Over 180 lots from his estate are available at auction
Rock and Roll’s “Sharp Dressed Man” is back for an encore on the auction stage with The Collection of Dusty Hill of ZZ Top Part II, an exclusive online event running through Wednesday, January 31st on Julien’s Auctions. A portion of the auction proceeds will benefit MusiCares and its mission to help the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency, and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community.
Coming off of Julien’s year-end auction spectacular that honored the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bass legend of one of the best-selling acts and biggest touring bands of all time–ZZ Top–held December 7-9, 2023 in the legendary musician and vocalist’s birthplace of Dallas, Texas, this grand finale offers 180 lots direct from the Estate of the Rock and Hall of Famer that includes: Dusty Hill’s remaining most personal items; showstopping wardrobe including his vintage concert T-shirts; performance jackets including custom pieces by Manuel and Jaime custom tailoring; designer items by John Varvatos, Issey Miyake and Hugo Boss; personalized sports jerseys of Hill’s many favorite sports teams such as the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Lighting and Ottawa Senators; and the last chance to bid and own one of Hill’s most iconic bass guitars.
Throughout Hill’s epic 50-year tenure with ZZ Top, who ruled the airwaves with their classic hits and groundbreaking MTV music videos “Legs,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” and “Sharp Dressed Man,” and sold over 50 million albums worldwide, the blues rock bassist had his instruments custom made and crafted as art pieces in pairs, one for ZZ Top’s touring “A Rig” and one for the “B Rig.”
Many of the “1 ” or “2” of instruments were sold in the first auction of The Collection of Dusty Hill of ZZ Top with the other half of the pairs now to be offered at this auction; such as one of the top highlights, the number one of two Bolin Gretsch style Bo Diddley fur bass guitars, the last of Hill’s iconic fur basses–a circa 2010 guitar, in full white New Zealand sheepskin finish with Gretsch TV Jones pickup, number 1 of 2 made that shows extensive wear from use (estimate: $10,000 – 15,000). Another sensational offering is a 2012 stage-used Fender Custom Shop Dusty Hill Signature Precision bass, in black relic finish with “1” on back of reverse headstock (estimate: $10,000 – $12,000)
Highlights include:
Dusty Hill’s 2010 Bolin “Caricature” Precision style bass with a reverse headstock, in black finish with custom Dusty caricature design on body and fretboard, double-bound body and Hipshot Badass bridge, one replaced control knob, number 2 of 2 made, with a neck plate reading “The Dust, ZZ Top 2010” ($5,000-$7,000);
Dusty Hill’s group of custom 104 guitar picks that include 26 different custom Dusty Hill designs, four examples of each, dating back as far as the 1990 Recycler tour through the band’s 50th anniversary ($400-$600);
Dusty Hill’s vintage concert poster promoting ZZ Top appearing in concert with Lynyrd Skynyrd on October 25, 1973, at Brannen’s Tobacco Warehouse in Bowling Green Kentucky ($200-$300);
Dusty Hill’s white leather snap front jacket by Jeff Hamilton with inset red, gold, and blue star design on sleeves, embroidered JH logo on proper left chest with large eagle logo covering back, size medium ($600-$800);
Dusty Hill’s cream American Hat Co. maxi-felt wool hat, size 7 3/8, with braided hat band and horsehair tassel, detached interior lining, order sheet with style no. details tucked into the interior sweatband, in a black hard case ($500-$700);
Dusty Hill’s custom black velvet cropped jacket with allover geometric silver sparkle design, worn during ZZ Top’s performance of “Bang Bang” at the 1996 Billboard Music Awards ($600-$800);
Dusty Hill’s pair of black and red Chrome Hearts “The Works” style sunglasses with sterling silver accents, lightly tinted prescription lenses, and original Chrome Hearts black leather case ($300-$500);
A Canadian Recording Industry Association sales award presented to Dusty Hill to commemorate the sale of over 10,000 units of the DVD, Live From Texas, August 2008 ($500-$700); and
Dusty Hill’s custom black wool, western-style performance jacket with brown leather yolk, jet stones and western-style white embroidered detailing, by Jaime Custom Tailoring ($600-$800) and more.
