Charleen McCrory, the widow of late ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill, has broken her silence following her husband’s unexpected death.

In a letter posted to the band's Facebook page, McCrory thanked “fans, colleagues and friends for the overwhelming outpouring of love.”

She went on to describe Hill as “the kindest, most gentle and caring man a woman could ever hope to find in a lifetime. Many don’t believe in fairy tale marriages but Dusty and I truly lived one!”

McCrory also recounted the moments leading up to Hill’s death.

“He woke me up and we talked and as he was sweetly chatting with me he suddenly stopped,” she recalled, “and he was gone in an instant.”

McCrory’s details differ from ZZ Top's initial announcement, which said that Hill “passed away in his sleep.”

The bassist had been struggling through several health woes recently, including a dislocated shoulder and broken hip. Still, those closest to him anticipated his recovery. “The plan was for another round of physical therapy, with a different approach, to help his chronic bursitis,” Hill’s widow noted. “The plan was he would return to the second leg of the tour in September.”

Now McCrory finds herself understandably heartbroken, though she takes some solace in knowing how loved, respected and admired her husband was.

“While I feel numb and lost and alone and in a million pieces, I know he will always be with me in my heart and soul and I will join him when the Lord calls me home to be with them," she explained. "It is my hope you will always keep him in your hearts. He loved his fans and always remembered that without fans music is not heard. So, know he truly appreciated each and every one of you.”

Hill will be laid to rest tomorrow, Aug. 3. McCrory concluded her message by asking fans to “look to the heavens at noon and wish Dusty Godspeed.”

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