BILLY GIBBONS UPCOMING SOLO ALBUM TO PAY TRIBUTE TO LATE PRODUCER & ZZ TOP ARE GOIN' 50

Billy Gibbons is getting ready to release his third solo album, which he says will be called Hardwire, in tribute to Joe Hardy, who produced and engineered every ZZ Top and Billy Gibbons album, since Eliminator.  Mr. Hardy passed away earlier this year.

According to Gibbons, "I think we're going to call it Hardware, and that's in tribute to the late Joe Hardy, our stalwart engineer for four decades.  Joe recently passed on, but in his wake he left the instruction manual -- 'Here's how to do it.' We're still trying to get to the back chapters. It goes deep." 

When Joe Hardy passed away, ZZ Top said "Our friend Joe Hardy played a huge role in our lives.  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. When we met in Memphis more than four decades ago there was an instant connection and the relationship was cherished until he left us. Joe will be missed but, in a very real sense, we’ll be able to always hear him."

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Later this summer, on August 16, ZZ Top are planning to release "Goin' 50," a 50-song compilation commemorating their 50 years together.  They're planning to support the album, with a tour featuring Cheap Trick, as the openers for most shows (2 will feature Lynyrd Skynyrd as the opening act), which are scheduled to run, through October 20.  The tour dates are listed below:

Aug. 16 – Ridgefield, WA – Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre*
Aug. 17 – Airway Heights, WA – Northern Quest Casino Theater
Aug. 20 – Yakima, WA – Yakima Valley SunDome
Aug. 21 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle*
Aug. 23 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre**
Aug. 24 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion**
Aug. 25 – Paso Robles, CA – Vina Robles Amphitheatre*
Aug. 27 – Santa Barbara, CA – Arlington Theater
Aug. 28 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU*
Aug. 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theatre*
Sept. 1 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre*
Sept. 4 — Milwaukee, WI - BMO Harris Pavilion"
Sept. 6 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre*
Sept. 7 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre*
Sept. 8 – Sterling Heights, MI–Michigan Lottery Amphitheater at Freedom Hill*
Sept. 10 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center at The Heights*
Sept. 11 – Burgettstown, PA – KeyBank Pavilion*
Sept. 13 – Ocean City, MD – Ocean City BikeFest
Sept. 14 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion*
Sept. 18 – Boston, MA – Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion*
Sept. 19 — Wantagh. NY — Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater*
Sept. 21 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica*
Sept. 22 – Louisville, KY – Champions Park
Oct. 5 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre*
Oct. 6 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion*
Oct. 9 – Charleston, SC – Volvo Cars Stadium*
Oct. 11 – Cherokee, NC – Harrah’s Cherokee – Event Center*
Oct. 12 — Manchester, TN - Exit 111 Festival
Oct. 13 – Alpharetta, GA – Verizon Amphitheatre*
Oct. 15 – Augusta, GA – The James Brown Arena*
Oct. 16 —St. Augustine, FL — St. Augustine Amphitheatre*
Oct. 18 — Estero FL - Hertz Arena*
Oct. 19 – Tampa, FL – MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre*
Oct. 20 — West Palm Beach, FL — Coral Sky Amphitheatre*

* = Cheap Trick shows

** = Lynyrd Skynyrd shows

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