JOE HARDY - Longtime ZZ TOP Collaborator, Ardent Studios Engineer / Producer Dead At 66; "He Was A True Innovator," Says BILLY GIBBONS
February 12, 2019, 5 years ago
The Commercial Appeal is reporting that producer, engineer, and longtime Ardent Studios staffer, Joe Hardy, has died. One of the preeminent studio figures to emerge from Memphis, the 66-year-old Hardy passed away early Tuesday morning at his home in Houston, following a brief illness. His wife, Trish Hardy, confirmed the news.
Although perhaps best known for his decades as a close collaborator with ZZ Top, Hardy’s resume ran the gamut of artists and styles, from hard rock to contemporary Christian music.
During his 45 year career, he worked with Steve Earle, Al Green, Alice Cooper, Booker T. & the MGs, Tom Cochrane, Ry Cooder, The Georgia Satellites, Green On Red, The Replacements, Tommy Keene, Carl Perkins, and many more.
Hardy's work with ZZ Top - he worked on nearly every project by the Texas band from 1983’s Eliminator up through 2018’s solo album by front man Billy Gibbons, The Big Bad Blues - helped define the group's multi-million selling sound.
“My friend Joe Hardy played a huge role in our lives," said Gibbons. "He was a true innovator in a field where many just did it 'by the book.' He threw away 'the book' and wrote his own. The result took our audio signature and just about everything he worked on to new sonic frontiers."
Read more at The Commercial Appeal.
(Photo - Siniestro Total)
