ZZ Top Once Turned Down $1 Million Each To Shave Their Beards For Gillette Ad

ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons has confirmed that he and the band's late bassist Dusty Hill rejected a $1 million per person offer from Gillette in the 1980s to shave their iconic beards for a television commercial. Speaking on Jay Mohr's podcast Mohr Stories, Gibbons said, "It's true. [Gillette] deny it. It was a million dollars per man." He recalled consulting music industry veteran Bob Merlis about the proposal. "We called Mr. Merlis. I said, 'Bob, we got this offer,'" Gibbons explained. Merlis responded, "Well, the money's good. You might as well consider doing it, but I'm not so sure you guys - any of you guys - know what's under there." The band ultimately declined the offer. "So we passed. We passed, and our fans loved it. Word got out," the 76-year-old musician shared. ZZ Top will tour extensively throughout 2026, including a series of co-headlining dates with country star Dwight Yoakam.