• Gilligan Stillwater is the wife of ZZ Top lead singer Billy Gibbons.
• Her net worth is unknown, but she likely benefits from his estimated $60 million.
• Gilligan and Billy have been together for a long time, and married in recent years.
• Billy is a renowned rock guitarist and has released music with ZZ Top, his solo career and other bands.
• He is also a car enthusiast and often wears a Stetson hat or a braided cloth cap.
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Who is Gilligan Stillwater?
Ellen J. Oetjen was born on 8 March 1965, in the United States of America, but is better known as Gilligan Stillwater, and the wife of musician Billy Gibbons, the lead singer and guitarist of the band ZZ Top; he’s considered one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time.
The Net Worth of Gilligan Stillwater
Gilligan Stillwater’s net worth remains officially undisclosed, as there’s little information about her career, except that she’s been the manager of ZZ Top for the last decade. Nevertheless, her wealth is estimated at over $2 million, as of mid-2024.
She probably benefits from the success Billy has from his music career, as he has a net worth estimated to be over $70 million. He’s released music through ZZ Top, his solo career, and work with other bands.
Life and Relationship
Gilligan was born during the height of tension in Vietnam which led to the involvement of the US, deploying troops in the country during what would be known as the Vietnam War. Not a lot is known about her family, but she later disassociated herself from her original name, changing Ellen Oetjen to Gilligan Stillwater.
She has known Billy for a long time and they had a long term relationship. Initially, the couple didn’t seek marriage; Billy’s philosophy was that he wanted to experience everything first since life is short. He later decided that they should give marriage a try, and apparently neither of them have regretted the decision. The couple doesn’t have children, but there are rumors that he has a child and if it were true then it might be from another relationship.
She’s often spotted with her husband touring around the world. She is mostly present in his shows, supporting him in the background.
Husband – Billy Gibbons
Billy grew up in Houston, Texas and got his musical inclinations from his father, who worked as an orchestra conductor as well as a concert pianist. At five years of age, Billy saw an Elvis Presley show and two years later joined his father during a recording session of BB King.
He enjoyed music and initially learned how to play percussion. His father later sent him to New York City to study the guitar – he held his first electric guitar when he was 13 years old, and one of his guitar influences during this period was Jimmy Reed.
After matriculating from high school, he enrolled at an art school in Hollywood, spending most of his free time working with bands. At the age of 18 he created a psychedelic band called The Moving Sidewalks, alongside Rocky Erickson.
They released an album called “Flash”, and he also wrote the single “99th Floor” which led him to open for The Jimi Hendrix Experience during their first US tour. This led to an engaging friendship with the guitarist who trained him more in the instrument, until his death in 1970. In 1969, Billy created the blues-rock band ZZ Top,A which would launch him to international fame.
ZZ Top and Other Projects
ZZ Top soon made waves in the music industry, becoming known as a few of the best blues musicians in the country.
In 1971, they released “ZZ Top’s First Album” which was commended for the blues-inspired rock hits. They soon started incorporating other genres into their music, including dance-rock, punk rock, and new wave. Their best-selling album is entitled “Eliminator”, which sold over 10 million copies in the US. They have three multi-platinum albums, selling over 50 million albums worldwide. The group has also been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Thank you, @livenationncsc! What an incredible 50th Anniversary concert and #ZZTopFilm tour. Catch That Little Ol’ Band From Texas in theaters this week in #New Mexico, #Texas, #New York, and #Connecticut! https://t.co/BGz3txKiI3 for tix! #movienight
📷: @Robson pic.twitter.com/77t0pgQVF0— ZZ Top (@ZZTop) October 21, 2019
Aside from music, Gibbons also expressed an interest in acting, and was a recurring character in the show “Bones” in which he played a fictionalized version of himself. He’s also done voice work in shows such as “King of the Hill” and “Metalocalypse”. During the 13th season of “Hell’s Kitchen,” he appeared as a guest in the dining room.
He’s also ventured into business, becoming a part of Mojo Products which sells a line of sauces and other products under the name BFG Brand, and for which he’s been featured in a few commercials.
Gibbons’ Hobbies
It’s not known if Stillwater shares some of Gibbons’ passions, but it is known that he’s a car enthusiast, preferring customized cars – he has a car collection which he lets his wife enjoy at times. Some of the cars in his collection include a 1962 Chevrolet Impala, a 1958 Ford Thunderbird, a 1950 Ford Business Coupe, and a 1948 Cadillac Series 62; some have been featured in ZZ Top music videos.
For most of his career, he’s been known to wear a Stetson hat which has become his trademark. In recent years, however, he changed to a braided cloth cap, which was traded to him by the chief of the Cameroon Bamileke people in Vienna.
