Although self deprecatingly self styled as a "Little 'ol band from Texas' ZZ TOP have taken a basic Blues Rock formula, added a twist of novelty and timely injections of uniqueness to push the band to the very top echelons of the Rock genre clocking up album sales in excess of 50 million along the way. The successful branding of stoic power trio guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard have made such a global impact over the years that the band's music and the individual musicians themselves are known globally. Famously, ZZ TOP's quirky sense of humour is displayed with pride by both Hill and Gibbons sporting enormous beards whilst Frank Beard remains clean shaven.

Gibbons had been operating as frontman in a Houston blues outfit titled the MOVING SIDEWALKS, an act that impressed JIMI HENDRIX enough for him to invite the band onto one of his TV specials declaring Gibbons to be one of America's finest young players. MOVING SIDEWALKS issued an album 'Flash' on the Tantara label in 1968 and four singles '99th Floor' and 'Need Me' in 1967, 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' in 1968 and 'Flashback' in 1969.

ZZ TOP came into being in 1970 when Gibbons and erstwhile MOVING SIDEWALKS members keyboard player Lanier Grieg and drummer Dan Mitchell switched titles signing to the London subsidiary Scat label for their inaugural 'Salt Lick' single.

Things were not running smoothly however and both Grieg and Mitchell upped and left for the Vietnam war leaving Gibbons holding the baby. This stroke of bad luck was to turn a swift corner though with the manufacture of the classic line up. Incoming were ex-AMERICAN BLUES and WARLOCK man Joe 'Dusty' Hill on vocals and bass and former CELLAR DWELLERS drummer Frank Beard. This power trio, guided by producer and former NOMADS, ROCKS and YELLOW PAYGES member Bill Ham, forged in 1970 has stuck together now for more than three decades.

ZZ TOP spent the 70's touring relentlessly expanding out of their Southern states fan base eventually transferring their concert ticket draw into record sales. By 1972 the band was showing a presence on the singles charts with 'Francene' cracking the top 100.

Strangely the accompanying album 'Rio Grande Mud' failed to chart but burgeoning fan base and accumulative radio plays afforded the follow up 1973's 'Tres Hombres' an instant kudos and it duly crashed straight into the top ten. 'Tres Hombres', featuring the signature tune 'La Grange'- named in honour of the world famous Chicken Ranch whorehouse, soon gained gold sales certification and would become recognised to this day by many fans and critics as ZZ TOP's greatest work. The group truly hit their stride with 'Tres Hombres', their synchronicity gelling on record for the first time with Gibbons guitar prowess coming to the fore.

The half live half studio 'Fandango' continued the pace in 1975. Among new numbers was stage favourite 'Heard It On The X', a group tip of the hat to the many pirate radio stations that had proved so valuable to the band in the formative years. The album broke platinum in America tenaciously hanging on in the album charts for a marathon 83 weeks. The tour that would drift into music legend occurred shortly after. In 1976 ZZ TOP took their 'World Wide Texas' tour on the road literally taking their home state with them. The stage show not only highlighted Texan music but also it's flora and fauna. Audiences and critics were left reeling by a stage show featuring cactus, longhorn steers, rattlesnakes, buzzards and wolves.

Following 'Fandango' ZZ TOP slunk into the shadows denying the public any further studio material for a lengthy three years. During the lull Gibbons jammed with BOB MARLEY in Jamaica prior to involving himself in an art-house project in Paris. Gibbons guitar can be heard on the resulting album by JAQUELINE DU MONET.

1979's 'Deguello', taken from the "march of death" played by invading Mexican soldiers as they stormed Fort Alamo, continued with obvious pride the Texan theme running deep through ZZ TOP's mystique.

The band returned in the biggest manner possible with 1983's groundbreaking 'Eliminator'. ZZ TOP had transformed themselves to take full advantage of the MTV driven video age. The beards and the boogie were still evident but the group's new image of boiler suits and golf caps allied to a string of superbly crafted tongue in cheek videos propelled ZZ TOP to genuine world acclaim. Videos for hit singles 'Gimme All Your Lovin', 'Sharp Dressed Man' and 'Legs', all notably including the now trademark 1933 red Ford Coupe, 'ZZ' key ring and leggy girls, became TV favourites internationally and sales of 'Eliminator' went stratospheric as a whole new audience succumbed to their charm. Even the wacky choreography from the videos made it into the band's stageshows.

'Eliminator's Billboard placing would belie it's real success. Although the album only attained a no. 9 placing it would remain in the top twenty for nearly a year steadily clocking up over 10 million album sales. The band shifted radically once more in 1985 for 'Afterburner' bringing onboard tight click drum samples and layered synths. In keeping with the image overhaul the 'Eliminator' car would be revamped into a space shuttle on the album cover and the sci-fi wizardry of the video for the 'Rough Boy' single. Bolstered by a batch of hit singles 'Afterburner' too sold in legion.

