Died On This Date (April 10, 2009) Rocky Hill / Houston Guitarist; Brother of ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill
themusicsover John “Rocky” Hill
December 1, 1946 – April 10, 2009
Rocky Hill was by all accounts, a killer guitar player, as well as the older brother of Dusty Hill, bassist for Texas rock band, ZZ Top. The Hill brothers began playing together in their early teens eventually forming a trio called American Blues with future ZZ Topper, Frank Beard on drums. The band broke up in 1969 when the Hills moved from Dallas to Houston. Dusty and Beard soon joined up with Billy Gibbons to form ZZ Top. Rocky, who was more of a blues loyalist continued on alone, at times playing with the great Lightnin’ Hopkins. He apparently struggled with drugs and alcohol through much of his adult life. Cause of death was not immediately released but was called medical in nature.
Chuck Willis had a relatively short career as a singer and songwriter of Blues, R&B and early Rock ‘n’ Roll. He recorded for Columbia, Okeh and Atlantic Records over a career that lasted less than ten years before he unexpectedly died. But what a career he had. His hits included “It’s Too Late (She’s Gone),” covered by no less than 
Yank Rachell was a country blues musician with a twist in that he played the mandolin. Born in Brownsville, Tennessee in 1910, Rachell began to teach himself to play the mandolin at just eight years old. He hooked up with the legendary 
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