NDIO, CA – APRIL 25: Musicians Dusty Hill (L) and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top perform onstage during day two of 2015 Stagecoach, California’s Country Music Festival, at The Empire Polo Club on April 25, 2015 in Indio, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – ZZ Top announced one of their members passed away in his sleep Wednesday.
Dusty Hill, the bassist and secondary lead vocalist of the band, died in his Houston home at age 72.
“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’,” the band said in a Facebook post. “We will forever be connected to that “Blues Shuffle in C.”
ZZ Top is scheduled to come to the Cowan Center in Tyler Dec. 1.
Previously, the band announced that Hill would go back to Texas while the band was on tour to “address a hip issue.” Guitar tech Elwood Francis filled his place on tour.
ZZ Top has come to East Texas before, playing at the Oil Palace in April 2010 and October 2012.
According to TMZ, Hill is a founding member of the band since 1969. He is one of the two famous bearded, sunglasses wearing members of the band, along with Billy Gibbons.
ZZ Top has been recognized by several different music organizations, especially in their home of the Lone Star State. They’ve had several records go gold, platinum, multi-platinum and one diamond.