writing. We tired of hiring drummers, guitar players, and jacking around with so many cats who were not really into playing. We had this lead guitar player who was into sports. He missed gigs because of basketball, or fishing, etc. So we decided to move Billy Bob to the drums, my brother to bass, and I played guitar in The Shipp Brothers Band. It was the beginning of my pursuit of the perfect power trio. Still looking! We had a lawyer friend, Les
Ablondi, shopping our new material and he’d talked with Bill Ham. Ham told Les that my sound was too “chain saw boogie” and he had plenty of that with you guys, and ZZ. Well, soon after that, ZZ Top and PB were slat- ed to play at the convention center in Pine Bluff,
Arkansas. As always, me and Billy Bob were going regardless. At about mid- afternoon the day of your show, Bill Ham calls our lawyer friend and asked if we could open for ZZ that night. Seems PB’s equipment (at least we were told that) was delayed in Georgia or somewhere and you guys were not going to make the show. So Ham asked
if we would be in Pine Bluff ready to go with our equipment, no sound check. We thought it was going to be our big break. Well, Mr. Ham put the promot- er in touch with our lawyer from that point on. Finally, it was nearing show- time, we were still on hold. I can remember our truck being parked at the back entrance ready to unload, yet we were out in the arena
being nervous. Finally the promoter said we would be on, and to make our way to the back. Within five minutes, our lawyer gets another call saying Ham had told the promoter that PB would be about an hour late and to hold the show. His words
were: “No PB, No ZZ Top.” So our wind was taken from our sails in an instant. Seems I remember you guys had hard- ly any lights, and maybe used some borrowed equipment, but still rocked a good show. Ain’t it a small world, Rusty Burns?
Now, my question, do you remem- ber anything about that show or that
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