Billy Gibbons Birthday & Fun Facts

Billy Gibbons Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

William Frederick Gibbons

Place Of Birth

Houston, United States

Age

74 years old

Birth Date

December 16 1949

Billy Gibbons Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Musician

Education & Qualifications

Margaret Long Wisdom High School

Net Worth

$60,000,000

Current Partner

Gilligan Stillwater

Parents

Lorraine Gibbons, Frederick Royal

Siblings

Pam Gibbons

Billy Gibbons is a Texas-born American musician who has achieved fame and success as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band ZZ Top.
Though he started out playing in blues bands in the '60s, Gibbons soon found himself at the forefront of the American rock scene, with hits like 'Sharp Dressed Man' and 'Legs.' His unique style and approach to music have made him one of the most influential figures in rock history.
Billy Gibbons' guitar-playing and vocals have been described as 'earthy' but he also uses plenty of effects, often to create a more psychedelic sound. Gibbons grew up listening to blues music, constantly encouraged by his family to explore his love of music.
Alongside other Texan rock legends such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billy Gibbons is one of the most recognizable guitarists in rock history, thanks to his distinctive style and sound, which has influenced many other artists over the years.
In this article, we take a closer look at Billy Gibbons' musical career, including his early years as a blues artist and how he went on to become one of American rock's most influential musicians.

What is Billy Gibbons’ net worth?

Billy Gibbons has a net worth of $60 million. 

How much does Billy Gibbons earn per year?

A clear estimate of how much Billy Gibbons earns per year is not available.

How tall is Billy Gibbons?

Gibbons is about 5 ft 10 in (1.79 m) tall.

How old is Billy Gibbons?

Billy Gibbons was born on December 16, 1949, and is 72 years old. He is a Sagittarius.

Born and raised in Tanglewood, Houston, Gibbons was the son of Frederick Royal and Lorraine Gibbons. His father was a society bandleader and entertainer. Billy's parents both inspired him to dip his toes in music. Growing up, he had always been encouraged to attend shows and recording sessions.
Moreover, his father collaborated with Cedric Gibbons, his second cousin, who worked as an art director for Samuel Goldwyn at MGM Studios.
He attended Margaret Long Wisdom High School, Houston, and later on Warner Brothers' Art School in Hollywood.
Billy Gibbons was inspired by early rock n roll and blues musicians, particularly Jimmy Reed. He received his first guitar, a sunburst Gibson Melody Maker, at the age of 13.
Gibbons formed his first rock band, The Saints when he was just 14. By 18, he'd joined and experimented with several other bands and genres, discovering that psychedelic and blues music was his forte. He established The Moving Sidewalks with fellow bandmate Roky Erickson and soon met the rock legend, Jimi Hendrix, himself.
After touring with Hendrix and even covering some of his songs on stage, the two eventually became good friends.

Who is Billy Gibbon’s partner?

Billy Gibbons has been married to Gilligan Stillwater since December 14, 2005. They'd known each other for 30 years before their marriage! They have no children.
Gilligan Stillwater, originally Ellen J. Oetjen, was only 15 years old when she first met Gibbons. The two have an age difference of 16 years.
Stillwater works as ZZ Top's manager and has also made appearances in a few films like 'Snake & Mongoose' (2013) and 'Pickin’ & Grinnin' (2010).

Best Known For…

Gibbons' first band, the Saints, changed its name to The Moving Sidewalks in the '60s. It was a four-person band that directly preceded his current rock band.
Billy Gibbons is undoubtedly best known for forming the American blues-rock trio, ZZ Top, in 1969, along with bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard. Gibbons was only about 20 years old at the time, but his talent shone through, and he became the band's lead singer and guitarist.
The rock band made their debut with 'ZZ Top's First Album' (1971). So far, the band has released 15 studio albums and sold about 50 million albums worldwide. 
Some of their most popular songs include 'Sharp Dressed Man' (1983), 'Legs' (1983), and 'Gimme All Your Lovin' (1983).
ZZ Top has also been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. The induction speech was given by none other than Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.
Dusty Hill, one of the band's founding members, passed away on July 28, 2021.
Billy Gibbons is still an active member of ZZ Top and continues touring, recording, and performing with the band. He was on tour for the 2019 Billy F Gibbons 'The Big Bad Blues Tour' which took place in September.

Charity Work

In 2021, America Salutes You organized a 'ZZ Top's Billy F. Gibbons' benefit concert at the Grand Ole Opry House with all the donations going to non-profits like ThanksUSA, CreatiVets, and the First Responders Children's Foundation. 
Gibbons has hosted LOVE ROCKS NYC!, a charity event supporting God’s Love We Deliver foundation. The foundation's goal is to provide precious meals and nutrition counseling for individuals living with severe illnesses.
ZZ Top has supported ChildLine and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

What awards has Billy Gibbons won?

Billy Gibbons has thrice been the recipient of the AllMusic Favorite Blues Albums awards, as well as the AllMusic Best of 2018 and 2021.
Gibbons' second solo album, 'The Big Bad Blues', was named Blues Rock Album of the Year at the 40th Blues Music Awards in May 2019.
'That Little Ol’ Band From Texas,' a 2019 documentary on Billy Gibbons and ZZ Top, was nominated for Best Music Film at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Billy Gibbons’ Hobbies and Interests

Billy Gibbons is an avid vintage guitar collector. A 1959 Sunburst Les Paul Standard, which he affectionately calls 'Pearly Gates,' is one of his notable pieces.
Other than guitars, he also likes to collect rare African art and artifacts. He has so many that he has to stash them away in a separate warehouse in Houston.
He also holds several vehicle-related patents under his name. He also loves to paint!

Gibbons also goes by an alias, Justis Walkert, by which he has appeared on other artists' recordings. This includes Jeff Healey and the Rainer & Das Combo.
During their time in the band, Gibbons and Hill came to embody the long beards and sunglasses, which are now associated with ZZ Top.
One of Billy Gibbons' earliest impressions was Elvis Presley. The young Billy had seen the singer on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' and was transfixed by his style ever since.
Gibbons' father sent him to study with American jazz legend Ernest Anthony Puente Jr., or Tito Puente as he was more popularly known.
Billy featured in a series of Fiesta Mart television commercials.
Gibbons has an impressive car collection, owning at least nine beautiful vintage pieces, including a 1958 Ford 'Mexican Blackbird' Thunderbird and 1948 Cadillac 'CadZZilla' Series 62.
Main image credit: Debby Wong /Shutterstock