WABASH, Ind. – 101.9 ROCKS will welcome Billy F. Gibbons when he performs on Sat., Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Honeywell Center. Best known as the centerpiece and one-third of ZZ Top, Gibbons is instantly recognizable, not only for his signature beard and African headgear, but for being one of the most inventive and dexterous guitarists of the rock era.
Gibbons’ career took off in 1969 with the formation of ZZ Top. Since that time the band has continued to be part of the American musical landscape – the longest-running major rock band still composed of its original members. He and band mates Dusty Hill and Frank Beard were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, most appropriately by Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, a longtime friend of Gibbons’.
His singular looks notwithstanding, Gibbons is even more notable for having been recognized asone of the world’s finest guitarists working in the blues-rock idiom. ZZ Top’s sound owes much to his uncanny knack to squeeze unheard of sounds out of the electric guitar that resonate with the blues, pop, r&b, country, gospel, western, hillbilly and West African influences that coalesced when “rock ‘n roll” was born. His almost subconscious awareness of this heritage makes his an approach that is, at once, innovative and authentic. As a vocalist, his “down ‘n dirty” growl is unmistakable; he sounds ominous and mirthful at the same time, as listeners to such hits as “La Grange,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Cheap Sunglasses” can attest. Tickets are $100, $59 and $49.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.honeywellcenter.org or by calling the Honeywell Foundation Box Office at 260-563-1102.
The Honeywell Foundation is a public charity in Wabash, Indiana. The organization and its venues – Honeywell Center, Honeywell House, Charley Creek Gardens, Dr. Ford Historic Home, Eagles Theatre, and 13-24 Drive In – provide artistic, social, cultural, and recreational opportunities for all. For more information about The Honeywell Foundation, please visit www.honeywellfoundation.org.