Billy Gibbons says ZZ Top has been resurrected following the death last July of bassist Dusty Hill.
He tells Classic Rock magazine, “It’s quite a trip having [guitar tech] Elwood [Francis] step in to help keep the ball rolling. He’s adding a great bit of enthusiasm. When I see [drummer] Frank Beard smiling for the first time in 30 years, I know something good’s happening…
“It’s interesting. Elwood’s background is steeped in the punk-rock world. We were curious if such a background was going to enter the ZZ Top world. But I must say that Elwood’s presence brings a robust energy that is actually a boost to ZZ Top. You might even consider us being somewhat new as a band. Which we are! It’s really entertaining, I’ll say that.”
It was Hill’s wish that should anything happen to him that Elwood step in.
Gibbons adds, “It was an unexpected reality that landed not only in my lap, but allowed me to hunker down and get serious with Mr. 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.”
Also lending a hand in the decision to keep the band going was Booker T and the MGs guitarist Steve Cropper. “Years before, when [MGs bassist] Duck Dunn passed away, I took note of Cropper’s remarks. He said: ‘I feel like I’ve lost a great friend. And that went well beyond another musician. He was well beyond that.’ And we felt that way about Dusty. We lost a great friend.”
ZZ Top is on tour with a show in Baltimore tonight (Tuesday).
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