Frank Beard, the longtime drummer for the iconic rock band ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77. His passing was announced by the band, with frontman Billy F. Gibbons paying tribute to Beard as a "great friend and collaborator" whose "signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top."
Gibbons stated in a message posted to the band's Instagram that he and bandmate Elwood Francis "lost a great friend and collaborator" and that the world had lost "one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas."
Beard joined ZZ Top in 1969. The band's management, Shelter Music Group, had previously announced that Beard had "temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term." At that time, percussionist and drummer John Douglas was engaged to fill in for Beard on the band's Elevation tour. Douglas had previously filled in for Beard in 2002 for a performance in Paris following an emergency appendectomy.
Following Beard's death, ZZ Top has canceled upcoming shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs. The band is scheduled to resume its The Big One! Tour this weekend with two dates at Austin City Limits, a venue described as a favorite of Beard's and a city considered a second home to him.
ZZ Top's current lineup includes Gibbons, