140-453: ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas , in 1969. For 51 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons , drummer Frank Beard and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill , until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sound based on Gibbons' blues style and Hill and Beard's rhythm section . They are known for their live performances, sly and humorous lyrics, and
280-552: A Renaissance fair theme park , is located southwest of the town. It opens annually during April and May, and has been in operation since 1981. The city's annual Gingerbread Trail Festival features tours of many of the Gingerbread homes . Bethlehem Revisited, a re-enactment of the birth of Jesus , occurs behind Central Presbyterian Church in early December. The Texas Country Reporter Festival (hosted by Bob Phillips) features artists, craftsmen, music, and food from all over
420-520: A Knights of Columbus Hall in Beaumont, Texas , on February 10, 1970. The show was booked by KLVI radio personality Al Caldwell, who was also instrumental in broadcasting the band's first recordings. In addition to assuming the role as the band's leader, Gibbons became the main lyricist and musical arranger. With the assistance of Ham and engineer Robin Hood Brians, ZZ Top's First Album (1971)
560-452: A Tub" in the movie Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme . ZZ Top made further appearances, including the "Gumby with a Pokey" episode of Two and a Half Men in 2010 and the " Hank Gets Dusted " episode of King of the Hill in 2007. The band also guest hosted an episode of WWE Raw . Billy Gibbons had a recurring role as the father of Angela Montenegro in the television show Bones ; though
700-575: A city on June 5, 1837. The city is named after former General Sam Houston , who was president of the Republic of Texas and had won Texas's independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto 25 miles (40 km) east of Allen's Landing. After briefly serving as the capital of the Texas Republic in the late 1830s, Houston grew steadily into a regional trading center for the remainder of
840-572: A city with zoning that flooded." On May 16, 2024, a strong derecho caused widespread damage across the city and surrounding metropolitan area. Houston is 165 miles (266 km) east of Austin , 88 miles (142 km) west of the Louisiana border, and 250 miles (400 km) south of Dallas . The city has a total area of 637.4 square miles (1,651 km ); this comprises over 599.59 square miles (1,552.9 km ) of land and 22.3 square miles (58 km ) covered by water. Most of Houston
980-517: A collaboration record (in the mode of Carlos Santana 's successful Supernatural ) for this album. In an interview in Goldmine magazine, Davis stated that artists Pink , Dave Matthews , and Wilco were among the artists slated for the project. ZZ Top performed "Tush" and "Legs" as part of the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show in 1997. A comprehensive four-CD collection of recordings from
1120-553: A commercial center, forming a symbiosis with its Gulf Coast port, Galveston. Landlocked farmers brought their produce to Houston, using Buffalo Bayou to gain access to Galveston and the Gulf of Mexico. Houston merchants profited from selling staples to farmers and shipping the farmers' produce to Galveston. The great majority of enslaved people in Texas came with their owners from the older slave states. Sizable numbers, however, came through
1260-485: A county, parish, or borough. Though primarily in Harris County, small portions of the city extend into Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, bordering other principal communities of Greater Houston such as Sugar Land and The Woodlands . Houston was founded by land investors on August 30, 1836, at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou (a point now known as Allen's Landing ) and incorporated as
1400-649: A day of groundwater. Houston has four major bayous passing through the city that accept water from the extensive drainage system. Buffalo Bayou runs through Downtown and the Houston Ship Channel , and has three tributaries: White Oak Bayou, which runs through the Houston Heights community northwest of Downtown and then towards Downtown; Brays Bayou , which runs along the Texas Medical Center; and Sims Bayou , which runs through
1540-515: A floodplain, a flowing flood-water stream termed a floodway runs through the development area, a most dangerous place to encounter during any future flooding event. Harris County , like other more rural counties, cannot direct developers where to build or not build via land use controls such as a zoning ordinance by Texas law, and instead can only impose general floodplain regulations for enforcement during subdivision approvals and building permit approvals. The 2020 U.S. census determined Houston had
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#17327828847451680-491: A more "contemporary" sound similar to Eliminator . Recycler , released in 1990, was ZZ Top's final studio album with Warner Records and the last of a distinct sonic trilogy in their catalogue, marking a return towards a simpler guitar-driven blues sound with less synthesizer and pop bounce than their previous two albums. This move did not entirely suit the fan base that Eliminator and Afterburner had built up, and while Recycler did achieve platinum status, it never matched
1820-600: A more modern sound. Gibbons pushed ZZ Top in a more modern direction for Eliminator , released in March 1983. It featured two Top-40 singles (" Gimme All Your Lovin' " and " Legs "), and two additional Top Rock hits (" Got Me Under Pressure " and " Sharp Dressed Man "), with the extended dance mix of "Legs" peaking at number 13 on the Club Play Singles chart. The album became a critical and commercial success, selling more than 10 million copies and reaching No. 9 in
1960-441: A mortgage were $ 1,646, and $ 536 without a mortgage. Houston's median gross rent from 2015 to 2019 was $ 1,041. The median household income in 2019 was $ 52,338 and 20.1% of Houstonians lived at or below the poverty line . Houston is a majority-minority city. The Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, a think tank , has described Greater Houston as "one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse metropolitan areas in
2100-462: A new album had been recorded, with initial recording taking place in Malibu, California , before moving to Houston, but was still unnamed and had yet to be mixed and mastered. Gibbons said that the expected release date was sometime in March or April 2012 but, later, a late summer or early fall release date was announced. The album was subsequently released on September 11, 2012. Entitled La Futura ,
2240-520: A new album. Gibbons and Hill were now sporting chest-length beards. ZZ Top signed with Warner Bros. Records and released the album Degüello in late 1979. While Degüello went platinum, it only reached number 24 on the Billboard chart. The album produced two popular singles: " I Thank You ", a cover of the David Porter / Isaac Hayes composition originally recorded by Sam & Dave , and
2380-415: A planned ring circumference of 54.1 miles (87.1 km). Seventeen shafts were sunk and 14.6 miles (23.5 km) of tunnel were bored before the project was cancelled by Congress in 1993. In 2020, County Judge Todd Little came into the national spotlight when the county's only elected African American, Constable Curtis Polk, Jr., protested having his office located in the basement of the courthouse next to
2520-454: A population of 2,304,580. In 2017, the census-estimated population was 2,312,717, and in 2018 it was 2,325,502. An estimated 600,000 undocumented immigrants resided in the Houston area in 2017, comprising nearly 9% of the city's metropolitan population. At the 2010 United States census , Houston had a population of 2,100,263 residents, up from the city's 2,396 at the 1850 census . Per
2660-473: A range of extracurricular activities to its students, including football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball, golf, tennis, concert and marching band, drama, choir, drill team, and dozens of academic teams and clubs. The football program made the playoffs every year from 1989 to 2010. Waxahachie Global High School , an ECHS T-STEM school emphasizing instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in
2800-533: A segregation-era sign that read "Negroes". The controversy was resolved amicably when Little worked with Polk to relocate him to another office. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification , Waxahachie has a humid subtropical climate , Cfa on climate maps. As of the 2020 United States census , 41,140 people, 12,522 households, and 9,073 families resided in
2940-545: A shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans, who evacuated from Hurricane Katrina . One month later, about 2.5 million Houston-area residents evacuated when Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast , leaving little damage to the Houston area. This was the largest urban evacuation in the history of the United States. In May 2015, seven people died after 12 inches of rain fell in 10 hours during what
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#17327828847453080-764: A small-learning-community environment, opened on August 27, 2007. The city limits of Waxahachie extend into the Ferris , Midlothian , and Red Oak ISDs. In addition to the district schools, Life School , a public charter-school system, operates a 7–12 grade campus. On April 15, 2014, Life School broke ground on a new high school in Waxahachie, planned to accommodate about 1,000 9th–12th graders. The several private schools include Waxahachie Preparatory Academy (K-12), First Christian Day School (through 8th grade), and St. Joseph Catholic School (through 8th grade). Two postsecondary educational institutions have campuses in
3220-593: Is also home to buildings designed by noted architects I. M. Pei , César Pelli , and Philip Johnson. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a mini-boom of midrise and highrise residential tower construction occurred, with several over 30 stories tall. Since 2000 over 30 skyscrapers have been developed in Houston; all told, 72 high-rises tower over the city, which adds up to about 8,300 units. In 2002, Uptown had more than 23 million square feet (2,100,000 m ) of office space with 16 million square feet (1,500,000 m ) of class A office space . Houston's climate
3360-576: Is classified as humid subtropical ( Cfa in the Köppen climate classification system ), typical of the Southern United States . While not in Tornado Alley , like much of Northern Texas , spring supercell thunderstorms sometimes bring tornadoes to the area. Prevailing winds are from the south and southeast during most of the year, which bring heat and tropical moisture from the nearby Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay. During
3500-641: Is currently represented by Republican Jake Ellzey . The United States Postal Service operates the Waxahachie Post Office. Almost all of Waxahachie is served by the Waxahachie Independent School District (WISD), which currently has eight elementary campuses, three middle-school campuses, and two high schools. WISD offers advanced-placement and dual-credit courses, and varied career and technology courses. Waxahachie High School , classified as 6A, offers
3640-568: Is known as the Memorial Day Flood. Eight people died in April 2016 during a storm that dropped 17 inches of rain. The worst came in late August 2017, when Hurricane Harvey stalled over southeastern Texas, much like Tropical Storm Allison did sixteen years earlier, causing severe flooding in the Houston area, with some areas receiving over 50 inches (1,300 mm) of rain. The rainfall exceeded 50 inches in several areas locally, breaking
3780-507: Is on the gulf coastal plain , and its vegetation is classified as Western Gulf coastal grasslands while further north, it transitions into a subtropical jungle, the Big Thicket . Much of the city was built on forested land, marshes, or swamps, and all are still visible in surrounding areas. Flat terrain and extensive greenfield development have combined to worsen flooding. Downtown stands about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level, and
3920-725: Is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Brian Birdwell , District 22, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Brian Harrison, District 10. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Waxahachie District Parole Office in Sherman. At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz ; since 2003, Waxahachie has been part of Texas's 6th congressional district , which
4060-677: Is the most diverse metropolitan area in Texas and has been described as the most racially and ethnically diverse major city in the U.S. It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, such as the Houston Museum District and the Houston Theater District . Present-day Houston sits on land that was once occupied by the Karankawa and the Atakapa indigenous peoples for at least 2,000 years before
4200-533: Is the 64-floor, 901-foot (275 m)-tall, Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed landmark Williams Tower (known as the Transco Tower until 1999). At the time of construction, it was believed to be the world's tallest skyscraper outside a central business district. The new 20-story Skanska building and BBVA Compass Plaza are the newest office buildings built in Uptown after 30 years. The Uptown District
4340-488: Is the largest city in the United States without formal zoning regulations, it has developed similarly to other Sun Belt cities because the city's land use regulations and legal covenants have played a similar role. Regulations include mandatory lot size for single-family houses and requirements that parking be available to tenants and customers. In 1998, Houston relaxed its mandatory lot sizes from 5,000 square feet to 3,500 square feet, which spurred housing construction in
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4480-631: Is the only metropolitan area with less than ten million citizens where such a CO 2 dome can be detected by satellites. Because of Houston's wet season and proximity to the Gulf Coast , the city is prone to flooding from heavy rains; the most notable flooding events include Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017, along with most recent Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019 and Tropical Storm Beta in 2020. In response to Hurricane Harvey, Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston initiated plans to require developers to build homes that will be less susceptible to flooding by raising them two feet above
4620-418: Is the tallest structure in Texas, 19th tallest building in the United States, and was previously 85th-tallest skyscraper in the world, based on highest architectural feature. In 1983, the 71-floor, 992-foot (302 m)-tall Wells Fargo Plaza (formerly Allied Bank Plaza) was completed, becoming the second-tallest building in Houston and Texas. Based on highest architectural feature, it is the 21st-tallest in
4760-591: Is today the Farmer Administration Building of Southwestern Assemblies of God University . Trinity's present-day location is San Antonio . The town is the namesake of the former United States Naval Ship Waxahachie (YTB-814) . In 1988, the area around Waxahachie was chosen as the site for the Superconducting Super Collider , which was to be the world's largest and most energetic particle accelerator , with
4900-515: Is ubiquitous in Houston; in 1981, annual spending on electricity for interior cooling exceeded $ 600 million (equivalent to $ 2.01 billion in 2023), and by the late 1990s, approximately 90% of Houston homes featured air conditioning systems. The record highest temperature recorded in Houston is 109 °F (43 °C) at Bush Intercontinental Airport, on four occasions: September 4, 2000; August 27, 2011; and August 24 and August 27, 2023. Houston has mild winters, with occasional cold spells. In January,
