ZZ Top Turned Down $1 Million Per Member Gillette Offer to Shave Beards in the 1980s

Billy Gibbons confirmed that ZZ Top rejected an offer from Gillette in the 1980s. The razor company wanted each member to shave their beards on television for $1 million per person. Gibbons spoke about this during a recent interview.

"They deny it," Gibbons said, according to Blunt Magazine. "It was a million dollars per man."

The Texas trio consulted rock publicist Bob Merlis before deciding. "He said, 'The money's good, you might as well consider doing it but I'm not so sure any of you guys know what's under there,'" Gibbons recalled. "So we passed. We passed, and our fans loved it. Word got out."

Gillette made this pitch back in the days when the group dominated MTV. Their beards had become as recognizable as the spinning hot rods and pin-up visuals that filled their videos.

Gibbons and late bassist Dusty Hill first started growing their facial hair during a break in the mid-1970s. 

The reason? "One word: lazy," Gibbons told Dan Rather when asked about the origins. "Dusty and I, what started out as a disguise, turned into a trademark," the frontman explained.

Ironically, drummer Frank Beard has spent most of his career clean-shaven. His name became a running joke within rock circles.

Dusty Hill died in July 2021 at age 72. Elwood Francis took over bass duties and has grown his own beard, continuing the visual tradition.

The band will hit the road this year with multiple tours planned. Their beards remain intact decades after rejecting the razor giant's proposal.

Shaving them off would have destroyed the brand that helped make the Houston-formed outfit untouchable during their commercial peak. Keeping their look proved more valuable than any advertising deal could provide.

Fans can get tickets for the ZZ Top shows from their official website.