![]() ![]() The 16-year-old girls!” To appreciate this quote, keep in mind that in the Eighties, no American male rock bands were willing to admit having teenage-girl fans, at least not without treating those girls as a sexualized punch line. Then the videos came along, and now we’ve recaptured the 16-year-old girls. You know, our audience grew up with us until the videos, and they were beginning to get a little long in the tooth. As Dusty Hill told Creem, “The videos have given us a younger audience. These videos made them heroes to New Wave misfits, winning them a new female fandom. The leering bullies in the “Legs” burger joint get their asses kicked by an alliance of babes and bikers, while ZZ Top cheer them on. The villains in these videos are sexist men - the party girl in “Sharp Dressed Man” gets groped by her sleazy date, until she pours champagne on his crotch. They were out here in the parking lots of Strip Mall America, tossing the keys to the shy girl who works at Yolanda’s Shoe Salon, rooting for the underdog. ZZ Top embraced the playful gender burlesque of MTV, way ahead of their peers. Pop Smoke Receives Royal Tribute in 'Demeanor' Video With Dua Lipaĭan Auerbach on ZZ Top's Dusty Hill: 'It Would Have All Crumbled Without Him'Īngels and Airwaves Soundtrack a Wild Night in Vegas in 'Losing My Mind' These guys always got the joke, at a time when other bands were still just nervously lip-syncing in front of brick walls. ZZ Top reveled in the humor and ridiculousness of it all, busting their synchronized dance moves and spinning their white-fur guitars. Against all odds, the weird beards turned out to be the old-school rockers who best adapted to the Eighties music-video revolution. (The channel turns 40 this Sunday.) But they changed everything about their story with their synth-y reinvention on Eliminator and the classic video trilogy of “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Legs,” made with director Tim Newman. ZZ Top had a long career before MTV even existed. As Billy Gibbons said, shrugging, “Dusty and I don’t fit too well with Giorgio Armani.” And they did it without cleaning up their look: beards, hats, cheap sunglasses. The little ol’ band from Tejas, the most proudly unfashionable rockers around, became MTV’s unlikeliest superstars ever. But Dusty was more than just a legendary bluesman - he and ZZ Top helped define music videos in the early Eighties, conquering MTV with their Eliminator Trilogy. He was a beer drinker, hell-raiser, sharp-dressed broom duster, and bassist in the same trio for more than 50 years. And after all this time, we all know what winds up the others and what makes them the people they are.The world is mourning today for the late, great Dusty Hill of ZZ Top, who died Tuesday. We also have enough in common to maintain a bond between us but sufficient differences to keep our individuality. “We still love it, and we still get a kick out of being onstage. “It’s a cliché and sounds so simplistic, but it’s down to the three of us genuinely enjoying playing together,” Hill said in 2014. That’s an absolutely astounding feat when you consider that most rock groups of that era have shifted lineups countless times. ZZ Top’s first album in 1971 was created by Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and Dusty Hill, and that trio remained rock solid for 50 years. That show marked the end of one of the single most enduring lineups in the history of rock & roll. They played a 15-song set centered largely around their hits, including “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “La Grange,” “Tush,” and “Legs.” Here is fan-shot video of “Gimme All Your Lovin.'” It’s quite likely that Hill was in pain that night, but with his face hidden behind his signature sunglasses and long beard, it’s impossible to tell. ![]() The band’s last gig with Hill took place on July 18th at Louisville, Kentucky’s Iroquois Amphitheater. ![]() Elwood Francis, their trusted guitar tech of the past two decades, into play with his slide guitar, bass guitar and harmonica playing in full swing.” “With that directive, ZZ Top has put the services of Mr. “Per Dusty’s request the show must go on!” the band said at the time. Hill had been enduring shoulder and hip issues for the past few years, and he departed the ongoing ZZ Top tour after just a couple of gigs to heal back at home. ![]()
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