Billy Gibbons

Infobox musical artist
Name = Billy Gibbons


Img_capt = Billy Gibbons performing live
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name =
Alias = Reverend Willie G
Born = birth date and age|1949|12|16
Died =
Origin =
Instrument = Guitar
Voice_type =
Genre = Hard rock, blues-rock
Occupation = Guitarist, Songwriter
Years_active = 1967 - present
Label = RCA
Associated_acts = ZZ Top
URL = [http://www.zztop.com Official ZZ Top Website]
Notable_instruments = Gretsch Jupiter Thunderbird
1959 Gibson Les Paul nicknamed "Pearly Gates"
Dean Z

William Frederick (Billy) Gibbons (born December 16, 1949), nicknamed the Reverend Willie G, is best known as the guitarist for ZZ Top. He is also the lead vocalist and composer for many of the band's classic songs. A Houston native, Gibbons is known for playing a classic 1959 Gibson Les Paul guitar he calls "Miss Pearly Gates". He is known to play his guitar using a quarter or a peso as a pick, lending a distinctive sound to his playing, and for his extensive use of flageolets or harmonics.

History in music

Moving Sidewalks

Gibbons founded the Texas psychedelic group the Moving Sidewalks, which recorded several singles and one full-length album, "Flash". The Moving Sidewalks were most prominent for opening for The Jimi Hendrix Experience during the Texas leg of Hendrix's first American tour. Also notable was the Gibbons-penned song "99th Floor," its title a nod to the influence on Gibbons of fellow Texans and pioneering psychedelic band The 13th Floor Elevators. Before that, he was in a band called The Saints with fellow guitarists David Crosswell and Philip Taft.

ZZ Top

He formed ZZ Top in late 1969 with bassist/vocalist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard (both alumni of the bands American Blues, the Warlocks, and the Cellar Dwellers). After honing their trademark Texas Boogie-Blues-Rock style, they released the aptly titled "ZZ Top's First Album" on London Records in 1971.

The band rolled on, intensively touring and recording/releasing albums until 1977, when they took an extended hiatus. Their long-time manager/producer/image maker Bill Ham used this time to negotiate a deal that allowed the band to keep control of their previous recordings, to be distributed by their new label, Warner Bros. Records. They reunited two and a half years later in order to start recording under a new Warner Bros. Records contract. Unbeknownst to the other, both Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons had grown the chest-length beards that quickly became a part of their "wildman" image. Drummer Frank Beard does not have a beard.

The band hit international prominence and their commercial peak with the release of 1983's multi-platinum-selling disc "Eliminator". Named after Gibbon's customized 1933 Ford Coupe (which, along with leggy party girls was featured in several music videos), "Eliminator" featured the hits "Legs", "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "TV Dinners".

In 1994, the band signed a five-disc deal with RCA Records.

In 2003, a comprehensive collection of recordings from the London and Warner Bros. years entitled "Chrome, Smoke & BBQ" was released. In 2004, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They have the distinction of being among a very small group of bands with a 30 year plus history that still has all of its original members. As of 2006, it is reported that ZZ Top is recording their 15th studio album.

Equipment

Guitars

Gibbons often downtunes his guitar to a D, C, B and sometimes even to a A. [http://www.hamptonplace.com/tonedepot/settings/musbg.php] Gibbons sometimes substitutes picks with quarters or mexican pesos.
* 1959 sunburst Gibson Les Paul - Nicknamed Miss Pearly Gates.
* Gibson Les Paul - A close copy of Miss Pearly Gates, used on live performances.
* Gibson "Goldtop" Les Paul - Custom-made by John Bolin with rare pinstriping on body.
* Gretsch Custom built for Bo Diddley later donated to Gibbons, never used live.
* Gretsch Jupiter Thunderbird - A replica modeled after the Bo Diddley custom guitar.
* Gretsch Reversed Jupiter Thunderbird - Same as above, but one of few with an inverted body.
* John Bolin Billy Gibbons Super Model - Telecaster style body with two hollowed out compartments which contain one cigarette in the middle and one 'handrolled' in the neck compartment.
* Custom Telecaster - With rubber top, allowing Gibbons to stab it with knives during live performances.
* Fender Esquire (aka "Bones") - Equipped with Seymour Duncan stacked bridge humbucker to replicate the sound of his Les Paul.
* James Trussart Steelcaster - Telecaster style guitar with steel body and "Rust-O-Matic" finish.
* Dean Explorer - Called the Fuzzy Explorer because of it being covered in fuzzy fur.
* Pink Fender Stratocaster - Donated to Gibbons by Jimi Hendrix.
* Custom-made Telecaster - This guitar is also made by John Bolin called "Big Tex"
* Schoen Guitars Apache Dynamite - 5 stringed Cigar Box Guitar.

Effects

* Z.Vex Nano head - a half-watt tube amplifier. Billy currently uses 4 or 5 of these on stage.