5040-405: The 500-year floodplain . Hurricane Harvey damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and dumped trillions of gallons of water into the city. In places this led to feet of standing water that blocked streets and flooded homes. The Houston City Council passed this regulation in 2018 with a vote of 9–7. Had these floodplain development rules had been in place all along, it is estimated that 84% of homes in
5180-479: The American Lung Association rating the metropolitan area's ozone level twelfth on the "Most Polluted Cities by Ozone" in 2017, after major cities such as Los Angeles , Phoenix , New York City , and Denver . The industries along the ship channel are a major cause of the city's air pollution. The rankings are in terms of peak-based standards, focusing strictly on the worst days of the year;
5320-493: The Battle of Galveston . After the Civil War, Houston businessmen initiated efforts to widen the city's extensive system of bayous so the city could accept more commerce between Downtown and the nearby port of Galveston. By 1890, Houston was the railroad center of Texas. In 1900, after Galveston was struck by a devastating hurricane , efforts to make Houston into a viable deep-water port were accelerated. The following year,
5460-552: The Gulf of Mexico , it is the seat of Harris County ; as well as the principal city of the Greater Houston metropolitan area, the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the second-most populous in Texas after Dallas–Fort Worth . With a population of 2,314,157 in 2023, Houston is the fourth-most populous city in the United States after New York City , Los Angeles , and Chicago , and
5600-564: The Houston Dynamo soccer team was formed. In 2017 , the Houston Astros won their first World Series . Flooding has been a recurring problem in the Houston area. In June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 40 inches (1,000 mm) of rain on parts of Houston, causing what was then the worst flooding in the city's history and billions of dollars in damage, and killed 20 people in Texas. In August 2005, Houston became
5740-538: The Interstate 610 loop . The "Inner Loop" encompasses a 97-square-mile (250 km ) area which includes Downtown, pre–World War II residential neighborhoods and streetcar suburbs , and newer high-density apartment and townhouse developments. Outside the loop, the city's typology is more suburban , though many major business districts—such as Uptown , Westchase , and the Energy Corridor —lie well outside
ZZ Top - Misplaced Pages Continue
5880-579: The Mainstream Rock chart . From the RIAA , ZZ Top has earned four gold, three platinum and two multiple-platinum album certifications, and one diamond album. Houston Houston ( / ˈ h juː s t ən / HEW -stən ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States . Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and
6020-541: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones gave the induction speech. ZZ Top gave a brief performance, playing "La Grange" and "Tush". In 2006 Tres Hombres and Fandango! received releases of expanded and remastered versions, which used the original mixes free from echo and drum machines and included additional bonus live tracks. The Eliminator Collector's Edition CD/DVD, celebrating
6160-561: The Texas House of Representatives naming them "Official Heroes for the State of Texas", a declaration of "ZZ Top Day" in Texas by then-governor Ann Richards on May 4, 1991, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. They were also given commemorative rings by actor Billy Bob Thornton from the VH1 Rock Honors in 2007. ZZ Top has also achieved several chart and album sales feats, including six number-one singles on
6300-676: The Texas Medical Center —the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and NASA 's Johnson Space Center , home to the Mission Control Center . Since the late 19th century, Houston's economy has had a broad industrial base in energy , manufacturing , aeronautics, and transportation . Leading in healthcare sectors and building oilfield equipment, Houston has the second-most Fortune 500 headquarters of any U.S. municipality within its city limits. The Port of Houston ranks first in
6440-612: The Worldwide Texas Tour (1976–77), which was a critical and commercial success. ZZ Top returned in 1979 with a new musical direction and image, with Gibbons and Hill wearing sunglasses and matching chest-length beards. With the album El Loco (1981), they began to experiment with synthesizers and drum machines . They established a more mainstream sound and rose to international stardom with Eliminator (1983) and Afterburner (1985), which integrated influences from new wave , punk , and dance-rock . The popularity of
6580-479: The county seat of Ellis County, Texas , United States. Its population was 41,140 in 2020. The city was founded in 1850, and incorporated in 1871. Much of the employment is provided by a number of industries and by educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools, a community college and a private university. In the mid-1980s, the city became a filming location for a number of movies and occasional episodes of television series. Some sources state that
6720-536: The sixth-most populous city in North America . Houston is the southeast anchor of the greater megaregion known as the Texas Triangle . Comprising a land area of 640.4 square miles (1,659 km ), Houston is the ninth-most expansive city in the United States (including consolidated city-counties ). It is the largest city in the United States by total area whose government is not consolidated with
6860-604: The 100-year and 500-year floodplains would have been spared damage. In a recent case testing these regulations, near the Brickhouse Gulley, an old golf course that long served as a floodplain and reservoir for floodwaters, announced a change of heart toward intensifying development. A nationwide developer, Meritage Homes , bought the land and planned to develop the 500-year floodplain into 900 new residential homes. Their plan would bring in $ 360 million in revenue and boost city population and tax revenue. In order to meet
7000-507: The 1960s, Downtown Houston consisted of a collection of mid-rise office structures. Downtown was on the threshold of an energy industry–led boom in 1970. A succession of skyscrapers was built throughout the 1970s—many by real estate developer Gerald D. Hines —culminating with Houston's tallest skyscraper, the 75-floor, 1,002-foot (305 m)-tall JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly the Texas Commerce Tower), completed in 1982. It
7140-472: The 19th century. The 20th century brought a convergence of economic factors that fueled rapid growth in Houston, including a burgeoning port and railroad industry, the decline of Galveston as Texas's primary port following a devastating 1900 hurricane , the subsequent construction of the Houston Ship Channel , and the Texas oil boom . In the mid-20th century, Houston's economy diversified, as it became home to
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#17327828847457280-447: The 2019 American Community Survey , Houston's age distribution was 482,402 under 15; 144,196 aged 15 to 19; 594,477 aged 20 to 34; 591,561 aged 35 to 54; 402,804 aged 55 to 74; and 101,357 aged 75 and older. The median age of the city was 33.4. At the 2014-2018 census estimates, Houston's age distribution was 486,083 under 15; 147,710 aged 15 to 19; 603,586 aged 20 to 34; 726,877 aged 35 to 59; and 357,834 aged 60 and older. The median age
7420-703: The 21st century. In 2000, the Houston Astros opened their new baseball stadium, Daikin Park , in downtown adjacent to the old Union Station . The Houston Texans were formed in 2002 as an NFL expansion team, replacing the Houston Oilers , which had left the city in 1996. NRG Stadium opened the same year. In 2003, the Toyota Center opened as the home for the Houston Rockets . In 2005,
