Upfront Inc. Presents: Billy F. Gibbons

With his signature beard and African headgear, Billy F. Gibbons is instantly recognizable and best known as the centerpiece of ZZ Top.

BFG is widely regarded as one of the world’s finest guitarists working in the blues-rock idiom. The sound originates from the uncanny knack to squeeze unheard of sounds out of the electric guitar with the blues, pop, r&b, country, gospel, western, hillbilly, and West African music. That BFG down ‘n dirty growl is unmistakable heard on such hits as “La Grange,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Cheap Sunglasses.”

Billy F. Gibbons is much more than an iconic guitar slinger with a monumental length of chin whiskers… he’s an internationally recognized collector of guitars and cars, noted in the best-selling book Rock + Roll Gearhead.

Beyond guitars and cars, Gibbons has a renowned collection of African art, with an abiding interest in both the paranormal and cutting-edge technology.

Billy’s solo album releases, the Afro-Cuban flavored Perfectamundo, the bluesy The Big Bad Blues, and the hard-rockin Hardware all represent what he refers to as the “Three T’s:” Tone, Taste, and Tenacity. BFG is truly a highly regarded Renaissance man.

Chris “Whipper” Layton holds his remarkable standings as the drummer for Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble, along with “The Arc Angels” band, guitarist Kenny Shepherd, and now marking the cornerstone backbeat with Billy F. Gibbons and “The BFG’s.”

Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin is a shining light of the Texas Blues scene. A master of the Hammond B3 organ and known for his collaborations with Texas guitar legends Billy F. Gibbons & Jimmie Vaughan, Flanigin is infamously known throughout the Austin Blues scene. Flanigin has done n’ played ‘em all…from juke joints, Texas, and beer joints, to Madison Square Garden and beyond.