Bassist Dusty Hill was born Joe Michael Hill on May 19, 1949 in Texas. Music came early in Dusty’s life. As a child, he often entertained his mother’s friends with a rendition of an Elvis Presley song. By the time he was in his early teens, Dusty was playing bass in strip clubs in the Dallas area. Soon, he graduated to backing up big name blues musicians such as Freddie King and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Dusty and his brother, Rocky, formed their first band called The Warlocks, eventually recording and releasing two singles before moving on to form yet another band, The American Blues. It was at this time, Dusty met his future musical partner drummer Frank Beard. The American Blues released two albums - "American Blues Is Here" in 1967 and "Do Their Thing" in 1969. Both of which are available on CD. American Blues disbanded and Frank Beard auditioned for a Houston guitar slinger, named Billy Gibbons, that was forming a new band. Once Frank was on board, he suggested that his old friend Dusty Hill be given an audition as bassist. ZZ Top was born. Dusty is unique in the world of blues/rock. He not only knows exactly how to lay a perfect bass foundation for any song, he has one of the blusiest voices in music today. As with any ZZ Top song, you know you are hearing ZZ Top. When Dusty is handling the vocals, you know who you are listening to. In May of 2000, Dusty suffered from fatigue and was diagnosed as having Hepatitis C. A ZZ Top world tour was cancelled so Dusty could recieve medical treatment for the disease. Today Dusty appears to have made a full recovery and is back to doing what he does best and that is full throttle rock. March 2002 saw Dusty wed his long time companion Charleen ‘Chuck’ McCrory in Houston. While admitting that he is not a car enthusiast on the same level as Billy, Dusty does like nice, fast cars and has a penchant for driving fast. Another hobby that he enjoys is Poker. He is also an avid Houston Rockets fan and can be seen attending many of their games. He also enjoys attending professional wrestling matches. Aside from the music he produces, Dusty is known for his quick, down-home wit. He can always be counted on to throw out a zinger or two during an interview that completely catches the interviewer of guard. Dusty is an integral part of the ZZ Top machine. Long may they rock! <BACK