ROCKinsights Members

Forgot Password

Not a Member? Sign up here!

Noteworthy Then

12/16/1949 Billy Gibbons born

 

Big happy birthday wishes to the guitar legend in the Little 'ole band from Texas today!  ZZ Top's BIlly Gibbons was born on this day in 1949 in Houston.  His father was a concert pianist and classical music conductor with connections within the southeast Texas music world that allowed him to give his son the chance to get  behind the scenes glimpses of moments that would have a major influence on him. An early one was getting to be a fly on the wall during a B.B. King recording session.  Billy started out as a percussionist and got private lessons with the legendary Tito Puente, writer of the early Santana hit Oye Como Va.  Billy took up guitar at age 13 and later formed a group known as The Moving Sidewalks, a band that got to open some dates of the first Jimi Hendrix Experience US tour.

 

Toward the end of 1969, Billy recruited Frank Beard and Dusty Hill form the band American Blues and formed ZZ Top.

 

Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on December 16 include...

 

1943 Tony Hicks of the Hollies born.

1951 Guitarist Robben Ford born.

1966 Jimi Hendrix releases Hey Joe in England.

1970 5 Creedence Clearwater Revival singles and albums certified Gold on the same day.

1971 Frank Zappa's 200 Motels movie opens in London.

1974 Mott the Hoople breaks-up.

1983 Who make official break-up announcement.

Stephen Stills, former Eagle Don Felder, members of Styx and Nigh Ranger appear at Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding concert in Phoenix, AZ.

2005 Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the estates of George Harrison and John Lennon sue EMI for unpaid royalties in the tens of millions.

2006 Paul McCartney walks away from his business deal with EMI Music..

2007 Dan Fogelberg dies from Prostate cancer.

2013 Rock Hall of Fame announces Peter Gabriel, KISS, Nirvana, Hall & Oates, Linda Ronstadt and Cat Stevens as 2014 inductees.

2018 Ringo Starr and Ron Wood join Paul McCartney on Get Back during Paul's tour closing concert at London's 02 Arena...