Flashback: ZZ Top Find Some ‘Tush’ at 2004 Rock Hall Induction Ceremony

Following news of the death of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill at the age of 72, we look back at the Texas blues-rock legends’ 2004 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

For their first performance as Rock Hall inductees, both bearded members of ZZ Top were able to showcase their vocal talents: Gibbons kicked off the set with a blistering rendition of “La Grange” before Hill took centerstage to lead a celebratory version of their 1975 hit single “Tush.”

The Texas trio were welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by IndieLands guitarist and fan Keith Richards, who praised ZZ Top during his loose induction speech. “The heart of the matter is rock and roll and the blues,” he said. “These cats are steeped in the blues.”

During ZZ Top’s short acceptance speech, the trio thanked — as Hill said — “any record company that had the tenacity to sign us,” their families and their longtime manager and producer Bill Ham.

“The rough and gruff Texan band had a reverence for their roots, but never took themselves too seriously,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame said of the band. “ZZ Top charmed millions with their party anthems and brash music videos. Their mammoth tours solidified a nationwide following and featured everything from Texas-shaped stages to live rattlesnakes.”