Dusty Hill Biography

Dusty Hill was an American musician, singer, and songwriter, who was best known as the bassist and secondary lead vocalist of the American rock group ZZ Top. He also played keyboards with the band.

Hill studied at Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas) where he played the cello. He and his brother, Rocky Hill, and future fellow ZZ Top member Frank Beard played in local Dallas bands the Warlocks, the Cellar Dwellers, and American Blues. American Blues played the Dallas-Fort Worth-Houston circuit from 1966 to 1968.

The band decided to leave the Dallas–Fort Worth area in 1968 and relocate to Houston and at that time, however, Rocky Hill wanted to focus on “straight blues”, while Dusty wanted the band to rock more. Rocky left the band and Dusty and Beard moved to Houston, joining guitarist/vocalist Billy Gibbons of Houston psychedelic-rockers Moving Sidewalks in the recently formed ZZ Top just after they released their first single in 1969.

Dusty played bass and keyboards in the band and was the secondary lead vocalist. Dusty Hill had made several on-screen appearances including  Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme, Back to the Future Part III,  WWE Raw, and Deadwood. He as well made an appearance on The Drew Carey Show.

Dusty Hill Age

Dusty was 72 years old at the time of his death. He was born Joseph Michael Hill on May 19, 1949, in Dallas, Texas, U.S.

Dusty Hill Height

Hill stood at the height of 5 feet 8 inches tall.

Dusty Hill Family

Hill was the brother of Rocky Hill who is also a musician. The two were born in Dallas, Texas, and were raised in the Lakewood neighborhood of East Dallas. He had however not disclosed any information about his parents.

Dusty Hill Wife

Hill was married to Charleen McCrory from March 23, 2002, till the time of his death on July 28, 2021. His wife, Charleen, is an American actress. The couple had been married for 19 years. However, the couple did not have any children together but Dusty has a daughter, Charity Hill, from his previous marriage. His wife is best known for playing a role in Alien Vows (1996).

Dusty Hill Net Worth

Hill had an estimated net worth of $60 million which he had earned through being a musician, singer, and songwriter.

Dusty Hill Health

In 2000, Dusty Hill was diagnosed with Hepatitis C but he resumed work in 2002. In July, Hill suffered from a hip injury that forced him to drop out of several shows. The band had announced that he had to address a hip injury in the past week or so, forcing him to bow out of a string of shows across the U.S. with his bandmates.

Dusty Hill Death

Dusty Hill died on July 28, 2021, in his sleep at his home in Houston, Texas, aged 72. His death was announced by his ZZ Top bandmates Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard in a statement where they wrote:

“We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. Along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature, and your enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the ‘Top’. We will forever be connected to that ‘Blues Shuffle in C.’”

“You will be missed greatly, amigo,” the statement added.

The table below answers some of the frequently asked questions about Hill.