Best known as the lead guitarist and lead vocalist of the rock band ZZ Top Billy Gibbons was born in Houston, Texas. He has made a name with his band ZZ Top and is considered one of the best influencers in the guitar world. The wonderful respect he gets all over the world is immense and we have news about his own biggest influence.
The star has always been a big fan of country music since his childhood. Country music has deep roots in both the rock and pop worlds. What Billy did was mix two of the best genres out there and create a masterpiece.
Gibbons in his earlier years, was in his first band, The Moving Sidewalks. Back then, the only one who didn’t have facial hair in the band was Frank Lee Beard. He was alongside Dusty Hill in Bass. The band gradually were making name for themselves, and their third studio album was one of the most loved albums back in the day. It had hit songs like ‘Jesus Just Left Chicago and ‘La Grange’. Also, MTV played a big role, and boosted them, as their synth-heavy album, Eliminator was suitable for TV.
In an interview, he revealed that one of his biggest influences growing up was Jimmy Reed. He added, “Upon listen after listen after listen, one may come across the realization that, though the forms seem simplistic, Jimmy Reed recordings are very complex.”
Reed was a blues musician from Mississippi. He was known for his relaxed and easygoing style and wrote songs that were relevant to his life. Jimmy was also the guy who played blues and had a great role in shifting the genre from acoustic to electric blues. His recording career started in 1953 with hits like ‘Honest I Do, ‘Baby’, and ‘Bright Lights, Big City’. To this day, he is a legend when it comes to blues. Gibbons surely had inspiration from one of the best blues artists of the 20th century.
