With his flamboyant clothing, which includes a top cap and an enviously long beard, gravelly bass voice, and unrivaled guitar ability, Billy Gibbons is without a doubt one of the greatest icons of the blues world. Gibbons also holds the Rolling Stones in high regard as blues and rock pioneers.
When questioned about his fav Rolling Stones tunes, Gibbons had the following response:
“I’ll throw a left-field choice in here. It’s the [‘Child of the Moon’] the B-side of ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’. Quite a piece of brilliant psychedelia in its own right. It’s almost proto-grunge.”
He added:
“If you allow me a runner-up – I know, just one choice, but it’s my prerogative as a dyed-in-the-wool Stones fan to suggest another great one – that would be ‘I’m Alright’, from Got Live If You Want It! It’s just so raw and real you can almost touch it. And of course, it’s a Bo Diddley composition; using the term loosely, since it’s mostly a wham-jam/rave-up, so that makes it all the more cherished.”
Gibbons has often shown his ardent affection for the blues legends on record, proving that he is, as he claims, a “dyed-in-the-wool Stones fan.” Gibbons once said when asked once who his favorite guitarist was:
“Keith Richards. It’s incredible to think that the Stones, Keith, these guys were sort of heroes of mine when I was starting out, and they’re now friends.
“They rescued US blues music with their work, bringing the music back home to the USA and giving the original US bluesmen a career and recognition.”
Apparently, Gibbons believes the Stones are responsible for bringing back the blues after it had disappeared into obscurity.
Even though they originated on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean from the classic US bluesmen, The Stones actually did catch their essence. The Stones began off playing mostly covers, so listening to them is like taking a crash lesson in blues history. As a result, they naturally have an outstanding understanding of most blues genres.
The magnetism that exists among the Stones, particularly between the two main suspects, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, was further discussed by Gibbons. He spoke:
“Both Mick and Keith, two peas in a pod. They still remain robust and stalwart in the eyes of ZZ Top land. Two characters in their own right. But I think it’s a comfortable way to give them a proper pairing.”