So what is that hat on top of the Top? You know sunglasses,
leather jacket, beard, beanie? What is
that on top of the Top? My curiosity was
peaked when I found out that I would have the chance to see Billy Gibbons of ZZ
Top fame at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum’s Annual Induction Show. I googled, I stalked webpages and I found so
many different stories about that hat. I
read that it was a peace offering from
an African priest, a gift from a fan,
even that it was the creation of a lady
knitting beanies at a mall kiosk. Well
one of the good fortunes of doing some work for a museum, especially one
devoted to music, is you can learn the history or let’s call it the back story of
past events. Enter Loretta Harper,
daughter of famed artist Betty Harper, Nashville girl, movie costumer, stylist,
designer, master of anything creative, including Billy Gibbon’s hat. In 1997 Houston, TX, Billy Gibbons fresh off his Continental Safari
tour with ZZ Top showed Loretta Harper,
girl who knew where to buy the best Rock clothes and jeans in Nashville, his
African hat. “Honey, don’t put that hat
on your head! It’s too ancient! You will catch a disease!” was Loretta’s very
southern opinion of his hat. It seems it was ancient, circa 1600’s made with
matted horse hair dreads. Loretta told
Billy she would make him a new one just like it. So doing what she does best, she found just
the right material, made the perfect dye bath, and hand sewed each little 1 and
a half inch dread onto a wig cap. 300
hours later the Top had his new top.
Loretta has often wondered if Billy was still wearing the actual hat
that she made. This year in Nashville
she ran into Billy and sure enough it was still her hat.