Here are some other effects that he's used over the years:
* Foxx Tone Machine - Billy would use 3 of these all at the same time.
* Pro Analog MKIII Fuzz pedal
* Pro Analog Power Driver
* Pro Analog Dual Drive
* BK Butler Real Tube.
* Bixonic Expandora - Billy would use six of these with different settings.
* Boss OC-3 Super Octave pedal
* Electro-Harmonix POG (Polyphonic Octave Generator)
* Fulltone Ultimate Octave
* Fulltone Dejavibe
* Chandler Tube Drivers
* Keeley Katana Preamp Clean Boost
* Tom Schulz Rockman
* Rockman Pre Amp

The following is a list of rackmount units that Billy currently uses:
* Korg DTR1000 Rackmount Digital Tuner
* Furman Power Conditioner
* Tech 21 Midi Mouse
* 3 Marshall JMP-1 Preamps
* 3 Marshall Valvestate 8008 Power Amps
* 2 Samson UHF UR-50 Wireless Systems
* Palmer PGA-04 ADIB-LB Speaker Simulator

Amplifiers

* 3 Crate Blue Voodoo heads with 6 4x12" cabinets - These were custom-made for Billy and bass player Dusty Hill for their current tour.
* 6 Crate V50 combos - These amps were used in the early 2000's.

These are amplifiers mentioned in various articles:
* Jake Stack Rio Grande amplifiers
* Fender Tweed Deluxe
* Fender Brown Deluxe
* Fender Dual Professional
* Marshall Plexi Super Lead
* Marshall 1968 100 Watt 1x12
* Marshall JCM800
* Marshall JCM900
* Marshall 2x12" cabinet

Discography

The Moving Sidewalks

*"Flash" (1968)

ZZ Top

*"ZZ Top's First Album" (1971)
*"Rio Grande Mud" (1972)
*"Tres Hombres" (1973)
*"Fandango!" (1975)
*"Tejas" (1977)
*"Deguello" (1979)
*"El Loco" (1981)
*"Eliminator" (1983)
*"Afterburner" (1985)
*"Recycler" (1990)
*"Antenna" (1994)
*"Rhythmeen" (1996)
*"XXX" (1999)
*"Mescalero" (2003)

Guest appearances

*First slide guitar lead on the song "Dead End Streets" on the Revolting Cocks album "Cocked and Loaded".
*Guitarist/Vocalist/songwriter on the song "Willin' For Satisfaction" from Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell's solo album "Two Sides Of If".
*Guitarist/vocalist on the song "Burn the Witch" on the Queens of the Stone Age album "Lullabies to Paralyze".
*Gibbons performed with The Raconteurs at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. Gibbons was part of ensemble chosen to play with the band, which included Lou Reed and Jim Jarmusch. The performance was heavily edited and cut short by MTV for broadcast, however the full unedited performance is available on MTV's Website for the VMAs. Although not a full length performance, Gibbons can also be heard playing a few bars of the ZZ Top classic "La Grange"
*Guitarist/vocalist on "Tired Of Your Jive", from the BB King & Friends album "80"
*Guitarist/vocalist on the Nickelback songs "Follow You Home", "Fight for all the wrong reasons" and "Rockstar" from the album "All The Right Reasons"
*Guitarist on the Hank Williams III song "Trashville", from the album "Broke, Lovesick and Driftin'"
*Guitarist/vocalist on the Les Paul & Friends "American Made, World Played" track "Bad Case Of Loving You"
*Guitarist on John Mayall & Friends track "Put It Right Back" from the disc "Along For The Ride"
*Guest vocalist on Kid Rock's "Hillbilly Stomp" (from the disc "Kid Rock").
*Guest guitarist during singer Luis Fonsi's presentation at the 7th Latin Grammy awards held in Madison Square Garden, New York, on November 2, 2006.
*Guest appearance on the sitcom "Yes, Dear". Greg, Jimmy, Kim and Kristine are waiting to be seated at a fancy restaurant and they see Billy Gibbons sitting at a table. Jimmy puts out the candle near his beard because he doesn't want it to ignite.
*Guest appearance on the animated show "King of the Hill".
*Guest appearance on the Fox television series "Bones". Billy Gibbons plays himself, as the father of Angela Pearly Gates Montenegro.
*Guest appearance on the show Criss Angel Mindfreak. Gibbons performs following one of the magician's illusions.
*His most recent television appearance was on Austin City Limits as part of the band backing Roky Erickson. He was also interviewed on a recent episode of KLRU's series Texas Monthly Talks.

Trivia

*In the TV series "Bones" he appears perhaps playing a fictional version of himself, as the father of the character Angela Montenegro portrayed by Michaela Conlin in the episodes "The Man in the Fallout Shelter" and "Stargazer in a Puddle". In this episode it was also revealed that Angela's middle name is "Pearly Gates." Gibbons' signature '59 Gibson Les Paul is named "Miss Pearly Gates." That guitar inspired the Seymour Duncan designed "Pearly Gates" humbucking pickup.

*Was referenced to in the TV Series "Supernatural" by one of the main characters who uses an alias when introducing himself.

*Occasionally is highlighted in the audience on WWE Television, most recently on the February 2 edition of "WWE Smackdown"

*Gibbons is referenced in the song "Razorburn" by the band Lagwagon.

*Gibbons and Hill were once offered $1 million dollars each by the Gillette Corporation to shave off their beards using their product in a TV commercial in 1984. They declined the offer, joking that "We're too ugly without 'em."

*Billy is an ordained minister, and can perform weddings in 49 states.

External links

* [http://www.zztop.com/ ZZ Top Official website]
* [http://www.celebrityrockstarguitars.com/rock/zztop.htm Billy Gibbons guitar article]