ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Dead at 77
Frank Beard, the longtime drummer of ZZ Top, died Monday, according to TMZ. He was 77 years old.
He was reportedly in hospice care.
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Beard stepped away from ZZ Top’s ongoing tour earlier this month amid health concerns. The band canceled its Aug. 5 concert at the Hollywood Bowl due to what it initially described as “unforeseen personnel matters.”
Days later, TMZ reported that Beard was dealing with “serious health issues.” ZZ Top subsequently confirmed Beard would take a leave from the tour, with drummer Michael Monahan filling in behind the kit. The nature of Beard’s health issues was not disclosed.
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Beard was born on June 11, 1949 in Frankston, Texas. He would attend Irving High School in Irving, Texas.
His career in music began in the late 1960s, touring the U.S. as part of an unauthorized version of the British band the Zombies.
He was also a member of the Outlaws with futures ZZ Top bandmate Dusty Hill.
He joined Billy Gibbon’s ZZ Top in May of 1969, replacing founding drummer Dan Mitchell. Beard would go on to introduce Gibbons to Hill, with the latter joining the band later that year.
Beard would spend his entire career with ZZ Top, where he, Gibbons and Hill would emerge as one of southern rock’s biggest acts.
The Houston-formed band became one of the most successful Texas rock acts of all time and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
The trio became known for their tongue-in-cheek lyrics, live performances and unmistakable image, particularly Gibbons and Hill’s trademark long beards. Ironically, Beard never had a beard himself.
Gibbons, Hill and Beard maintained the same lineup for more than 50 years. The band took an extended hiatus in the late 1970s, during which Beard sought treatment for addiction, before returning with Degüello in 1979.
Following Hill’s death in 2021, ZZ Top continued on, with Gibbons and Beard recruiting longtime guitar technician,Elwood Francis to fill in for Hill on bass.
Beard is survived by his wife, Debbie, and their three children.
