Music Radar has published a new feature on ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons, offering an intimate look into the life of the music icon. Following is an excerpt from the story:

BB King and Billy G’s paths would cross countless times over the years. It’s a testament to Gibbons’ skill as a guitarist that he was so respected by ‘The King Of The Blues’. And BB would often give his younger compadre some useful words of advice to work with.

“BB King left me with probably the strongest statements you could ask for,” Gibbons recalls. “Firstly, you should learn to play what you want to hear. Not what someone is trying to teach you. Follow what’s in your head.”

The second piece of advice was lifechanging, shattering a supposed tonal golden rule, an assumption most of us make. It also explains why Billy likes his guitar strings on the slinky side…

“I was about 22 and just starting out with ZZ Top,” he says. “I was in the dressing room and BB said to me, ‘Can I play your guitar?’ I said, ‘Sure man.’ He strummed it a few times and handed it back to me. He looked at me rather quizzically and said, ‘Why you working so hard?’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘Those strings. You got real heavy, heavy strings.’ I said, ‘Well, isn’t that how to get the heavy, heavy sound?’ He said, ‘No! Don’t be working so hard!’ That was something new! I was mistaken in thinking he was using these extra-heavy strings. I guess he was right there at the beginning when super-light strings were beginning to show up.”

Check out the complete story here.

The BFG Three, featuring Gibbons, Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver) and Mike Flanigin performed on Friday, December 13th at the Norwood Space Center in Norwood, MA. Fan-filmed video is available below.

All proceeds from the show went to the Norwood-based nonprofit organization Music Drives Us, which is dedicated to supplying grants to music programs for people of all ages.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Don't Lose Your Cool"
"Sharp Dressed Man" (ZZ Top song)
"Waitin' on the Bus"
"Jesus Left Chicago"
"I Thank You" (Sam & Dave cover)
"I Like It Like That"
"Foxy Lady" (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
"Blue Jean Blues" (ZZ Top song)
"Route 66" (Bobby Troup cover)
"Just Got Paid" (ZZ Top song)
"Thunderbird" (ZZ Top song)
"La Grange" (ZZ Top song)

 

 

Thank you @musicdrivesus erniebochjr for a great event raising funds and awareness to keep music alive for kids in the Boston area with BFG3 billyfgibbons @MFlanigin @ Norwood Space Center https://t.co/JybXz9tKkH

— matt sorum (@mattsorum) 14. Dezember 2019

Photo by Blain Clausen