Dusty Hill passed on. They say either on 27/28 of July 2021.
It's a real bummer, but it often comes too quickly and unexpected.
They played together for 50 years which makes them the longest lasting original formation of any rock band.
Seems like the "Bass-Power" was transferred to Elwood Francis, their guitar tech. According to news, Dusty expressed that as a last wish before he passed on. The tour dates are still up, so far.

Their first big hit was La Grange, about a brothel in LaGrange, Texas.

This was a real place. Around 1970 I was in a town called Liberty Hill, Texas which was then a sleepy little town in the Texas Hill Country, and I asked the guy I was visiting what there was to do in town. He suggested we go to the Chicken Ranch, which was what the locals called the place.

I turned him down. About a year later a TV reporter out of Houston was trying to make a name for himself so he did a big story on the Chicken Ranch and insisted the DPS close it down. So they did. The guy was Marvin Zindler and there are still a lot of people today that hate the guy for this one thing.

After the publicity ZZ Top wrote a song about it. This was tricky legally under Texas law because they were advertising a brothel. But it no longer existed, so were they really?

Some company in Dallas bought the original building, had it moved to Greenville Ave. in Dallas, which was a restaurant district, and opened it as the Chicken House Chicken House. They even hired the former Madam, Miss Edna, as the official greeter.

A musical was written about it. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas was the title but the show is more about Texas politics. It is so close to the truth of Texas politics I could even pick out the exact people the show was making fun of.

But what made ZZ Top great was not the Chicken House. It was their talent. Not many acts can still command the crowds they do after fifty years.

Damn, he will be missed .

Thanx for the history lesson about 'the best little'.....

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

He got Eliminator-ed

The place got the name Chicken House because during the Great Depression the joint was known for taking chickens in trade for, uh, services.

Well that settles it. I will bring a sack of chickens to the local sleazy bar next time around. Is it better to bring meat birds or layers?

" Well that settles it. I will bring a sack of chickens to the local sleazy bar next time around. Is it better to bring meat birds or layers? " .

Well, you're trying to get laid so mayhap a 'Layer' isn't the best thing to bring to the table so to speak....

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

If you look on a map you will see LaGrange is not far from College Station. That's the home of Texas A&M.

During the depression none of the students had money but they had chickens because they raised all sorts of livestock at the school. Ag was one of the main subject taught there, the students are known as Aggies.

Back then this was an all male school. It was partnered with Texas Women's University in Denton. Denton is about 250 miles away so the Aggies would usually travel there by the busload to date the girls.

Chickens were available and money was not, and LaGrange is much closer to College Station than Denton.

It is all about perspective