Frank Beard, the longtime drummer of legendary Texas rockers ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77. His death was confirmed by the Fort Bend County Medical Examiner; an exact cause has not been disclosed at this time.
For more than five decades, Beard’s drumming was a cornerstone of ZZ Top’s sound. His groove married hard rock, Texas blues, and boogie into the unmistakable feel that powered absolute classics like “La Grange” and “Sharp Dressed Man” — the kind of backbeat that fans fell in love with and countless drummers have chased ever since. In one of rock’s great trivia footnotes, Beard was famously the only member of the bearded trio who never wore the band’s signature beard.
Bandmate and ZZ Top founder Billy Gibbons paid tribute in a statement:
“Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top. The band of which he was a part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on, as he had wished.”
– Billy Gibbons
Beard had been dealing with ongoing health issues over the past several months. Earlier this month, the band was forced to cancel its August 5 performance at the Hollywood Bowl, with Gibbons writing on social media, “Insurmountable obstacles require canceling our Hollywood Bowl performance,” before adding, “Friends, fans and followers of ZZ Top are the best in the business and the band is counting on everyone to bear with us for this brief interruption.”
Following news of Beard’s passing, ZZ Top canceled their shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs. The band said they intend to continue with their scheduled appearances at this weekend’s Austin City Limits — which, in their words, was “one of Frank’s favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him.”
A founding member of ZZ Top alongside Gibbons and the late bassist Dusty Hill, Beard helped shape one of the most enduring and beloved lineups in rock history. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, bandmates, and fans around the world.
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Featured photo: ZZ Top performing live, via Wikimedia Commons.
