This is only a preview. The auction will open on: 10/28/2026 1:00:00 PM
Offered Here: ZZ Top 1973 – 1974 Lot of 3 Billy Gibbons Designed Orange Stickers
Item Details: Available for your consideration is a remarkable piece of early Texas rock merchandise featuring this ZZ Top 1973-1974 lot of 3 Billy Gibbons designed orange stickers. These rare and highly collectible orange and black decals carry immense historical value as they were personally designed by the man himself, Billy G. Gibbons. Measuring 2 inches by 3 5/8 inches, these business card sized items were used around 1973 and 1974 during the monumental era of the Tres Hombres tour, which famously launched the band into international stardom. It is an incredibly scarce opportunity to own a piece of promotional ephemera crafted directly by the artistic mind behind the band's iconic aesthetic.
Provenance / Authenticity: This lot comes from the archives of Bill “Pete” Tickle, who was hired as a crew member in 1969 by ZZ Top manager Bill Ham. With there already being two Billy’s (Gibbons and Ham), and to avoid any additional first name confusion, Tickle was called “Pete” from that point forward. In the years following, Tickle contributed to the recording of the song “Mushmouth Shoutin” in 1972 on the Rio Grande Mud album, became production manager, and eventually the band’s tour manager. He parted ways with ZZ Top in 1984 and passed away in 2018.
ZZ Top formed in Houston in 1969, and by 1970 had settled on the lineup of guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard that remained unchanged for more than five decades. Their third album, Tres Hombres (1973), became the band's commercial breakthrough on the strength of "La Grange," a boogie built on the blues of John Lee Hooker that became one of their signature songs. The trio's mix of Texas blues, hard rock and dry humor, together with the distinctive visual identity Gibbons helped shape, made ZZ Top one of the most enduring American rock acts of the 1970s and beyond.
Condition: The stickers are in exceptionally good condition, showing little to no sign of age or long-term storage over the last five decades. The orange and black printing remains incredibly sharp and distinct, the paper stock is firm, and the original adhesive backing remains fully intact and unpeeled. They have been meticulously preserved, making them museum-quality examples of early 1970s rock and roll memorabilia that are ready for immediate display.
SKU: ZZB1050