ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons admits risky opening for Jimi Hendrix 'You've got a lot of NERVE!’

Before forming ZZ Top, Billy Gibbons was a member of psychedelic blues rocks band The Moving Sidewalks. And during the mid-1960s the group had the honour of going on tour with 27 Club members Jimi Hendrix and The Doors’ Jim Morrison. Now Gibbons has revealed how he managed to impress Hendrix with a seriously cheeky move when opening for the guitar legend.

Speaking exclusively with Express.co.uk, the 70-year-old admitted: “Oh man!

“We hit it off in a rather unexpected manner.

“Our contract required us to play for 45 minutes and at that time the only way we could complete the run was to include two numbers by Jimi Hendrix [laughs].

“Which was kinda chancy I must say.”

billy gibbons and jimi hendrix

ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons admits risky opening for Jimi Hendrix ‘You’ve got a lot of NERVE!’ (Image: GETTY)

jimi and moving sidewalks

Jimi Hendrix and The Moving Sidewalks (Image: GETTY)

Gibbons continued: “And I remember wrapping up the set, coming off the stage, there was Jimi in the shadows – off to the side with his arms folded.

“But he was grinning and as I passed by he grabbed me.

“And said, ‘I like you, you’ve got a lot of nerve!’’

The 70-year-old’s time working with Hendrix features in a new documentary film on ZZ Top’s half-century together.

zz top doc poster

ZZ Top’s new documentary movie (Image: ER)

Titled ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band From Texas, Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard feature as talking heads in a host of new interviews as they tell the story of their iconic rock band.

Gibbons said: “My initial thought was Gee, how do you comprise five decades into 90 minutes? It was quite the challenge.

“And, of course, every good story has an ending. But in this case, we’re still going.

“[Director Sam Dunn] did an excellent, excellent job I must say.”

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During the interview, Gibbons also gave an exciting update on 2020 plans for ZZ Top’s new album. The last time they made a studio album was in 2012 with La Futura.

Since then, Gibbons has released his first two solo records, with the latest being 2018’s The Big Bad Blues.

Nevertheless, the trio are now gearing up to work on what will be their sixteenth studio album together.

As usual, ZZ Top have been jamming at their favourite hang out down in Houston, Texas.

Gibbons said: “It’s called Foam Box recordings [and] where we get to gather and try out a few new things. In fact, I was just on the phone just yesterday with the noted producer Mr Rick Rubin.

“Rick’s got a few ideas that he threw into the mix. He’s raring to get us back in the room. He likes to work on the West Coast, so it’s between Texas and California where we dream this stuff up.

“So it’ll be coming up, probably in the next few months I hope. It’s a bit premature for a proper announcement, but it’ll be forthcoming, yeah.”

ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band From Texas will be released via Eagle Rock Entertainment on DVD, Blu-ray and digitally on February 28, 2020.

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