News

ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill has died aged 72, says US rock group

Dusty Hill, the bassist in the American rock group ZZ Top, has died aged 72.

A statement on the band's Instagram account read: "We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX.

"We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the 'Top'.

"We will forever be connected to that Blues Shuffle in C. You will be missed greatly, amigo. Frank & Billy."

The social media message was signed by the group's other members, drummer Frank Beard and guitarist Billy Gibbons.

The band had been due to play in Simpsonville, South Carolina, on Wednesday, but a venue manager said the gig had been cancelled, according to NBC.

On Friday, the group announced that Hill, its "fearless" bass player, was "on a short detour back to Texas, to address a hip problem and "trusted guitar tech", Mr. Elwood Francis, would stand in.

Hill wasn't ZZ Top's original bass player, but he joined shortly before they recorded their debut album, ZZ Top's First Album, in 1971.

Throughout the 50 years since, the line-up stayed as just Hill, Gibbons, and Beard, making them one of the most stable acts in rock history.

After brief success in the '70s, their big break came after a three-year hiatus during which Hill worked at an airport.

After re-forming, they hit gold with 1983's Eliminator, the album that sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and turned them into MTV stars.

The singles Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme All Your Lovin', and Legs are still staples of rock radio in the US.

Even though their recording success died away in the Nineties, the band never stopped touring and always maintained a huge following.

They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 by Keith Richards.

Whitesnake's David Coverdale called him a "beautiful soul", while Slash, of Guns'n'Roses, posted a picture of Hill, with the message "RIP Dusty Hill".

John Fogerty said he was "devastated" by the news, while Hill''s fellow bassist, Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, tweeted, "Ahhhh man, I love Dusty Hill."

Paul Young tweeted that he had "loved this band since I was 14" while Texas governor Greg Abbott called him "a great friend and a remarkable Texan".

Kiss frontman Paul Stanley called him an "icon" and "gentleman". Hill, he tweeted, could rest "however you damn well choose".

It follows the deaths on Tuesday of Joey Jordison, a founding member of Slipknot and Metal Church's Mike Howe.

Source: msn.com
Added automatically
466 views