ZZ Top performed as scheduled Friday evening in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, less than 72 hours after the rock band announced the death of Joseph \u201cDusty\u201d Hill, \u2026<\/b>
\nZZ Top performed as scheduled Friday evening in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, less than 72 hours after the rock band announced the death of Joseph \u201cDusty\u201d Hill, the group\u2019s bassist for more than a half-century. Elwood Francis, ZZ Top\u2019s longtime guitar tech, filled in for Mr. Hill during the concert, the group\u2019s performance on stage since its members announced the death of their bandmate Wednesday afternoon. \u201cDusty gave me the directive,\u201d ZZ Top founder, guitarist and singer Billy Gibbons said on stage during the show. \u201cMy friend, your pal, Elwood Francis is going to hold down the bottom end,\u201d he told fans. \u201cHow \u2018bout that Elwood tearing up that bottom end for Dusty,\u201d Mr. Gibbons said in another clip from the show that was shared online afterward. Mr. Hill joined ZZ Top shortly after Mr. Gibbons formed the group in 1969 in Houston, Texas. Along with drummer Frank Beard, the trio performed together for more than 50 years prior to the bassist\u2019s passing. ZZ Top had been touring to commemorate the group\u2019s 50th anniversary together when the band announced last Friday, July 23, that Mr. Hill had \u201cto address a hip issue\u201d and that Mr. Francis would be filling in. Five days later, ZZ Top announced Wednesday that Mr. Hill died in his sleep at his home in Houston at the age of 72. The group canceled a show planned for that evening but was back on stage two nights later. Within hours of ZZ Top announcing Mr. Hill\u2019s death, Mr. Gibbons,71, said his longtime musical collaborator had instructed him: \u201cLet the show go on!\u201d Mr. Hill \u201cemphatically grabbed my arm and said, \u2018Give Elwood the bottom end and take it to the Top\u2019,\u201d Mr. Gibbons said in a message to a friend Wednesday that was shared online after and verified as authentic. ZZ Top is currently scheduled to continue its 50th-anniversary tour with dozens of performances throughout the U.S. and Canada in 2021 and 2022, including next a show set for Saturday in Valdosta, Georgia.<\/p>\n