It's been three years since ZZ Top lost bassist Dusty Hill and pressed into action their guitar tech, Elwood Francis.
But despite having a long beard like Hill and guitarist Billy Gibbons, Francis tells Guitar World he's not adapted to his new role.
“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.’
“We’d done some gigs when Dusty passed, and by that time, I wouldn’t say I was comfortable because I’m still not comfortable. 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.”
ZZ are down to the last three dates on their European tour starting Saturday with two in Germany and the finale in Switzerland. They start another U.S. leg of The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd on August 9th in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
ZZ Top will perform at Lucas Oil Live in Thackerville, Oklahoma on Friday November 8th.