ZZ Top’s Frank Beard dies aged 77
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Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top's founding singer-guitarist, has issued a tribute to drummer Frank Beard, who has died aged 77, calling him "one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas" and saying the band would continue touring as Beard had wished. Beard died in hospice care on Monday at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with his family present, making him the second member of ZZ Top's classic line-up to die after bassist Dusty Hill in 2021, leaving Gibbons as the sole surviving original member.
Beard, born in Frankston, Texas in 1949, met Gibbons through the Houston band Moving Sidewalks in 1969 before they formed ZZ Top with Hill in 1971, going on to sell more than 50 million records and score six number-one hits on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with songs including "Sharp Dressed Man", "La Grange" and "Tush". He had stepped back from the band's current tour earlier this month, having also taken time off in 2025 for an undisclosed health issue, with substitute drummer Michael Monahan filling in; ZZ Top has cancelled Tuesday and Wednesday's shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs but plans to resume on 22 and 23 August in Austin, Texas.
- ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has died aged 77
- Billy Gibbons pays tribute, pledges band will continue touring
- ZZ Top cancels two shows, resumes in Austin on 22–23 August
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Frank Beard was the drummer for the American rock band ZZ Top, a founding member alongside guitarist Billy Gibbons, and the group's only original drummer across more than five decades. The band, formed in Texas in 1971, became known for its blues-rock sound, bearded image and hit songs such as "Sharp Dressed Man" and "La Grange", selling over 50 million records worldwide.
Beard was one of three original members, along with Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill, who died in 2021. That left Gibbons as the sole remaining founding member even before Beard's death, with the band having continued to tour and perform in recent years using replacement musicians when needed.
More coverage
- Louder — ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dead at 77
- BBC Entertainment — ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dies aged 77
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Originally published by Stereogum as “ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Dead At 77”.