“Dusty is their bass player. I'm not the bass player. I shouldn't be in the band”: Elwood Francis replaced Dusty Hill in ZZ Top – but he still feels uncomfortable about it

Elwood Francis and Billy Gibbons of the American band ZZ Top perform live on stage during a concert at the Zitadelle Spandau on July 6, 2024 in Berlin, Germany.

In July 2021, Dusty Hill – ZZ Top’s longtime bass guitar player – passed away at the age of 72. As per the late bassist's wishes, his place was taken by the band’s guitar tech, Elwood Francis.

For the guitar tech-turned-ZZ Top member, that meant not just playing the correct parts, but also continuing the band’s legacy of using rather, erm, colorful instruments – a role that was enthusiastically adopted by Francis, who took to the stage with a crazy 17-string bass guitar.