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[Page S2768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
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50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ZZ TOP
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, today I recognize and congratulate
the Texas blues rock band ZZ Top on their 50th anniversary. It is only
fitting that this group kicks off their anniversary tour in their home
State of Texas.
With plenty of gas in the tank, Dusty, Billy, Frank, and the rest of
their crew will be traveling to more than 60 cities across 14 countries
in their commemorative tour. An appropriate reminder of ZZ Top's
history, this tour clearly shows they have been able to reach millions
of fans across the globe for decades.
In 1969, two rival blues rock bands in Houston, TX--Billy's Moving
Sidewalks and Frank and Dusty's American Blues--coalesced into one
band, ZZ Top. Two years later, they dropped their first album, aptly
titled, ``ZZ Top's First Album.''
Bandmates Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and Dusty Hill have been
writing songs and creating a musical fusion between blues and southern
rock since their formation and have never looked back. Though they draw
inspiration from music greats like Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Cream, George
Jones, and Texas blues guitarist Freddie King, all of their influences
transform into one singularly unique sound.
In 1973, the band released its third album ``Tres Hombres,'' which
catapulted them to the national spotlight with the hit song ``La
Grange,'' still one of ZZ Top's signature songs.
ZZ Top's momentum and success built during its first decade
culminated in the legendary 1976 tour entitled the World Wide Texas
Tour, a production that included a longhorn, a buffalo, buzzards,
rattlesnakes, and a Texas-shaped stage. If their tour wasn't proof
enough that things are bigger in Texas, then maybe their record sales
will convince you otherwise.
The band has sold over 50 million records worldwide, and their 1983
album ``Eliminator,'' sold more than 10 million copies and included
rock hit ``Sharp Dressed Man.''
``The Little Ol' Band From Texas'' has played for millions of fans
across the globe, Sweden to Australia, Japan to Germany. The band is
among a select few to say they have toured the globe for half a
century.
ZZ Top also lays undisputed claim to being the longest running major
rock band with the original members intact. Their iconic beards,
powerful rock anthems, dedication to music, and impressive artistic
talent has sustained them as a perennial rock power, whose music will
stand the test of time.
Over five decades of creating music, ZZ Top earned eight Top 40 hits
on the Billboard Hot 100; six No. 1 mainstream rock hits; and ranked
44th on VH1's 2000 ``100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists.''
ZZ Top's accomplishments throughout the years culminated in their
induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, where they are
recognized as some of the greatest rock artists in the world.
I congratulate Billy, Frank, and Dusty on their 50th anniversary and
wish them luck as they embark on their year of touring around the
world.
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