The 1992 Warner Bros. Swansong compilation 'Greatest Hits' would also sell in droves. The album was complemented by a new recording of the ELVIS PRESLEY staple 'Viva Las Vegas'.

ZZ TOP signed to the RCA label for the 1994 'Antenna' record. The album would find the band jettisoning the synthesisers and stripped back down to a lean honest to goodness Blues trio. The recording sessions would spill over into two extra tracks, 'Everything'- used as a European bonus cut, and 'Mary's'- found as back up on the 'Breakaway' CD single.

September of 1996 found ZZ TOP back in the groove with the release of the 'Rhythmeen' album. A whole host of singles would be lifted from the record including 'She's Just Killing Me'- also included on the 'From Dusk Till Dawn' movie soundtrack, the album title track and 'What's Up With That'. The latter CD single package included an unreleased track 'Stop Beatin' Down Blues'. Naturally Japanese versions of the album boasted an extra exclusive track 'Isn't Love Amazing'.

Touring for 'Rhythmeen' commenced with the June 'Continental Safari' dates which besides the regular round of European concerts saw the band taking in such far flung climes as Russia and South Africa. In January the band received huge national TV coverage by playing at the halftime break in the Superbowl final. ZZ TOP would return to America to put in a showing at the Billboard awards then resume live action in Scandinavia before a return to U.S. arenas in March of 1997. This leg of the tour, dubbed the 'Mean Rhythm' dates, would witness Canadian dates and the band's first ever gig in Alaska. The band would continue their tradition of off beat television appearances by playing live at the VH1 Fashion Awards in October of 1997. Dusty Hill would also put in an amusing cameo appearance on 'The Drew Carey Show' the following year and on to cap it all Texan governor George W. Bush declared May 15th 'ZZ Top Day' in Austin.

ZZ TOP's 30th anniversary in 1999 would be celebrated in style with the September release of the suitably titled 'XXX' album. The record, heralded by the single 'Fearless Boogie', would include four live tracks recorded in small club venues including a reworked 'Pincushion' newly entitled 'Sinpusher'. Japanese editions of the album included an extra exclusive track 'Ninja Shak'. Unfortunately, 'XXX' found little favour with fans and sold poorly, only making it to no. 100 on the Billboard charts.

The band got to grips with promotion by performing 'Fearless Boogie' on the top ranking David Letterman American TV show upfront of an announcement of an enormous world tour in alliance with Southern legends LYNYRD SKYNYRD. However, after completing more than 100 gigs across America, Australia and New Zealand a fatigued Dusty Hill was diagnosed with the dangerous Hepatitis C virus and all remaining dates were cancelled. Thankfully Hill made a full recovery.

During 2001 Billy Gibbons would lend his guitar dexterity to the debut album from actor BILLY BOB THORNTON 'Beauty And The Back Door'. The bearded one would also guest with JOHN MAYALL on his 'Along For The Ride' opus and even Rap Metal household name KID ROCK at the MTV 20th anniversary show performing 'If I Was The President'.

ZZ TOP would remind the American public of their tenacity by performing at the inauguration ceremony at the Mariot Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C. for President George W. Bush. Fans noted with interest the band delivering a new song 'Man Upstairs' but Dusty Hill's threat to transform 'Tush' into 'Bush' thankfully for decorum's sake proved an idle one. The band united with TED NUGENT, DOUBLE TROUBLE and KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD for the 'Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers' North American tour, commencing 25th April at the Century Tel Centre, Bossier City, Louisiana.

ZZ TOP made a belated return in 2003 brandishing a new Billy Gibbons produced album 'Mescalero'. Included would be the song 'Tramp', made popular during the 1960s by the late OTIS REDDING, and an unaccredited closing track 'As Time Goes By'. Road work in the US during the Summer of 2004 would be extensive. In August Billy Gibbons guested on a new QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE album sessions, 'Lullabies To Paralyse', laying down guitar on a cover of ZZ TOP's 'Precious And Grace'. Gibbons also donated the brand new song ''Willin' For Satisfaction' to DEF LEPPARD guitarist VIVIAN CAMPBELL's solo album 'Two Sides Of If'.

Billy Gibbons also headed up a metalized version of THE BEATLES 'Revolution' for the Restless Records tribute album 'Butchering The Beatles' released in October 2006, this track also involving guitarist VIVIAN CAMPBELL from DEF LEPPARD, Mike Porcaro of TOTO on bass and Gregg Bisonnette of the DAVID LEE ROTH band on drums.