Bill Ham
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Billy Mack Ham (February 4, 1937 – June 20, 2016) was an American music impresario, best known as the manager, producer, and image-maker for the blues-rock band
ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sou ...
. Ham also gained prominence in the country music world by discovering and managing multi-platinum singer-songwriter
Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...
and founding some of the most successful country music publishing companies. For several years in the 1990s, Ham's companies published a majority of the top-10 country music singles.


Biography


Childhood

Ham was born in
Waxahachie, Texas Waxahachie ( ) is the seat of government of Ellis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 41,140 in 2020. Etymology Some sources state that the name means "cow" or "buffalo" in an unspecified Native American language. One possible ...
on Feb. 4, 1937. His first involvement with the music industry was as a recording artist for
Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In 1956, the company moved ...
, which released a solo album produced by
Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...
.


Career

The band which eventually became ZZ Top started as the "Moving Sidewalks." When Tom Moore and Don Summers left, Dan Mitchell and Billy Gibbons changed the name to ZZ Top. Lanier Greig was added and the original ZZ Top was formed. Later,
Dusty Hill Joe Michael "Dusty" Hill (May 19, 1949 – July 28, 2021) was an American musician who was the bassist of the rock band ZZ Top for more than 50 years. He also sang lead and backing vocals and played keyboards. Hill was born in Dallas, Texas, an ...
and Frank Beard replaced Greig and Mitchell respectively and the band achieved success as a trio consisting of Gibbons, Hill and Beard. Ham was working as a record promotion man for H. W. Daily Distributing when he saw the Sidewalks perform at a
Doors A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide security by ...
concert in
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
and came backstage to compliment the band. Later when the Sidewalks decided to fire their manager, Mitchell asked Ham if he would be interested in serving in that capacity. Ham was instrumental to ZZ Top's success, co-writing songs, producing their hit albums, and constructing their image, and continuing as the band's manager up to and including 1996's '' Rhythmeen'' album and tour. He also recruited Texas guitarist and singer/songwriter Jay Boy Adams into the ZZ Top family. Adams was the second artist produced and managed by Ham. Adams would tour extensively with ZZ Top throughout the seventies and early eighties and served as the band's first regular support act and roadie.
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
guitarist Van Wilks was also a part of Bill Ham's Lone Wolf Productions throughout the years and toured with ZZ Top on many occasions.
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
guitarist and music producer Jay Aaron was also a part of Bill Ham's Lone Wolf Productions, and recorded a solo album in 1990 for Warner Bros. Records, with Bill Ham as executive producer. Years earlier Jay Aaron produced and engineered Eric Johnson's '' Seven Worlds'' album, also with Bill Ham as executive producer. Lone Wolf Productions has also produced such artists as
Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...
,
Eric Johnson Eric Johnson may refer to: Music *Eric Johnson (guitarist) (born 1954) an American guitarist and recording artist * Eric D. Johnson (born 1976), member of multiple indie-rock bands including Fruit Bats, The Shins and Califone Politics * Eric Joh ...
, Jay Aaron, and
Point Blank Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. If the bullet leaves the barrel paral ...
.


Murder of his wife

On July 2, 1991, 48-year-old Cecile Ham (née Autrey) was in a
Walgreens Walgreen Company, d/b/a Walgreens, is an American company that operates the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States behind CVS Health. It specializes in filling prescriptions, health and wellness products, health information, a ...
parking lot when she was attacked by 22-year-old Spencer Corey Goodman, a recently paroled repeat offender. Goodman knocked her unconscious before stealing her red 1991 Cadillac. He later pulled over and used "martial arts" to break Cecile's neck, killing her. He then dumped her body in a field before fleeing in the stolen car. A friend of Cecile reported her missing the next day. Goodman was apprehended five weeks later following a high-speed chase and crashing the stolen car. Goodman was ultimately convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injection on January 18, 2000, aged 31; Ham himself was present at the event. Goodman is buried at
Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery The Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery is the main prison cemetery of the U.S. state of Texas, located in Huntsville and operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). The colloquial name for the cemetery is Peckerwood Hill. The name originat ...
.


Death

Ham died on June 20, 2016, at his home in Austin, Texas, according to the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office. No cause of death was given. He was 79.


References


External links

*
Bill Ham biography on mp3.com

ZZ Top's biography


* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ham, Bill 1937 births 2016 deaths Record producers from Texas People from Waxahachie, Texas ZZ Top