The Unique Guitar Blog: ZZ Top's Bass Player Dusty Hill Passes Away July 27th, 2021

Joseph Michael Hill, who was know as Dusty Hill since he was a child, passed away on Tuesday, July 27, at his home. The cause of death was undetermined.

Joseph Michael
"Dusty" Hill

There are a few things we can surmise. In 2000, Hill was diagnosed with hepatitis C and ZZ Top canceled their European tour. Hill resumed work in 2002. Then in 2014, Hill fell on his tour bus and injured his hip, requiring surgery. Part of that tour was canceled. Most recently on July 23, 2021, Hill left the groups current tour due to problems with his hip. The band performed without him at the Village Commons in New Lenox, Illinois, with the band's guitar tech, Elwood Francis, filling in on the bass guitar.

A Very Young Dusty Hill

Dusty Hill was born in Dallas, Texas, on May 19, 1949. He and his older brother, Rocky Hill (also a musician), were raised in the Lakewood neighborhood of East Dallas. The boys attended Woodrow Wilson High School where Dusty learned to play the cello. Hill grew up listening to blues music, which, was uncommon in white families of that era. Dusty recalled shocking the parents of his childhood friends when he brought over records by Muddy Waters or Son House to their houses for his friends to enjoy.

Dusty At A Very Young Age

Dusty began singing for money with his brother Rocky at the young age of 8. Brother Rocky Hill, played guitar and formed a band with a friend who was a drummer and they recruited young Dusty to sing with that band. He eventually learned to play bass guitar at the age of 13.

Unlike many bass players, he never learned to play guitar first he took straight away to the bass. When interviewed Hill said, "I kind of learned how to play on stage and whatnot, and embarrassment is a great motivator. If you don't play well, standing up there with lights on it really stands out, so it behooves you to get your shit up pretty quick."

Dusty did not enjoy school, and states he had poor grades; "Part of the problem was that by the time I was 13 I was already playing in local bars and making money, so school kinda' got in the way of that and I resented it.”

Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill
and Frank Beard

After leaving school, Hill, his brother Rocky, and future fellow ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard played in some local Dallas bands known as the Warlocks, the Cellar Dwellers, and finally settled on the name American Blues. From 1966 to 1968, American Blues played the Dallas-Fort Worth-Houston circuit.

Hill and Beard in
The Fake Zombies

In 1969, Hill was hired by a promoter to be a member of a fake version of the British band The Zombies along with Frank Beard. Hill recalled, "Being a musician in Texas had its own set of risks ... and at that time we had long, blue hair – in the 60s in Texas. I got probably less shit about having blue hair than about having long hair, because I believe they thought I was crazy."

It was around 1968 when American Blues relocated from Dallas to Houston. At this time, Rocky wanted to focus on "straight blues", while Dusty wanted the band to rock more so Rocky left the group. Dusty and Beard went on to Houston.

Salt Lick - ZZ Top's first single

It was there that they joined guitarist-vocalist Billy Gibbons of the Houston psychedelic band called Moving Sidewalks. The group the changed the name to ZZ Top, just after they released their first single "Salt Lick", in 1969. With Gibbons as the main lyricist and arranger, Dust played bass and keyboards and sang lead on a few songs. In 1971 the band’s manager Bill Ham and engineer Robin Hood Brians helped to create ZZ Top's First Album in 1971.

This album exhibited the band's humor, with "barrelhouse" rhythms, distorted guitars, double entendres, and innuendo. The music and songs reflected ZZ Top's blues influences. Following their debut album, the band released Rio Grande Mud in 1972, which produced their first charting single, "Francine". Two years later, in 1973 they released the album, Tres Hombres.

Early Promo Picture
of ZZ Topp

By then ZZ Top perfected its heavy blues style and amplified its Texas roots. The boogie rock single "La Grange" brought the band their first hit, with it just missing the Billboard Top 40.

In 1975 Dusty Hill sang lead vocal on "Tush", the band's first Top 20 hit and one of its most popular songs. Then on the 1976 album Tejas Hill took the vocal lead on "Pan Am Highway Blues", "Avalon Hideaway" and "Ten Dollar Man", and sang as a duet with Billy Gibbons on "It’s Only Love”.

That same year, after almost seven years of touring and a string of successful albums, ZZ Top went on hiatus for three years while Beard dealt with his addiction problems.

Dusty Hill

Remarkably Dusty Hill spent the period working at The Dallas Fort Worth Airport, saying he wanted to "feel normal" and "ground himself" after years spent performing. He was rarely recognized, but if he was recognized by fans who asked him “Are you Dusty Hill?” He responded by saying "No! Do you think I’d be working here?"

Cheap Sunglasses

Regrouping in 1979, when the group returned with the album Degüello, Gibbons and Hill revealed their new image of matching massive beards and sunglasses. Their hit singles from this period, "Cheap Sunglasses" and "Pearl Necklace", showed a more modern sound.

ZZ Top in Back To The Future

Dusty Hill made some on-screen appearances include Back to the Future Part III, and Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme.