7560-625: The 25th anniversary of the band's iconic RIAA Diamond Certified album, was released September 10, 2008. The release includes seven bonus tracks and a bonus DVD, including four television performances from The Tube in November 1983. The band performed at the 2009 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on the final night on March 22, 2009. In July, the band appeared on VH1 's Storytellers , in celebration of their four decades as recording artists. Billy Gibbons stated in an interview in August 2011 that
7700-777: The Blues Brothers and James Brown . They also performed at the 2008 Orange Bowl game in Miami , as well as the Auto Club 500 NASCAR event at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California . On June 23, 2008, the band celebrated the release of their first live concert DVD titled Live from Texas with the world premiere, a special appearance, and charity auction at the Hard Rock Cafe in Houston. The DVD
7840-515: The Dark (OMD), whom Gibbons felt "were great". Inspired by OMD, ZZ Top introduced a jerky dancing style to their live show and began to experiment with synthesizers , which featured prominently on the October 1981 album El Loco . The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard chart, and featured the singles " Tube Snake Boogie ", " Pearl Necklace ", and "Leila". Their albums from this period showed
7980-410: The Houston area. In 2001, Enron Corporation , a Houston company with $ 100 billion in revenue, became engulfed in an accounting scandal which bankrupted the company in 2001. Healthcare has emerged as a major industry in Houston. The Texas Medical Center is now the largest medical complex in the world and employs over 120,000 people. Three new sports stadiums opened downtown in the first decade of
8120-535: The London and Warner Bros. years, Chrome, Smoke & BBQ , was released in 2003. It featured the band's first single (A- and B-side) and several rare B-side tracks, as well as a radio promotion from 1979, a live track, and several extended dance-mix versions of their biggest MTV hits. Three tracks from Billy Gibbons' pre-ZZ band, the Moving Sidewalks , were also included. In 2004, ZZ Top was inducted into
8260-826: The Lone Star State – much of it featured on the TV show over the years. Waxahachie is locally known for its elaborate Richardsonian Romanesque courthouse . The town also features many examples of Victorian architecture and Gingerbread-style homes, several of which have been converted into bed and breakfast inns. The Ellis County Art Association hosts ART on the Square (Cultural Attractions- Events and Facilities; 113 West Franklin Street). Parks in Waxahachie include Spring Park, Getzendaner Memorial Park, Richards Park, Chapman Park, and Brown-Singleton Park. Getzendaner Park features
8400-516: The Muscogee compound word wakvhvce from the Muscogee words wakv (meaning "cow" derived from the Spanish vaca ) and the Muscogee word hvcce (meaning "river" or "creek"). Waxahachie was founded in August 1850 as the seat of the newly established Ellis County on a tract of land donated by early settler Emory W. Rogers, a native of Lawrence County, Alabama , who migrated to Texas in 1839. It
8540-507: The North ; this resulted in an economic boom and produced a key shift in the city's economy toward the energy sector. The increased production of the expanded shipbuilding industry during World War II spurred Houston's growth, as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1973). This was the stimulus for the development of
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#17327828847458680-543: The Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1978, after almost seven years of touring and a string of successful albums, ZZ Top went on hiatus while Beard dealt with addiction problems. Gibbons traveled to Europe, Beard went to Jamaica, and Hill went to Mexico. Hill also spent 3 months working at DFW Airport , saying he wanted to "feel normal" and "ground himself" after years spent performing. In 1979, ZZ Top returned to record
8820-403: The U.S. Billboard pop charts. It is the only ZZ Top album to be certified diamond . Several music videos from the album were in regular rotation on MTV, attracting many new fans. The band won their first MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of Best Group Video for "Legs", and Best Direction for "Sharp Dressed Man". The music videos were included in their Greatest Hits video, which
8960-401: The United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. Nicknamed the "Bayou City", "Space City", "H-Town", and "the 713 ", Houston has become a global city , with strengths in culture, medicine, and research. The city's population comprises various ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as a large and growing international community. Houston
9100-401: The United States. The majority of rainfall occurs between April and October (the wet season of Southeast Texas), when the moisture from the Gulf of Mexico evaporates extensively over the city. Houston has excessive ozone levels and is routinely ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States. Ground-level ozone, or smog, is Houston's predominant air pollution problem, with
9240-498: The United States. In 2007, Downtown had over 43 million square feet (4,000,000 m ) of office space. Centered on Post Oak Boulevard and Westheimer Road, the Uptown District boomed during the 1970s and early 1980s when a collection of midrise office buildings, hotels, and retail developments appeared along I-610 West. Uptown became one of the most prominent instances of an edge city . The tallest building in Uptown
9380-541: The World . In 2017, they began the 2017 Tonnage Tour , but canceled the last few dates due to Hill's declining health. In 2018, the band announced their six-day Las Vegas run of shows to be held at the Venetian , starting from April 20, 2019. Gibbons told Las Vegas Review-Journal in April 2020 that ZZ Top had been preparing another album. On June 21, 2020, Gibbons stated interest in having Beck appear. In July 2021, Hill
9520-432: The album was produced by Rick Rubin . The first single from the album, "I Gotsta Get Paid", debuted in an advertising campaign for Jeremiah Weed Whiskey and appears on the soundtrack of the film Battleship . The song itself is an interpretation of "25 Lighters" by Texan hip hop DJ DMD and rappers Lil' Keke and Fat Pat . The first four songs from La Futura debuted on June 5, 2012, on an EP called Texicali . DJ Screw
9660-578: The albums Antenna (1994), Rhythmeen (1996), XXX (1999), and Mescalero (2003). They released La Futura (2012) and Goin' 50 (2019), a compilation album commemorating the band's 50th anniversary. By the time of Hill's death in 2021, ZZ Top had become the longest-running band with an unchanged lineup in the history of music. Per Hill's wishes, he was replaced by their longtime guitar tech , Elwood Francis, on bass. ZZ Top has released 15 studio albums and sold an estimated 50 million records. They have won three MTV Video Music Awards , and in 2004,
9800-426: The albums' music videos, including for " Gimme All Your Lovin' ", " Sharp Dressed Man ", and " Legs ", gave them mass exposure on MTV and made them prominent in 1980s pop culture . The Afterburner tour set records for the highest-attended and highest-grossing of 1986. After the release of their tenth album, Recycler (1990), and its accompanying tour , the group's experimentation continued with mixed success on
9940-441: The average ozone levels in Houston are lower than what is seen in most other areas of the country, as dominant winds ensure clean, marine air from the Gulf. Excessive man-made emissions in the Houston area led to a persistent increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide over the city. Such an increase, often regarded as "CO 2 urban dome", is driven by a combination of strong emissions and stagnant atmospheric conditions. Moreover, Houston
