On July 28th, 2021, ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill passed away at 72 years of age. Dusty's bandmates, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard, issued the following statement:

"We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the ‘Top'. We will forever be connected to that "Blues Shuffle in C'. You will be missed greatly, amigo."

Two days later, ZZ Top performed at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater in Alabama, joined by their 20-plus year guitar tech Elwood Francis. Frontman Billy Gibbons introduced Elwood Francis to take Hill’s place for the tour. Since then, Francis has become Hill's permanent replacement, but in a new interview with Guitar World he revealed that he still finds the whole experience “weird”, and feels uncomfortable about taking Hill’s place.

Francis: "When I first started doing it, Dusty was just sick and going home for a few weeks. It was entirely different; I was just helping out. I didn't have to worry about the weight of the crown because I was just helping. We'd done some gigs when Dusty passed, and by that time, I wouldn't say I was comfortable because I'm still not fucking comfortable. But I had a piece of paper on the riser for the first two shows if I got in trouble, and by the third show, I got rid of that, and just did the show. It's just weird. Dusty is their bass player. I'm not the bass player. I'm not in the band. I'll never be in the band. I shouldn't be in the band. It's Dusty's thing. Sure, I'll still play with them, but it's a weird thing, man."

Read more via Guitar World here.

(Thanks: Ultimate Guitar)