What’s really got everybody on the ropes is that Elwood had been holding down the guitar technician post for 30 years as a clean-shaven young fellow. Elwood” - 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.” And sure enough, we’ve been very, very fortunate to have a stalwart standby to fill in. When he grabbed my arm and said, “I think I’m due to go visit the physician to see if I can bounce back,” he said, “In the meantime, I want you to grab our guitar technician, Mr.

How are you feeling about continuing on with your guitar tech filling in? Don’t forget it.” And he was pointing his finger and shaking it. In the meantime,” he said, “the show must go on. He said, “I’m going to go down and see what’s up. I said, “Gee whiz, maybe I am human after all,” This is coming from a very deep and glorious place, with respect to knowing that after 50 years with the guy, we were all joined at - no pun intended - joined at the hip.īut knowing that we can take his wishes forward and give him all due respect… You know, he was adamant. I had a couple of moments with the waterworks coming and going, and I really felt a sense of relief. What’s it been like for you emotionally? Is it helping to know that you’re going to be out there celebrating every night regardless? Or is it pretty tough to deal with right now? He said, “Boy, this shoulder and hip are really starting to become a problem.” But, as of this juncture, yeah, it was off to dreamland and beyond. And I could tell that he was moving a little slow. Although the attending physician had earlier warned him that bursitis was not uncommon, even arthritis, and they said it’s not a very comfortable place to be. Let’s face it, you don’t necessarily pass away from a broken shoulder or broken hip. Is there an official cause of death now, or is it just he really fell asleep and didn’t wake up, and people don’t know? Who knows? I’m just glad he’s in a good spot. And by throwing in the towel, it might’ve caught up with him. But I think that this was a real challenge. So he’s been kind of tiptoeing through keeping himself ship-shape, best he could. And he had some problems with some ulcers. Well, it’s no secret that over the past few years he had a pretty rough go with a broken shoulder, followed with a broken hip. So it wasn’t anything where you had partly expected it or thought, boy, he’s seriously ill, and he might have a real problem on his hands? Go do your thing.” And I could tell through those first two valiant attempts, if he’s not giving it 110%, he was the first one to kind of say, “Gee whiz.

He said, “Yeah, let me go check this out.” And of course I said, “Hey, man, health is number one. And then he requested dismissing himself. VARIETY: Was it just the first two dates of the tour that Dusty did with you, before he had to leave? And at the same time, knowing that this came up so suddenly - going to bed and not waking up… That was the luck of the draw. Says Gibbons: “Passing through the grieving process, I can tell you it’s no less than anyone else that loses a good friend or a close associate.

Zz top member dies