10080-663: The band original " Cheap Sunglasses ". The band remained a popular concert attraction and toured in support of Degüello . In April 1980, ZZ Top made their first appearances in Europe, performing for the German music television show Rockpalast (later included on the 2009 DVD Double Down Live: 1980 & 2008 ) and the BBC show The Old Grey Whistle Test . The band shared the BBC's studio with English electronic group Orchestral Manoeuvres in
10220-473: The band signed a $ 35 million deal with RCA Records , releasing the million-selling Antenna . Subsequent RCA albums, Rhythmeen (1996) and 1999's XXX (the second album to feature live tracks) sold well, but did not reach the levels enjoyed previously. In 2003, ZZ Top released a final RCA album, Mescalero , an album thick with harsh Gibbons guitar and featuring a hidden track —a cover version of " As Time Goes By. " RCA impresario Clive Davis wanted to do
10360-408: The band was Gibbons' idea. The band had a small apartment covered with concert posters and he noticed that many performers' names used initials. Gibbons particularly noticed B.B. King and Z. Z. Hill and thought of combining the two into "ZZ King", but considered it too similar to the original name. He then figured that "king is at the top" which gave him the idea of naming the band "ZZ Top". ZZ Top
10500-605: The band's film-making. In November 2020, it was announced that the 2019 Netflix documentary That Little Ol' Band from Texas was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Film with the award ceremony scheduled for March 2021. ZZ Top's music videos won multiple VMA awards during the 1980s, topping the categories of Best Group Video , Best Direction , and Best Art Direction for "Legs", "Sharp Dressed Man" and " Rough Boy ", respectively. Among high honors for ZZ Top have been induction into Hollywood's RockWalk in 1994,
10640-644: The band's upcoming sixteenth studio album prior to his death. On July 22, 2022, ZZ Top released Raw , the soundtrack for the band's 2019 documentary That Little Ol' Band from Texas , via Shelter Records / BMG . It was one of their final live albums with Hill. On July 21, 2023, ZZ Top began a tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd , the Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour, in West Palm Beach , which concluded on September 17 in Camden . A second leg of
10780-566: The character is never named, it is strongly implied that Gibbons is playing himself. Their song "Sharp Dressed Man" was one of the theme songs used for the television show Duck Dynasty , and on the series finale of the show they appeared with Si Robertson as a vocalist to perform the song on stage during Robertson's retirement party. Black Dahlia Films, led by Jamie Burton Chamberlin, of Seattle and Los Angeles , has contributed documentaries and back line screen work (the footage on back screens during live shows) and has become an integral part of
10920-403: The city dramatically. Such restrictions have had mixed results. Though some have blamed the city's low density, urban sprawl , and lack of pedestrian-friendliness on these policies, others have credited the city's land use patterns with providing significant affordable housing, sparing Houston the worst effects of the 2008 real estate crisis . The city issued 42,697 building permits in 2008 and
11060-435: The city have a high risk of localized flooding due to flat topography, ubiquitous low- permeability clay-silt prairie soils, and inadequate infrastructure. During the mid-2010s, Greater Houston experienced consecutive major flood events in 2015 ( "Memorial Day" ), 2016 ( "Tax Day" ), and 2017 ( Hurricane Harvey ). Overall, there have been more casualties and property loss from floods in Houston than in any other locality in
11200-608: The city in addition to Downtown , which include Uptown, the Texas Medical Center , Midtown , Greenway Plaza , Memorial City , the Energy Corridor, Westchase , and Greenspoint . Houston had the fifth-tallest skyline in North America (after New York City, Chicago , Toronto and Miami ) and 36th-tallest in the world in 2015. A seven-mile (11 km) system of tunnels and skywalks links Downtown buildings containing shops and restaurants, enabling pedestrians to avoid summer heat and rain while walking between buildings. In
11340-634: The city of Waxahachie: Navarro College , a community college based in Corsicana, Texas , and Nelson University , a private, four-year university affiliated with the Assemblies of God , which offers accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees. The first newspaper in Waxahachie, the now-defunct Waxahachie Argus , was established in 1870. The Waxahachie Daily Light has served the town since 1891. Additionally, 47 radio stations are within close listening range of Waxahachie. KBEC radio has served
11480-532: The city's aerospace industry. The Astrodome , nicknamed the " Eighth Wonder of the World ", opened in 1965 as the world's first indoor domed sports stadium. During the late 1970s, Houston had a population boom as people from the Rust Belt states moved to Texas in large numbers. The new residents came for numerous employment opportunities in the petroleum industry, created as a result of the Arab oil embargo . With
11620-589: The city. Employment opportunities in the city are highly oriented toward industry. Owens Corning , Georgia-Pacific , International Paper , James Hardie Industries , Berry Global , Americase, Cardinal Glass, Magnablend, and Dart Container are located within a few miles of each other. Nonindustrial employers include Baylor Scott & White Health, Waxahachie Independent School District, Walgreen Distribution Center, Walmart, HEB Grocery, Navarro College, and Southwestern Assemblies of God University. The Scarborough Renaissance Festival (also called Scarborough Faire),
11760-419: The city. Land in some areas southeast of Houston is sinking because water has been pumped out of the ground for many years. It may be associated with slip along the faults; however, the slippage is slow and not considered an earthquake, where stationary faults must slip suddenly enough to create seismic waves. These faults also tend to move at a smooth rate in what is termed " fault creep ", which further reduces
11900-515: The community and surrounding area since 1955. Both Altus Emergency Center and Baylor Scott & White Health at Waxahachie provide emergency services locally, as does Ennis Regional Medical Center, about 14 miles away in Ennis. Between 2003 and 2010, Waxahachie's healthcare industry added 555 jobs, making it the city's fourth-largest employment sector. Additionally, the long-running television series Walker, Texas Ranger , starring Chuck Norris ,
12040-484: The contributions from Hill and Beard. Jimi Jamison joined Manning to provide backing vocals. Stage manager David Blayney described how Hudson co-wrote much of the material on the album without receiving credit. The band recorded Hudson's song "Thug" without permission, finally paying him $ 600,000 in 1986 after he proved in court he held the copyright. The band had previously used other people's work without credit; for instance, in 1972 ZZ Top claimed sole writing credit for
12180-400: The country". Houston's diversity, historically fueled by large waves of Hispanic and Latino Americans, and Asian immigrants, has been attributed to its relatively lower cost of living compared to most major cities, strong job market, and role as a hub for refugee resettlement . Waxahachie, Texas Waxahachie ( / ˌ w ɒ k s ə ˈ h æ tʃ i / WOK -sə- HATCH -ee ) is
12320-531: The deep seam of Texas weirdness that stretched from the 13th Floor Elevators through to the Butthole Surfers ". Texas Monthly described their music as "loud, macho, greasy, and distorted", with "unrepentant misogynistic references". In the early 1980s, ZZ Top embraced synthesizers and drum machines , drawing inspiration from British electronic acts such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Depeche Mode (while deriving their dance moves from
