Billy Gibbons has never been short on great stories, but one of the most fascinating tales from ZZ Top’s long history involves a decision that could have changed the band’s image forever. Long before their beards became legendary, the band was offered a deal so big that most people would never hesitate. The catch? They had to shave.
According to Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top once received an offer from the razor company Gillette that sounded almost unreal. The company allegedly offered one million dollars to each band member if they agreed to shave their beards on television. It would have been a clean, dramatic moment—prime-time exposure, smooth faces, and instant wealth.
At the time, ZZ Top was already successful, but a million dollars per person was still an enormous amount of money. The offer wasn’t laughed off. Instead, the band did what they usually did when faced with a big decision—they talked it over and reached out to their trusted manager and publicist, Bill “Mr.” Merlis.
Merlis didn’t tell them to say no right away. He admitted the money was very tempting. But then he added something that stuck with them. He said, more or less, that they could do it—but he wasn’t sure any of them really knew what was under those beards anymore.
That comment made them pause.
By that point, the beards were more than just facial hair. They had become a symbol. Fans instantly recognized ZZ Top because of their look just as much as their sound. The beards matched their gritty Texas blues-rock style. They made the band feel larger than life, almost mythical.
Shaving them off wouldn’t just change how they looked. It would change how people saw them.
So ZZ Top walked away from the deal. They left millions of dollars on the table and kept their beards.
Looking back, it turned out to be one of the smartest choices they ever made.
Over the years, those beards became part of pop culture. They appeared in music videos, cartoons, commercials, posters, and album covers. People who didn’t even know ZZ Top’s music still knew the beards. Ironically, the band later appeared in commercials—but never for razors.
What makes the story even more amusing is that the band member named Frank Beard never grew a long beard at all. Meanwhile, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill—whose last names don’t mention facial hair—became two of the most famous bearded figures in rock history.
Today, the story is often shared as a lesson about identity. Money comes and goes, but a strong, unique image can last a lifetime. ZZ Top understood that their beards were not something they could buy back once they were gone.
In the end, the beards were worth far more than a million dollars.
They became a symbol of staying true to who you are—even when someone waves a massive paycheck in front of your face. Sometimes, the most valuable thing isn’t what you sell. It’s what you refuse to give up.