ZZ Top's bearded bassist Dusty Hill dead at 72

ZZ Top has announced that Dusty Hill, one of the Texas blues trio's bearded figures and bassist, has died at his Houston home. He was 72. Photo: AP

ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill, the long-bearded bassist for the million-selling Texas blues rock trio known for such hits as Legs and Gimme All Your Lovin', has died at age 72.

In a Facebook post Wednesday (July 28), guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard said Hill died in his sleep. They didn’t give a cause of death, but a July 21 post on the band's website said Hill was "on a short detour back to Texas, to address a hip issue”. At that time, the band said that its longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, would fill in on bass, slide guitar and harmonica.