It was a monument of blues rock.
Since his first concert with ZZ Top on February 10, 1970 in Beaumont, Texas, Joseph “Dusty” Hill had never left his two companions, the band's founder, guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Lee Beard.
They are the ones who, “sad”, announced in a press release that the bassist died at the age of 72 years.
“Today our compadre, Dusty Hill, passed away in his sleep at his home in Houston, Texas. We, as well as the legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your constant presence, your good humor and your unwavering commitment
(…)
. We will miss you very much, amigo ”.
A native of Dallas, Hill was the backbone of the group. On his bass line came the traditional sounds of Texan rock and blues. The musician began his career alongside his guitarist brother and Frank Beard in local groups like the Warlocks or the American Blues. Before the two Hill brothers quarrel and the group ZZ Top is formed, under the impetus of the genius of the guitar, Billy Gibbons.
If the mystery around the origin of this name still hovers - one of the versions would like it to be a tribute to BB King and that the group initially wanted to be called ZZ King - success came very quickly, from 1973, for the trio.
From their second album (out of fifteen published in total)
Tres Hombres
, considered by fans as their best, notably thanks to what would become a rock classic,
La Grange
, a song inspired by life in a Texan brothel.
After several comebacks, the group continued to perform, cultivating a certain nostalgia.
In 2019, the three bearded men were among the headliners of Hellfest.
This was Dusty Hill's last appearance in France.
Friday, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard had performed their first concert in half a century without their historic bassist, explaining that the latter had been forced to stop the scene for a hip problem.
Adding that their friend would be replaced for their tour this summer.
A date was scheduled for Wednesday evening, in Simpsonville (South Carolina), but a message announcing the cancellation of the concert appeared on the ticketing platform.
"Your unwavering presence, your good humor and your continued commitment to providing this monumental base for the 'Top' will be missed by us and the legions of ZZ Top fans around the world,"
concluded Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard, aware that a part of the history of American rock and blues had just collapsed.