Back in December of 1984, Hill accidentally shot himself in the abdomen when his derringer fell from his boot and discharged.

Hill said, "To this day, I don't know how I could do it. But I didn't really feel anything at the time. All I knew was that I had to get myself to a hospital straight away, so I got in the car and drove there. It was only when I arrived at the hospital that the seriousness of what I'd done hit me, and I went into shock.". He made a full recovery.

Dusty and Charleen Hill

Dusty Hill married his longtime girlfriend, actress Charleen McCrory in 2002. The couple have one daughter.

In the July 20, 2009 appeared in an episode of WWE Raw and in Deadwood.

Dusty in 'King Of The Hill'

Dusty Hill appeared as a cartoon version of himself in the 11th-season episode of King of the Hill called "Hank Gets Dusted". In the episode which Hank Hill is said to be Dusty's cousin.

Hill also made an appearance on The Drew Carey Show as himself auditioning for a spot in Drew's band, but was rejected because of his attachment to his trademark beard which he referred to as a 'Texas Goatee'.

2004 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Dusty Hill was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of ZZ Top in 2004.

Then on July 27tth 2021 Dusty Hill’s death was announced.

As a spokesman for the band Billy Gibbons confirmed that ZZ Top would continue with Francis, per Hill's wishes. According to Gibbons, "Dusty (recently) emphatically grabbed my arm and said, 'Give Elwood the bottom end, and take it to the Top.' He meant it, amigo. He really did."

Dusty's Final Show

Gibbons and Beard memorialized their friend by saying, "We are saddened by the news today that our compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, Texas. 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."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote on Twitter: "Today we lost a great friend and a remarkable Texan." Several rock musicians and contemporaries paid condolences through social media, including Paul Stanley, Ozzy Osbourne, John Fogerty, Flea, Zakk Wylde, Tony Iommi, David Coverdale, Scorpions and the Allman Brothers Band.

1971 Telecaster
Bass

Throughout most of his career Dusty Hill preferred to use a Fender Telecaster bass guitar, or a custom made bass in the style of the Telecaster bass.

The Fender Telecaster bass was introduced by Fender in 1968 and was essentially a rebranding of the original 1951 Fender Precision Bass guitar. This guitar was highly influenced by Fender's Telecaster. It had one single coil open pickup in the center of its body with four pole pieces. This was covered with a chromed metal palm rest. The two piece adjustable bridge was similar to a Telecaster bridge. The strings were routed to the metal grommets on the instruments back.

The bridge was also covered with a metal palm rest. Unlike the modern Precision Bass this instruments body had no contours.

1952 Fender
Precision Bass

The neck was originally made of maple, with a 'skunk' stripe and was topped with a headstock that resembled the Telecaster headstock, and it had four paddle style tuning machines. The instruments control panel was mounted on a chrome metal plate similar to what was found on a Telecaster guitar, but there was only a volume and tone control.

1968 Fender Telecaster Bass

In 1968 Fender reissued this same instrument as the Telecaster Bass. The headstock had a "Fender Telecaster" decal mounted on it, with an additional smaller decal that said "Bass". Like the original 1951 P-Bass, this instrument came with a large pickguard that covered both cutaway horns.

The differences were this reissue had a maple capped neck with no 'skunk' stripe on the back and not all instruments came with the paddle style tuners.

1974 Fender Telecaster Bass

The Telecaster Bass was discontinued in 1979, only to be reissued under the Squier brand in 2007, which had some updated features. From pictures it appears that Dusty Hill had played later model Precision Basses early in his career before settling on the Telecaster Bass.

Both Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill discovered Bolin Guitars and have been using these custom built instruments a good portion of their career.

Founded in 1978,by John Bolin, Bolin Guitars, LLC has built some of the most innovative guitars in rock and roll history. A list of their satisfied customers include; Billy F. Gibbons, Jimmy Page, Steve Miller, Dusty Hill, Lou Reed, Doc Watson, Albert King, Bo Diddley, Joe Perry, and Keith Richards & Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones.

Bolin "Peeler"
Bass

Bolin’s big break came in 1985, when John acted on a friend’s suggestion to build a guitar for Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, who were playing in Boise Idaho. After intense homework and hours in the shop, John managed to build a not only a guitar, but also a matching bass. In two weeks, the shop turned out a hot-rod influenced design covered in a metal-flake candy apple red paint job.

ZZ Top with Bolin Instruments

In a risky move, the night of show John snuck back stage and introduced himself to Billy, who lowered his sunglasses and said, “Get your best and meet me in the green room in ten.” As Billy played through both the bass a guitar, 2 minutes turned in to 20 and within 24 hours Billy and John had stuck their first deal.

This is the moment that began the working relationship between Bolin Guitars and ZZ Top and has helped Bolin Guitars create exceptional instruments.

Dusty With His
Bolin Bass

With input from other craftsmen and the artists who play them, today, they have collaborated on over 200 of the most creative and innovative guitars in rock & roll. Most of the bass guitars that Dusty has played through his career were custom made models built by Bolin guitars. You may note some of these only have a volume control which allows Dustys' bass to have more punch.