Long before hipsters started sporting long beards, ZZ Top made extreme facial hair cool. “The Little Ol’ Band from Texas” has been playing kick-ass, all-American rock & roll reliably since 1969. For most of that time, the lineup consisted of singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist/singer Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard, who, ironically, was the only band member without a beard. Hill passed away in 2021 but ZZ Top still tours with Elwood Francis filling the void.
The Houston-based rockers released their debut studio album, appropriately titled ZZ Top’s First Album, in 1971. They gradually built a loyal following through the 1970s. With the dawn of the 1980s, the band began incorporating synthesizers and drum machines into their songs. They realized peak chart success in the mid-’80s with their albums Eliminator and Afterburner.
ZZ Top And That Car
Eliminator is more than just an album title. As the story goes, ZZ Top’s manager suggested putting Billy Gibbons’s newly customized 1933 Ford coupe on the cover. The souped-up car was built between 1976 and 1983. It was henceforth known as the “Eliminator.” The hot rod quickly became recognizable for its red finish and graphics, and can be seen in several of the band’s music videos, including the three below. Gibbons keeps the vehicle on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, but reportedly still takes it out for a spin whenever he is in the area.
In the edition of the Throwback Threesome, we’re hitting the throttle on some classic videos from ZZ Top’s 1983 Eliminator album. There’s definitely a recurring theme running through all three of them.
