Continued from Part 2…

Now, if you'll indulge me, I'd like to do a bit of word association: I’m gonna give y’all a name, and you just tell me whatever comes to your mind.

Frank Beard:  Uh-oh

Muddy Waters…

Billy F. Gibbons:  The master.

Dusty Hill:  Beautiful [smiles widely].

Bill Ham…

Hill:  Excellent.  An excellent, good old boy from Texas.

Robert Johnson…

Gibbons:  Wow. The one.

Hill:  Died too early.

B.B. King…

Gibbons:  Died too early.

Hill: [chuckles a bit] ...he did.

Jimi Hendrix…  (Lemme guess: Died too early?)

[All laugh]

Gibbons:  Yup.

Tito Puente…

Gibbons:  The master of the timbales.

Jeff Beck…

Hill:  Good friend.

Johnny Winter…

Hill:  Paler than me!

Buddy Holly…

Hill:  An inventor. With him alone, writing his own stuff at the time, and his system of what he did in the studio; it’s as impressive to me as the music he produced.  His tenacity.  And I liked his glasses.

T-Bone Walker…

Gibbons:  The splits.

Elvis Presley…

Hill:  The best.

Prince…

Hill:  One of the best.

[All laugh]

Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs...*

Gibbons:  Wow.

Hill:  Wow.

Gibbons:  Again, wow.

Eric Clapton…

Gibbons:  The master.

Keith Richards…

Gibbons:  On which planet ?

Hill:  He has turned into the pirate… [more laughter]

Gentlemen, thank you all for doing this residency, in Vegas. And thanks for taking the time, to speak with me, today.  This was a fantastic honor!

Gibbons:  Appreciate that.

Beard:  You bet.  All right.

Hill:  Thank you.

ZZ Top: Viva Las Vegas
The Venetian Theatre | The Venetian Las Vegas
Through April 28th
Click HERE for info and tickets

Get into it!
#ZZTop

[Editor's Note:  I don't often get flummoxed in interviews, but I was so blown away by the sheer coolness emanating from Messrs. Gibbons, Hill, and Beard, that I inadvertently blurted-out "Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs" when I meant to ask about "Sam and Dave".  Fortunately, as befits such iconic Texas bluesmen; they were absolute gentlemen, and totally went with it (albeit somewhat befuddledly).  That said, I wonder how they'd have responded with regards to Sam and Dave...]