I can’t remember how we got the gig," remembers Dusty Hill, "but I remember a stage hand, an inmate, who was joking about escaping in my guitar case.” The building that housed the Delta Promotions offices still stands, just as it did in 1969, alone on a dusty stretch of Tuscola Road on the outskirts of Bay City, Michigan. From this secluded spot, local businessman Bill Kehoe and his partner Jim Atherton managed Question Mark and the Mysterians and a number of smaller local bands. Tom Hocott was the first employee of Delta Promotions. He now lives in Grand Rapids where he plays music and lives a quiet life. He reluctantly agreed to meet me at a Chili’s outside of town to discuss his time with Delta Promotions. When we sit down to eat, he places a manila envelope on the table. He keeps his hand on it while telling me the story of his involvement with the fake Zombies. When fitted correctly using Hairaisers professional beard adhesive, the Full Long Beard is indistinguishable from a real, naturally growing beard.

Dusty Hill refutes this accusation: “We were just making whatever we were making and happy to get some money to get another band together, but we didn’t do that.” Nearly 50 years later, what happened with the Zombies is now more myth than scandal, hazy details further lost to history, with many of its principal players gone or forgotten. But, in terms of sheer audacity and brazenness, it’s a story that’s still hard to top. As far as the Zombies, I was told they didn’t exist,” he recalls. “That they were only a studio sound. I was just excited and flattered. I’d only been playing for a few years and the other guys were pro-level at that point. I didn’t look at it as anything more than a chance to have some fun, hang out with some cool guys, learn some songs, go somewhere outside of this Hillbillyville, and earn a little money.”

6 letter words containing zz

Bill Kehoe's obituary does not mention his time working in the music business. “It just didn’t work out,”Kehoe said in the Bay City Times story. “When all you do is lose money…there’s not much to do but quit. But regardless of what others would have you think, at least I can quit knowing I stayed honest.” Since 2006, ZZ Top have been managed by Carl Stubner. But it was Ham who managed the trio from the outset, and who took them from unknown hopefuls to international stardom. Ham died in 2016, and is fondly remembered in the movie, especially by Hill.

Delta promoted its groups and put on shows at Band Canyon, the venue Kehoe owned in Bay City. “I remember it starting out pretty legitimate,” Hocott says. “Then Kehoe and Atherton started telling me that they’d acquired the rights to the music and the names of these bigger bands like the Zombies and the Animals … I knew it was probably bullshit but I guess I didn’t care. I was happy to be working in music.” Hocott is the only Delta Promotions employee who would talk about the operation. Bill Kehoe died in 1990. As for Kehoe’s partner Jim Atherton, Tom Hocott heard a rumor he’d been shot in Grand Rapids a few years after Delta Promotions folded but there is no record of this occurring. Attempts to locate Atherton were unsuccessful.

They were so damn good,” Hocott says. “They were the perfect Zombies. If you heard them play ‘Time of the Season’ you couldn’t tell the difference.” They were so good that Delta Promotions felt comfortable increasing the size and scale of the tours. “They had a tour bus,” Hocott says. “We sent a road manager out with them.” While ZZ plants can take direct light, you may see some scalding on the leaves if it is left in direct light. Additionally, curling leaves, yellowing, and leaning can all be an indication of too much light. When you notice curling taking place, it typically means the plant is trying to move away from the light source. Move the plant to a shadier location or farther away from the light source. You can also try filtering the light with curtains or blinds if moving the plant is not feasible. Caring for a ZZ Plant At the end of last year they sold off their publishing catalogue, together with their income from recorded royalties and performance royalties, to BMG. It’s a move that has not only secured their individual positions financially, but also “ensures the band’s recorded legacy will endure for generations to come”, according to their manager Stubner.