Zeppelin/ZZ Top/Witkowski

The Zeppelin/ZZ Top/Witkowski experience

So Rick and I were watching bands from our area at the 4th of July celebration. I mentioned that I recently shared my Stanley Clarke experience. That led to more stories and one that I had forgotten. There's a lot of road stories, however this is not about CTS, it's a band called East which Rick and I, Don Schloss and the late Bob DiCiccio were in. Don and Chic were in the early rendition of CTS.

We got on the road and we're playing in Raleigh, NC at a concert type bar. It was a real nice place and for some reason packed. Our bag back then was The Allman Brothers, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Zeppelin, Dave Mason, Chicago and Beatles.

During our first break of three sets some of Zeppelins roadies showed up and invited us to the arena the next day for their soundcheck. This was like 1971 and Zeppelin was THE concert to see, so it was huge for us. We went back up and played about half of the second set when a bearded guy in boots came up to the stage and whispered Hi, I'm Billy Gibbons do ya mind if we sit in? Now their first album had been out for only six months so most of the folks didn't know who ZZ Top was but we sure did. The three of them came up and took over. They actually finished the night with us all on stage. Another of those what am I doing here moments.

The next day it was soundcheck day at the arena. When we arrived, the stage was just about done with the instruments and amps ready to go. They greeted us and asked Ricky if he would help them out. He said sure so they led him up to the stage and gave him Jimmy’s Les Paul. I think it was a quad Marshall stack and it sounded awesome. We were hooping and hollering and he was playing his butt off. So they asked where the drummer was and Rick said I play drums. So they put him behind Bonhams kit and there was a certain triplet that John had made famous which was Snare, Tom and kick very fast, over and over. Some of you know the lick that's in the Moby Dick solo. Anyway, Ricky killed it! We all kind of looked at Rick differently after that.

Thanks for tuning in!