Billy Gibbons On Having Concerns About The Future Of ZZ Top After Dusty Hill’s Passing

ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons recently revealed during an interview with Louder Sound that the remaining band members worried about the band’s future following Dusty Hill’s passing.

Dusty Hill made many contributions to ZZ Top, primarily playing bass along with some vocal and keyboard parts throughout his almost 50 years career with the band. He contributed to the band’s success with the albums like ‘Tres Hombres.’ However, the bassist experienced various health issues starting from the 2000s.

Hill was initially diagnosed with Hepatitis C and injured his hip during a 2014 tour. While he took a break from the band due to his ongoing health problems, he requested the members to continue shows with the guitar tech Elwood Francis. Unfortunately, the musician passed away on July 28, 2021, and Francis became the permanent member.

Since the bassist’s passing, the remaining members have always talked about how they miss their bandmate. Previously, Gibbons had said that they didn’t only lose a musician but also a friend. He also stated that Elwood Francis’ participation gave the band a new direction.

Recently, Gibbons opened up more about their challenging process after Dusty Hill’s passing, saying it was an unexpected truth that led him to get closer with Frank Beard. He indicated that both of them decided to carry the band’s legacy instead of giving up in the face of such a challenging incident. The guitarist noted that they acknowledged this goal with the help of Francis Elwood.

Billy Gibbons said when asked about the process following Dusty Hill’s passing:

“Well, it was an unexpected reality that landed not only in my lap but allowed me to hunker down and get serious with Mister Beard. And the two of us both agreed that as an honor to the legacy of the band, we felt it would be more suitable to try to pick up sticks and carry on rather than just throw in the towel. And fortunately, with the arrival of Elwood Francis, that possibility became a reality. And here we are today having as much fun up there on stage as we ever have.”

In the previous month, Jeff Beck announced that he would share the same stage with ZZ Top and Ann Wilson during the promotion tour of his latest album ’18.’ Billy Gibbons also hinted that the upcoming shows would be thrilling and said he was excitedly waiting for them.