Watch: ZZ Top Play First Show Since Dusty Hill's Death - Ultimate Classic Rock

“'I think I’m due to go visit the physician to see if I can bounce back,'” Billy Gibbons recalled Hill telling him at the time he stepped away from touring.

Elwood (guitar tech Elwood Francis) and take him out of that tech station and strap him up with my guitar and make him carry on with every single note.' And I said, 'Well, if that’s your wishes, I’ll respect that.'”.

My friend, your pal, Elwood Francis is gonna hold it down behind me.”.

“I’m gonna tell ya, that beard is real, folks,” the frontman joked, before echoing the story of how Francis ended up with ZZ Top-style facial hair courtesy of the pandemic.