ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has died.
The veteran rocker passed away on Monday (17.08.26) at the age of 77, surrounded by his family at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, while in hospice care, the band’s representative, Bob Merlis, has confirmed.
An exact cause of death has not been given.
As a result of the news, ZZ Top have cancelled a scheduled performance on Tuesday (18.08.26) night in Salt Lake City and Wednesday’s (19.08.26) show in Colorado Springs. The tour will resume this weekend in Austin.
Earlier this month, the Sharp Dressed Man group pulled out of a gig at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl at short notice, citing “insurmountable obstacles”.
It was later revealed this was connected with Frank’s health, but specific details were not given.
Frank first connected with singer-and-guitarist Billy Gibbons after ZZ Top released their debut single Salt Lick, which featured Dan Mitchell on the drums, and was responsible for bringing in bassist Dusty Hill.
Back in 2019, the sticksman recalled the first time he and Billy played together.
Speaking in 2019 documentary, ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas, he joked: “I was jacked up on speed, so I made him jam for about eight hours ’til his tongue just fell out.”
Billy added: “It didn’t take 30 minutes, it didn’t take 30 seconds — I knew that Frank Beard had the kind of chops that I was looking for. He played fiercely. He played with determination.”
Frank was born in Frankston, Texas, in June 1949 and played bands in high school before connecting with Dusty on the Dallas music scene, playing together in a number of 1960s groups including the Warlocks and American Blues.
He took time out from music when he married pregnant girlfriend Catherine Alexander but after the family moved to Houston to bring up their child, he was introduced to Billy, a member of the Moving Sidewalks at the time, and joined his band before he brought in Dusty, and they changed their name to ZZ Top.
Although their 1971 debut LP, ZZ Top’s First Album, failed to chart, the group developed a strong live following and eventually broke through with their 1974 record Tres Hombres.
They went on hiatus riefly in 1976, in part so Frank could get sober, and returned in 1979. The Gimme All Your Livin’ hitmakers reached their commercial peak throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
Dusty died in 2021 but his bandmates continued to tour afterwards with bassist Elwood Francis.
Frank is survived by wife Debbie Meredith and his three children.