12460-553: The discovery of oil at the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont prompted the development of the Texas petroleum industry. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt approved a $ 1 million improvement project for the Houston Ship Channel. By 1910, the city's population had reached 78,800, almost doubling from a decade before. African Americans formed a large part of the city's population, numbering 23,929 people, which
12600-584: The domestic slave trade. New Orleans was the center of this trade in the Deep South, but slave dealers were in Houston. Thousands of enslaved black people lived near the city before the American Civil War . Many of them near the city worked on sugar and cotton plantations, while most of those in the city limits had domestic and artisan jobs. In 1840, the community established a chamber of commerce, in part to promote shipping and navigation at
12740-575: The eighth episode "Sweet Dreams" in the third season of the American television medical drama St. Elsewhere , Luther Hawkins's ( Eric Laneuville ) dream sequence was a parody of the music video " Legs " with the group while taking a brief nap in a janitor's closet; In 1990, the group appeared as the "Band At the Party" in the film Back to the Future Part III and played the "Three Men in
12880-537: The erosion of the Rocky Mountains . These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic marine matter, that over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath the layers of sediment is a water-deposited layer of halite , a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into salt dome formations, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from
13020-582: The first known settlers arrived. These tribes are almost nonexistent today; this was most likely caused by foreign disease, and competition with various settler groups in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, the land then remained largely uninhabited from the late 1700s until settlement in the 1830s. The Allen brothers— Augustus Chapman and John Kirby —explored town sites on Buffalo Bayou and Galveston Bay . According to historian David McComb, "[T]he brothers, on August 26, 1836, bought from Elizabeth E. Parrott, wife of T.F.L. Parrott and widow of John Austin,
13160-499: The first time that May. The Republic of Texas granted Houston incorporation on June 5, 1837, as James S. Holman became its first mayor. In the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County (now Harris County). In 1839, the Republic of Texas relocated its capital to Austin . The town suffered another setback that year when a yellow fever epidemic claimed about one life for every eight residents, yet it persisted as
13300-546: The former). Hill and Gibbons worked as a kind of double act , looking similar and employing simple stage choreography that Hill described as "low-energy, high-impact". ZZ Top's music has been classified as blues rock , hard rock , boogie rock , Southern rock , blues , and Texas blues . Beard struggled with addiction in the 1970s, claiming to have spent "every bit" of his money earned from ZZ Top's tours on drugs. Beard explains that he had different reasons for taking different drugs, saying "the pills thing came about just from
13440-436: The highest point in far northwest Houston is about 150 feet (46 m) in elevation. The city once relied on groundwater for its needs, but land subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water sources such as Lake Houston , Lake Conroe , and Lake Livingston . The city owns surface water rights for 1.20 billion U.S. gallons (4.5 Gl) of water a day in addition to 150 million U.S. gallons (570 Ml)
13580-503: The historic Chautauqua Auditorium , built in 1902. Lake Waxahachie features a range of camping and fishing areas. The city of Waxahachie is a voluntary member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments association, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions. Waxahachie
13720-434: The hit song " Francine " from the album Rio Grande Mud , cutting out two co-writers, Steve Perron and Kenny Cordray . Hudson's extensive contributions to the song "Groovy Little Hippie Pad" went uncredited in 1981 for the album El Loco . Despite selling fewer copies than Eliminator , Afterburner (1985) became ZZ Top's highest-charting album (No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard chart), with sales of five million copies. All of
13860-616: The increase in professional jobs, Houston has become a destination for many college-educated persons, most recently including African Americans in a reverse Great Migration from northern areas. In 1997, Houstonians elected Lee P. Brown as the city's first African American mayor. Houston has continued to grow into the 21st century, with the population increasing 15.7% from 2000 to 2022. Oil and gas have continued to fuel Houston's economic growth, with major oil companies including Phillips 66 , ConocoPhillips , Occidental Petroleum , Halliburton , and ExxonMobil having their headquarters in
14000-568: The major American record companies, ZZ Top accepted a record deal from London Records , the American affiliate of the British Decca Records label. Unwilling to sign a recording contract, Ethridge quit the band and Dusty Hill , Frank Beard's American Blues bandmate, became his replacement in late 1969. At this moment, all three members of the band were 20 years old. After Hill moved from Dallas to Houston, ZZ Top signed with London in 1970. They performed their first concert together at
14140-483: The matching appearances of Gibbons and Hill, who wore sunglasses, hats and long beards. ZZ Top formed after Gibbons' band, Moving Sidewalks , disbanded in 1969. Within a year, they signed with London Records and released ZZ Top's First Album in 1971. Albums Tres Hombres (1973) and Fandango! (1975), and singles " La Grange " and " Tush ", gained extensive radio airplay . By the mid-1970s, ZZ Top had become renowned in North America for their live act, including
14280-507: The members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Gibbons the 32nd-greatest guitarist of all time. The band members have supported campaigns and charities including Childline , St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , and the Delta Blues Museum . The original line-up was formed in Houston and consisted of Gibbons, bassist/organist Lanier Greig, and drummer Dan Mitchell. The name of
14420-570: The metro area, and an event on December 7, 2017, which precipitated 0.7 inches (2 cm) of snowfall. Snowfalls of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) on both December 10, 2008, and December 4, 2009, marked the first time measurable snowfall had occurred in two consecutive years in the city's recorded history. Overall, Houston has seen measurable snowfall 38 times between 1895 and 2018. On February 14 and 15, 1895, Houston received 20 inches (51 cm) of snow, its largest snowfall from one storm on record. The coldest temperature officially recorded in Houston
14560-682: The name means "cow" or "buffalo" in an unspecified Native American language. One possible Native American origin is the Alabama language , originally spoken in the area of Alabama around Waxahatchee Creek by the Alabama-Coushatta people, who had migrated by the 1850s to eastern Texas. In the Alabama language, waakasi hachi means "calf's tail" (the Alabama word waaka being a loan from Spanish vaca ). A Waxahatchee Creek near present-day Shelby, Alabama , suggests that Waxahachie shares
14700-611: The national record for rainfall. The damage for the Houston area was estimated at up to $ 125 billion U.S. dollars , and was considered to be one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States , with the death toll exceeding 70 people. Houston's lack of zoning laws allowed unregulated building of residential homes and other structures in flood-prone areas. However, it also resulted in more concentrated development in already urban areas than in wetlands and suburbs. Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted of Hurricane Harvey that "zoning wouldn't have changed anything. We would have been
