Bill Ham

Billy Mack Ham (February 4, 1937 – June 20, 2016)^[1] was an American music impresario, best known as the manager, producer, and image-maker for the blues-rock band ZZ Top.^[2] Ham also gained prominence in the country music world by discovering and managing multi-platinum singer-songwriter Clint Black.

Bill Ham
Background information
Birth name	Billy Mack Ham
Born	(1937-02-04)February 4, 1937 Waxahachie, Texas, U.S.
Died	June 20, 2016(2016-06-20) (aged 79) Austin, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Rock blues rock country
Occupations	Record producer band manager
Years active	1960–2016
Spouse	Cecile Ham ​ (died 1991)​

Career

Ham began his career as a singer, releasing a single, "Wanderer," on Dot Records in 1960. Cash Box called the song a "bright rocker" with a "sensational backbeat."^[3]

In 1968, Ham was working as a record promoter for Bud Daily Distributing when he saw the Moving Sidewalks, the band that would become ZZ Top, perform at a Doors concert in Houston, and went backstage to compliment them.^[4] When the Moving Sidewalks decided to fire their manager, they recruited Ham to replace him. Ham was instrumental to ZZ Top's success, co-writing songs, constructing their image, and producing every one of the group's albums from their debut through 1996's Rhythmeen.^[2] Ham and ZZ Top parted ways in 2006.^[5]

Ham also saw success in management and publishing outside of ZZ Top. His Lone Wolf Management produced such artists as Clint Black and Point Blank,^[5] and songwriters signed to his Hamstein Music publishing company scored 100 Top 10 country singles, including 60 number ones.^[4]

Personal life and death

On July 2, 1991, Ham's wife, 48-year-old Cecile Ham, was in a drugstore parking lot in Houston when she was kidnapped and murdered by 22-year-old Spencer Corey Goodman, a recently paroled repeat offender.^[6] Goodman was apprehended five weeks later following a high-speed chase where he crashed Cecile's stolen car.^[7] He was convicted of murder, sentenced to death, and executed by lethal injection on January 18, 2000. Ham witnessed the execution.^[8]

Ham died on June 20, 2016, at his home in Austin, Texas, aged 79.^[5]