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

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.

However, behind the onstage antics and the headlines surrounding this show-stealing instrument, the burden of taking Hill’s place weighed heavily on Francis’ shoulders. And, as the veteran touring tech explains in a new interview with Guitar World, he still finds the whole experience “weird”, and feels uncomfortable about taking Hill’s place.

I didn’t have to worry about the weight of the crown because I was just helping. They pulled me aside and said, ‘Can you honestly say you can’t play his parts?’ I said, ‘I can do it, but I don’t think people would enjoy me doing it.’ They said, ‘You can cover him for a few weeks.’”

The original plan was for Francis to step in for three weeks. When Hill passed away, that plan was re-evaluated, and his place in the band was made permanent.