14840-461: The new floodplain regulations, the developers needed to elevate the lowest floors two feet above the 500-year floodplain, equivalent to five or six feet above the 100-year base flood elevation, and build a channel to direct stormwater runoff toward detention basins. Before Hurricane Harvey, the city had bought $ 10.7 million in houses in this area specifically to take them out of danger. In addition to developing new streets and single-family housing within
14980-541: The new song "Flyin' High" would debut in space. Astronaut and friend of ZZ Top Michael Fossum was given the released single to listen to on his trip to the International Space Station . On June 4, 2014, ZZ Top opened the CMT Awards ceremony, performing "La Grange" with Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line . The Guardian described ZZ Top as "part traditional, part contrary, and part of
15120-491: The newly created port on Buffalo Bayou. By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the export of cotton. Railroad spurs from the Texas inland converged in Houston, where they met rail lines to the ports of Galveston and Beaumont . During the American Civil War, Houston served as a headquarters for Confederate Major General John B. Magruder , who used the city as an organization point for
15260-423: The normal mean temperature at George Bush Intercontinental Airport is 53 °F (12 °C), with an average of 13 days per year with a low at or below 32 °F (0 °C), occurring on average between December 3 and February 20, allowing for a growing season of 286 days. Twenty-first century snow events in Houston include a storm on December 24, 2004 , which saw 1 inch (3 cm) of snow accumulate in parts of
15400-489: The notional town in honor of Sam Houston, who would become President later that year. They successfully lobbied the Republic of Texas Congress to designate Houston as the temporary capital, agreeing to provide the new government with a state capitol building. About a dozen persons resided in the town at the beginning of 1837, but that number grew to about 1,500 by the time the Texas Congress convened in Houston for
15540-485: The port decreased and shipping activities were suspended; however, the war did provide economic benefits for the city. Petrochemical refineries and manufacturing plants were constructed along the ship channel because of the demand for petroleum and synthetic rubber products by the defense industry during the war. Ellington Field , initially built during World War I , was revitalized as an advanced training center for bombardiers and navigators. The Brown Shipbuilding Company
15680-448: The postwar years. In 1945, the M.D. Anderson Foundation formed the Texas Medical Center . After the war, Houston's economy reverted to being primarily port-driven. In 1948, the city annexed several unincorporated areas, more than doubling its size. Houston proper began to spread across the region. In 1950, the availability of air conditioning provided impetus for many companies to relocate to Houston, where wages were lower than those in
15820-505: The risk of an earthquake. The city of Houston was incorporated in 1837 and adopted a ward system of representation shortly afterward, in 1840. The six original wards of Houston are the progenitors of the 11 modern-day geographically oriented Houston City Council districts, though the city abandoned the ward system in 1905 in favor of a commission government , and, later, the existing mayor–council government . Locations in Houston are generally classified as either being inside or outside
15960-549: The sales of those albums. However, the single " My Head's in Mississippi " reached No. 1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart that year. In 1992, Warner released ZZ Top's Greatest Hits , along with a new Rolling Stones -style cut, "Gun Love", and an Elvis -inflected video, " Viva Las Vegas ". In 1993, ZZ Top inducted a major influence, Cream , into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . In 1994,
16100-688: The same name etymology. Many place names in Texas and Oklahoma have their origins in the Southeastern United States, largely due to forced removal of various southeastern Indian tribes. The area in central Alabama that includes Waxahatchee Creek was for hundreds of years the home of the Upper Creek moiety of the Muscogee Creek Nation. Again, this would suggest a Muscogee Creek-language origin of Waxahachie. "Waxahachie", therefore, may be an anglicized pronunciation of
16240-482: The singles from Afterburner were Top-40 hits, with "Sleeping Bag" and "Stages" topping the Mainstream Rock chart. The music video for " Velcro Fly ", their final Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, was choreographed by future pop singer Paula Abdul . In 1987, ZZ Top released The Six Pack , a collection of their first five albums plus El Loco . The albums were remixed with new drum and guitar effects for
16380-515: The south half of the lower league [2,214-acre (896 ha) tract] granted to her by her late husband. They paid $ 5,000 total, but only $ 1,000 of this in cash; notes made up the remainder." This was financed by assets inherited by Augustus's wife, Charlotte Baldwin Allen . The Allen brothers ran their first advertisement for Houston just four days later in the Telegraph and Texas Register , naming
16520-475: The south of Houston and Downtown Houston. The ship channel continues past Galveston and then into the Gulf of Mexico. Houston is a flat, marshy area where an extensive drainage system has been built. The adjoining prairie land drains into the city, which is prone to flooding. Underpinning Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from river deposits formed from
16660-574: The subsequent tour, the band performed sold-out concerts in the US. During this tour, ZZ Top recorded the live tracks that would fill one side of their 1975 album, Fandango! . Fandango! , which also contained one side of new studio songs, was a top-ten album; its single " Tush " peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 . ZZ Top began the Worldwide Texas Tour in May 1976 to support Fandango! , and
16800-421: The summer, temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 106.5 days per year, including a majority of days from June to September. Additionally, an average of 4.6 days per year reach or exceed 100 °F (37.8 °C). Houston's characteristic subtropical humidity often results in a higher apparent temperature , and summer mornings average over 90% relative humidity . Air conditioning
16940-466: The surrounding porous sands. The thick, rich, sometimes black, surface soil is suitable for rice farming in suburban outskirts where the city continues to grow. The Houston area has over 150 active faults (estimated to be 300 active faults ) with an aggregate length of up to 310 miles (500 km), including the Long Point–Eureka Heights fault system which runs through the center of
17080-793: The tour began in March 2024 in Savannah, Georgia , and is due to end on September 22 in Ridgefield, Washington . On March 2, 2024 in Key West , ZZ Top embarked on the Elevation tour due to continue through November 24, 2024 in Lubbock . ZZ Top appeared in a cameo in Back to the Future Part III as an Old West band, playing an acoustic version of their song " Doubleback " with a large fiddle band. ZZ Top played Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, along with
17220-501: The tour continued through 1977 with 98 shows over 18 months. Tejas , recorded during a break in the tour and released in November 1976, was the final ZZ Top album under their contract with London Records. It was not as successful or as positively received as their previous two efforts, but reached number 17 on the Billboard 200 . The singles from Tejas , " It's Only Love " and " Arrested for Driving While Blind ", both failed to crack
