ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dies aged 77
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ZZ Top founder Billy Gibbons has paid tribute to drummer Frank Beard, who has died aged 77 in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with his family present. Gibbons said he and bandmate Elwood Francis had "lost a great friend and collaborator," praising Beard as "one of the most naturally innovative drummers" and confirming that ZZ Top intends to continue, as Beard had wished. The news comes just a week after the band abruptly cancelled a Hollywood Bowl show due to his health, following a similar step back from touring last year.
Beard had drummed for ZZ Top for 56 years, joining in 1969 and helping recruit bassist Dusty Hill, who died in 2021. He played on every studio album from the band's 1971 debut through to 2012's "La Futura", featuring on hits including "La Grange" and "Tush", and the classic trio's line-up remained unchanged for more than five decades until Hill's death, cementing ZZ Top's place among America's biggest touring acts and earning their 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
- ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has died aged 77 in hospice care
- Billy Gibbons paid tribute, says band will carry on
- Death follows Hollywood Bowl show cancellation over his health last week
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Frank Beard was the drummer of ZZ Top, the American rock trio best known for hits such as "La Grange" and "Tush" and for the long beards worn by his two bandmates (a running joke, since Beard himself was largely clean-shaven). Formed in Texas in the late 1960s, the band became one of the biggest touring acts in American rock, and their unusually stable line-up, unchanged for over five decades, was part of what made them stand out in the industry.
Beard joined the group in 1969 and played on every album from their 1971 debut to 2012, helping shape their blues-rock sound and holding the band together through decades of touring. The classic trio consisted of Beard, guitarist and singer Billy Gibbons, and bassist Dusty Hill, who died in 2021, meaning Gibbons is now the only original member remaining.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 in recognition of their influence on rock music, and had continued performing in more recent years despite health setbacks. Beard's death marks the end of an era for a group whose unchanged membership over so many years was itself a notable feature of their story.
More coverage
- Deadline — Frank Beard Dies: ZZ Top’s Founding Drummer Was 77
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- Far Out — ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dead at 77
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- BBC Entertainment — ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dies aged 77
- Fox News — Legendary ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dead at 77
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Originally published by Variety as “Frank Beard, Longtime ZZ Top Drummer, Dies at 77”.