Happy Birthday, Billy Gibbons!

There's no mistaking William Frederick -- better known as "Billy" -- Gibbons as one of two densely bearded front men in that Little Ole' Band from Texas, ZZ Top, a distinction he shars with bassist Dusty Hill. Never mind that beardless drummer Frank Beard has the appropriate name but lacks any actual claim to a hairy handle; ZZ Top have become as well known for their twin chins as they have for their rugged bluesy rumble. 

He formed ZZ Top with Hill and Beard in 1969 and found immediate success with the albums Rio Grande Mud, Tres Hombres, Fandango! and El Loco, before furthering their fame after a brief hiatus in the early '80s when they regrouped and released the massive sellers Eliminator, Afterburner and Recycler.

They not only became radio staples -- courtesy of such songs as "Gimme

All Your Lovin'," "Legs" and "Sharp Dressed Man" -- but also MTV regulars,

thanks to their offbeat image and a somewhat sassy sense of humor. In

2004, they were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, and more

recently, Gibbons himself was given the high honor of being named as the

2012 Texas State Musician by the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Still, there's no escaping that unusual appendage, making him look a bit gnome-like to be sure. Yet Gibbons and his lengthy chin tresses aren't alone when it comes to sartorial splendor... which leads us to look at other artists who have employed facial hair to enhance their image. 

• Music News