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 Green Stickers
Item Details: Presented for your consideration is a remarkable piece of early Texas rock merchandise featuring this ZZ Top 1973-1974 lot of 3 Billy Gibbons designed green stickers. These rare and highly collectible green 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.
Formed in Houston in 1969, ZZ Top, the trio of guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard, built its following through relentless touring across Texas and the American South, blending electric blues, boogie and hard rock into a distinctly regional sound. The band's 1973 album Tres Hombres, featuring "La Grange," marked its national breakthrough and established the gritty, humorous Texas persona that defined its early years. Gibbons, who shaped much of the group's visual identity alongside its music, helped carry ZZ Top from regional club act to one of the most enduring and recognizable bands in American rock, an arc later recognized with the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
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 green 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: ZZB1049