BMI to Honor ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons With Troubadour Award

BMI is set to present ZZ Top‘s Billy F Gibbons with the Troubadour Award on Monday, Sept. 18, during a private reception at BMI’s Nashville office.

While Gibbons is also known as a premier guitarist and entertainer through his musical accomplishments, including his work as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band ZZ Top, this accolade honors his songwriting work, as a composer who has “made a profound impact on the creative community as their craft continues to set the pace for generations to follow,” according to a press release.

As the chief songwriter for ZZ Top, Gibbons’ writing credits include “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” “Cheap Sunglasses” and “La Grange,” the lead single from the band’s Tres Hombres album, which garnered them mainstream success 50 years ago.

“With a career spanning several decades, Billy has penned an array of timeless hits that have left an indelible mark on the music industry,” Clay Bradley, BMI’s vp of creative, Nashville, said in a statement. “His ability to craft lyrics that resonate with audiences across generations is a testament to his songwriting prowess and he is the epitome of what the BMI Troubadour Award represents.”

Previous Troubadour Award recipients have included John Hiatt, John Prine, Robert Earl Keen and Lucinda Williams.

Over the years, ZZ Top earned two top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: “Legs” in 1984 and “Sleeping Bag” in 1985. The group also earned six No. 1 hits on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

In 2002, the album Sharp Dressed Man: A Tribute to ZZ Top reached No. 7 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart. The project featured covers from artists including Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson and Willie Nelson.