BILLY GIBBONS Confirms Members Of ZZ TOP Were Once Offered $1 Million Each To Shave Off Their Beards For A Commercial

During a recent appearance on the "Mohr Stories" podcast, hosted by comedian and actor Jay Mohr, ZZ TOP legend Billy Gibbons confirmed that the ad wizards at the Gillette razor company offered him and then-ZZ TOP bassist Dusty Hill $1 million each to shave off their famously thick, long beards for a commercial. "It's true," he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "[Gillette] deny it. It was a million dollars per man. But we called Mr. Merlis [music industry veteran Bob Merlis]. I said, 'Bob, we got this offer.' 'What?' I said, 'We've been offered a million dollars each to shave on TV.' He said, 'Well,' he said, 'The money's good.' He said, 'You might as well consider doing it, but I'm not so sure you guys — any of you guys — know what's under there.' So we passed. We passed, and our fans loved it. Word got out."

When adjusted for inflation, one million dollars in 1984 is equivalent to approximately $3.1 million today.

Gibbons previously shared his reaction to the Gillette offer in a 2012 interview, saying that he never seriously entertained it. "No dice," Gibbons said. "Even adjusted for inflation, this isn't going to fly. The prospect of seeing oneself in the mirror clean-shaven is too close to a Vincent Price film — a prospect not to be contemplated, no matter the compensation."

Billy also aired sentiments about the Gillette offer during an interview with KLRU Public Television in Austin, Texas, saying, with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek: "We're too ugly. We don't even know what's under here. Not at this point."

A few years ago, Gibbons was asked by award-winning journalist Dan Rather how ZZ TOP's "beard" look was conceived. Billy responded: " One word: lazy." He went on to explain: "We started ZZ TOP in 1969. We carried on without stop up until the bicentennial year of '76. And at that time, we were looking at an invitation to join the ranks of the Warner Brothers Group. And it was the decision by management to take a brief break after literally seven years of nonstop touring. Maybe a 90-day hiatus would give us a little breathing room, which turned into 120 days later. It was one year, and we all kind of scattered, keeping in touch only by telephone. Now it's two years running and all the machinations to join the ranks of Warner Brothers were still underway. In the meantime, as I mentioned, the word 'lazy' came in. Now there's one telltale photograph. Our first official release for Warner Brothers contained a photograph on the little sleeve inside the 12-inch long-playing album — actually, the only evidence of [ZZ TOP drummer] Frank Beard with a beard is hiding inside of that 'Degüello' record. He quickly grabbed the razor and went to town. But Dusty and I — what started out as a disguise turned into a trademark."

The 72-year-old Hill died on July 28, 2021 in his sleep at his Houston, Texas home.

ZZ TOP played its first show following Hill's death on July 30, 2021 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

ZZ TOP's longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis, who had worked with the group for more than two decades, made his live debut as ZZ TOP's new bassist on July 23, 2021 at the Village Commons in New Lenox, Illinois after Hill was forced to return to Texas to address a hip issue.

Hill joined ZZ TOP a year after its formation in 1969.