Just imagine what stomped on the dance floors and what spun ’round the turntables. It was killer diller!
The blues traditions offered a strong impact, running deep and remaining a vivid recollection. Stepping into a recording studio, surrounded by serious microphones and recording equipment and feeling the sound of electric guitar — I was hooked for life.
GM: Once ZZ Top got rolling, what one skill as a guitarist served you best?
BG: Consistency was and is a thread of the ZZ experience. It’s what connects hearing those sounds over a radio and then feeling them front and center on the stage. We’ve done our best to duplicate the studio sound with a live approach and then give it a little something extra.
GM: Can you remember the first time you saw and played [the guitar] Pearly Gates?
BG: Yeah, man! On a ranch outside of town, Pearly was dragged out from a dark corner, and it immediately felt like something special. Of course, she looked pretty much the same as most Les Pauls of the period, yet there was a presence of a powerful inner soul. It was love at first sight, and love at first sight certainly endures.
GM: You’re known for being fearless when it comes to gear. What’s your best tone tip, and how important is good tone and fancy gear?
BG: There’s something out there for just about everyone that can satisfy that ever-elusive search for tones. It’s all about kicking the pre-amp and making the sound stand up and bark! Plug it in, crank it to patent-pending, and thrash.
GM: While recording ZZ Top’s classic albums, did you ever encounter a barrier you needed to overcome?
BG: Some Jimi Hendrix riffs were waiting to be perfected, and that got to get the “how-to” from the man himself. If playing left-handed could be accomplished, there might be a fighting chance, but alas, ambidexterity continues to remain elusive.
GM: There’s some overlap but a distinct difference in ZZ Top’s ’70s and ’80s albums. Which era do you feel closer to?
BG: The earlier versions of ZZ Top were very basic and raw, and as time went on, we encountered more tech gear and how to employ it, which enhanced our sound. We tagged the recent album release, Raw, to share some ideas of how the beginning fits the now.
GM: What’s your greatest accomplishment as a guitarist, and what’s ZZ Top’s greatest accomplishment?
BG: My greatest accomplishment as a guitarist is joining in and being accepted by those who have long inspired us. All the way back, from country bluesmen to the likes of Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor, and Hound Dog Taylor.
And then on to Steve Cropper, Jeff Beck, B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, Jimmie Vaughan, and post-modern rave favorites like Eric Johnson, the Black Keys, Guthrie Trapp, and so many others with Jimi Hendrix beings the crowning collaboration when all is said and done.