ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill has died at the age of 72. He was a founding member of the US rock band formed in 1969, which toured till the end.

Dusty Hill, bassist of Texas blues rock trio ZZ Top, has died at the age of 72. Hill slept peacefully at home in Houston, Texas, other band members Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard announced on the ZZ Top website.

Hill was one of the long bearded front men of the trio, which were formed in 1969 and achieved their international breakthrough in 1983 with the album “Eliminator”. It featured hits such as “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Men”.

Breakthrough in 1973

ZZ Top was founded in the summer of 1969 in Houston/Texas. Commercial success came with “Tres Hombres” in 1973. The third studio album is now considered a classic. Gibbons, Hill & Beard released six albums in the 1970s alone.

In Germany he gave few performances at the time, in the United States he completed the massive “World Wide Texas Tour” with about 100 concerts from 1976 to 1977. Their last record “La Futura” was released in 2012. ZZ Top was on tour until the very end and played concerts.