December 16, 1949 is the date that a new guitar hero was born. Claiming to have been born in Houston Texas, there have been rumors that Billy F. Gibbons was actually born in up-state New York. Regardless of where he was born, Billy is a true Texan. Given his first electric guitar on Christmas Day 1963, he was destined to become one of the most unique guitarists of his generation. Reverend Willy G., Worthless Willy or just Billy, is known as a true master of guitar tones. Many have tried to copy his sound and all have failed. Ted Nugent, a huge ZZ Top fan, has been quoted as saying that he is " prime manipulator of the ZZ Top get down extravaganza", meaning he recognizes Billy’s skill on the guitar. While not recieving his just due from the media, he is well respected by his peers. Billy lead a series of combos during his teen aged years, all setting the ground work for the formation of ZZ Top. Prior to assembling ZZ Top, Billy fronted the band The Moving Sidewalks. The Moving Sidewalks produced only one album, "Flash" in 1968. A psychedelic LP, it is currently available on CD and is worth seeking out. The Moving Sidewalks opened a series of Texas tour dates for Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix once proclaimed that Billy Gibbons was one of the most promising new guitarists on the scene. Billy has certainly lived up to that accolade. Billy is a man of many layers. As well as being a gifted musician, he is also a collector of vintage guitars, African art, a world traveler and an automobile enthusiaist. Billy’s collection of vintage and one of a kind guitars is rivaled only by his collection of the custom cars. All of Billy’s custom cars are based on his own concepts, while relying on custom shops to bring them to fruition. Notable cars in the stable are the 1933 Ford ‘Eliminator’ three window coupe, the 1946 Cadillac ‘Cadzilla’, the 1950 Ford business coupe "Kopperhead’. Also, there is the lowered 1962 Chevy Impala ‘Slampala’ and the 1965 Chevy Impala convertible ‘El Dorado Bar’. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Billy also owns many custom Harley Davidson motorcycles. Among them, ‘Hogzilla’ and ‘ZZ Funk 1’. Billy has also done session work for other musicians over the years. Normally, he is uncredited for his contributions apparantley due to a policy within the Lone Wolf Management company. Songs that we definately know he has contributed to are: "Trashville" with Hank Williams III. "Put It Back" with John Mayall. The following are rumored to have his involvement: "Powder Keg" - Rainer & Das Combo ( as Justis Walkert) "Party Weekend" - Joe "King" Carrasco "Cruel Little Number" - Jeff Healey Band ( as Justis Walkert ) Billy is also rumored to have played on a track for the Paul Rodgers' album "Muddy Waters Blues". He has written songs for Johnny Cash and Dave Edmunds. Unknown to most people, Billy is a philanthropist giving time, money and support to various charities. Billy is in his fifth decade as a professional musician. The years have only sharpened his abilities. <BACK