Daily Staff Writer

ZZ Top

Nickname: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas

Age: Conceived 30 years ago, ZZ Top came together sometime between Neil Armstrong landing on the moon and the original Woodstock.

Height: Unknown. (Height of beards: 10 inches.)

Weight: Increasing due to unlimited free chicken dinners in Texas.

Vital statistics: In April, ZZ Top became one of the first recipients of the RIAA Diamond Award for domestic sales of 10 million copies of “Eliminator.”

ZZ Top was one of the first American bands to tour extensively in South Africa, including Johannesburg and Capetown (where they sold out six consecutive nights).

In 1997, the group performed at halftime of Super Bowl XXXI for an estimated audience of 1 billion.

Greatest strength: A signature blend of wry humor and musical innovation evident as ever on the band’s new album, “XXX.”

ZZ Top also boasts a durability rare in the music industry, claiming the title of the oldest trio in rock ‘n’ roll history.

Greatest weakness: ZZ Top hasn’t had a legitimate hit since 1990’s “Doubleback,” which had a big boost from airtime in “Back to the Future III.” “Eliminator” was the band’s definite heyday … 16 years ago.

Secret weapon: Cheap sunglasses, fast cars and gorgeous women.

— Corey Moss

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Nickname: Skynyrd

Age: In 1965, six high school pals from Jacksonville, Fla., formed My Backyard, then later changed their name to immortalize their gym teacher, Leonard Skinner. So, technically, 34.

Height: As high as a free bird flies.

Weight: Combined … a lot.

Vital statistics: Lynyrd Skynyrd is the epitome of American rock ‘n’ roll, known for such classics as “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Free Bird,” “What’s Your Name” and “Saturday Night Special.”

The group has sold more than 35 million records, including the incredible live “One More From The Road.”

Skynyrd’s segments of VH1’s “Behind The Music” and “Hard Rock Live” are some of the best pieces on both shows.

Greatest strength: Ability to conquer adversity.

After a tragic Oct. 20, 1977, plane crash took the lives of founding members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines along with road manager Dean Kilpatrick, fans thought Lynyrd Skynyrd was over forever.

But 10 years later, with Ronnie’s brother Johnny stepping up to the mic, the band staged the biggest comeback in rock ‘n’ roll history.

With 13 records under the new line-up’s belt, the classic rockers have proven nothing can stop them.

Greatest weakness: Annoying fans known for yelling “Freebird” at extreme volumes.

Secret weapon: The recent addition of former Damn Yankees drummer Michael Cartellone.

— Corey Moss

Ani DiFranco

Nickname: The Original Self-Righteous Babe

Age: Young enough to attract newly decided lesbians but old enough to have bitched about nearly everything there is to bitch about, Ani checks-in at around 29.

Height: Somewhere between short and tall, but she’s probably closer to short.

Weight: Not too much. She hasn’t floated Up, Up, Up, Up, Up, Up and away, but some are still waiting.

Vital statistics: Ani started Righteous Babe Records, a company that has grown to include an in-house staff of 14 people and a road crew of 11.

She self-produced 12 solo albums in 15 years with notable recordings including “Living in Clip,” a live double album with sales of over 220,000, and “Little Plastic Castle,” which debuted at 22 on Billboard and sold more than 250,000 copies. DiFranco has also sold more than 2 million catalog albums.

Greatest strength: The ability to compose and perform music and lyrics for her growing legion of fans while resisting the temptation to become a part of some old, fat white guy’s corporate agenda.

Greatest weakness: Ani relies on Nailene fake nails, which she attaches to her fingers with glue and electric tape to use as guitar picks. In an interview with Guitar Player magazine, Ani said, “I’m terrified they’re going to discontinue the line because then my career would be over.”

Secret weapon: DiFranco’s chameleon-like ability allows her to change hair color and blend in with her surroundings in order to surprise opponents.

— Jon Dallager

Ben Harper

Nickname: The Next Hendrix, Santana, Cat Stevens … you name ’em ,and he’s probably been compared to them.

Age: For seven years, he’s been bringing his originality and emotional intensity to the music scene. His first EP, “Pleasure and Pain,” was released in 1992, followed by the full-length “Welcome to the Cruel World” in 1993.

Height: High. Very, very high.

Weight: The combined force of delta and electric blues, pure folk and reggae. At last estimate, he weighed nearly 300 tons.

Vital statistics: Harper boasts four critically acclaimed albums: “Cruel World,” “Fight for Your Mind,” “The Will to Live” and the recently -released “Burn to Shine.” Though most frequently categorized as blues, folk or reggae, his music continues to defy description.

“Burn to Shine” features “Suzy Blue,” a 1920s style jazz number, and “Cruel World” includes “Mama’s Got a Girlfriend Now,” a country stomp.

Greatest strength: His ability to transition smoothly from mellow folk into rocking blues. Harper’s live shows not only showcase his eclectic songbook, but they have also featured a variety of cover tunes, from Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” and Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up,” to Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child” and “Manic Depression.”

Greatest weakness: He’s got a soft spot for the ladies, most evident on gentle greats such as “Another Lonely Day,” “Waiting on an Angel” and “Widow of a Living Man.”

Secret weapon: His Weissenborn, an acoustic lap-guitar made only for a brief period in the ’20s. Harper uses it to pound out his funky blues jams.

— Ben Godar