17360-599: The urban core. In addition to Interstate 610, two additional loop highways encircle the city: Beltway 8 , with a radius of approximately 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown, and State Highway 99 (the Grand Parkway), with a radius of 25 miles (40 km). Approximately 470,000 people lived within the Interstate 610 loop, while 1.65 million lived between Interstate 610 and Beltway 8 and 2.25 million lived within Harris County outside Beltway 8 in 2015. Though Houston
17500-506: The workload. And the heroin thing came about because I just liked it. I mean, you ever done heroin? It's great. It's a fucking vacation for the mind, and I liked it. I liked it a lot." Beard would eventually enter rehab in the 1980s and is sober to this day. Hill would "[occasionally] partake" in marijuana until one occasion in a hotel in Amsterdam when Hill was smoking marijuana with guitar tech Elwood Francis and Francis noticed that there
17640-481: Was 33.1, up from 32.9 in 2017 and down from 33.5 in 2014; the city's youthfulness has been attributed to an influx of an African American New Great Migration , Hispanic and Latino American, and Asian immigrants into Texas. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. There were 987,158 housing units in 2019 and 876,504 households. An estimated 42.3% of Houstonians owned housing units, with an average of 2.65 people per household. The median monthly owner costs with
17780-484: Was 5 °F (−15 °C) on January 18, 1930. The last time Houston saw single digit temperatures was on December 23, 1989. The temperature dropped to 7 °F (−14 °C) at Bush Airport, marking the coldest temperature ever recorded there. 1.7 inches of snow fell at George Bush Intercontinental Airport the previous day. Houston generally receives ample rainfall, averaging about 49.8 in (1,260 mm) annually based on records between 1981 and 2010. Many parts of
17920-809: Was a major influence on the album as well, particularly because Gibbons and Screw both worked with engineer G. L. Moon during the late 1990s. On March 3, 2015, ZZ Top began a North American tour in Red Bank, New Jersey , at the Count Basie Theatre. After rescheduled dates and additions, the tour ended in Highland Park, Illinois , at the Ravinia Festival on August 27, with the opening act Blackberry Smoke . Jeff Beck joined ZZ Top for seven concerts. On September 9, 2016, ZZ Top released Tonite at Midnight: Live Greatest Hits from Around
18060-461: Was a metal bar embedded into the window frame of the hotel room. Francis, seeing an opportunity for a prank, jumped out the window and (unbeknownst to Hill) grabbed onto the metal bar, making it appear that he had committed suicide. Hill apparently never smoked marijuana again after the incident. Current members Timeline Studio albums In addition to recording and performing concerts, ZZ Top has also been involved with films and television. In
18200-479: Was filmed in Waxahachie on occasion. Some scenes in Prison Break were filmed in Waxahachie. Scenes from Bonnie and Clyde (1967) were also shot here. In 2018, an animated short film from Crypt TV titled Dark Vessel featured the town as its 1977-based setting. In 2021, Miranda Lambert , Jon Randall and Jack Ingram released a song named for the city on their acoustic album The Marfa Tapes . It
18340-606: Was forced to leave a tour after a hip injury. ZZ Top performed without him at the Village Commons in New Lenox, Illinois , with Hill's guitar tech Elwood Francis on bass. Five days later, on July 28, ZZ Top announced that Hill had died at his home in Houston at the age of 72. His wife later reported that he had suffered from chronic bursitis . At Hill's request, ZZ Top continued with Francis on bass. In August 2021, Gibbons confirmed that Hill had recorded bass and vocals for
18480-582: Was founded in 1942 to build ships for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Due to the boom in defense jobs, thousands of new workers migrated to the city, both black, and white people competing for the higher-paying jobs. President Roosevelt had established a policy of nondiscrimination for defense contractors, and black people gained some opportunities, especially in shipbuilding, although not without resistance from white people and increasing social tensions that erupted into occasional violence. Economic gains of black people who entered defense industries continued in
18620-428: Was incorporated on April 28, 1871, and in 1875, the state legislature granted investors the right to operate a rail line from Waxahachie Tap Railroad to Garrett, Texas , which greatly increased the population of Waxahachie. From 1902 to 1942, Waxahachie was the second home of Trinity University , which was a Presbyterian-affiliated institution founded in 1869. Then-Trinity's main administration and classroom building
18760-593: Was later released on DVD and quickly went multi-platinum. Eliminator retained Gibbons's signature guitar style while adding elements of new wave music ; the electronic band Depeche Mode were cited as an influence. To compose the songs, Gibbons worked closely with live-in engineer Linden Hudson at the band's rehearsal studio in Texas, setting a faster tempo with drum machines and synthesizers . The main recording sessions were again supervised in Memphis by Terry Manning who collaborated with Gibbons to replace much of
18900-527: Was managed by Bill Ham , a Waxahachie, Texas , native who had befriended Gibbons a year earlier. They released their first single, "Salt Lick", in 1969, and the B-side contained the song "Miller's Farm". Both songs credited Gibbons as the composer. Immediately after the recording of "Salt Lick", Greig was replaced by bassist Billy Ethridge, a bandmate of Stevie Ray Vaughan , and Mitchell was replaced by Frank Beard of American Blues . Due to lack of interest from
19040-400: Was nearly one-third of Houston's residents. President Woodrow Wilson opened the deep-water Port of Houston in 1914, seven years after digging began. By 1930, Houston had become Texas's most populous city and Harris County the most populous county. In 1940, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Houston's population as 77.5% White and 22.4% black. When World War II started, tonnage levels at
19180-547: Was officially released on June 24, 2008. The featured performance was culled from a concert filmed at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas , on November 1, 2007. On January 22, 2010, Billy Gibbons, Will Ferrell , and Beck joined a band playing Lynyrd Skynyrd 's " Free Bird " on Conan O'Brien 's last Tonight Show appearance. O'Brien joined in on guitar. In June 2011, various media sources reported that
19320-417: Was ranked first in the list of healthiest housing markets for 2009. In 2019, home sales reached a new record of $ 30 billion. In referendums in 1948, 1962, and 1993, voters rejected efforts to establish separate residential and commercial land-use districts. Consequently, rather than a single central business district as the center of the city's employment, multiple districts and skylines have grown throughout
19460-484: Was released. It featured "barrelhouse" rhythms, distorted guitars, double entendres, and innuendo. The music and songs reflected ZZ Top's blues influences. Following their debut album, the band released Rio Grande Mud (1972), which produced their first charting single, " Francine ". ZZ Top released Tres Hombres in 1973, which reached the No. 8 position on the Billboard 200 albums chart by early 1974. The album's sound
19600-555: Was the result of the propulsive support provided by Hill and Beard, and Gibbons' "growling" guitar tone. Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the album "brought ZZ Top their first Top Ten record, making them stars in the process". The album included the boogie-driven " La Grange " (written about the Chicken Ranch , a notorious brothel in La Grange, Texas , that also inspired the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ). On
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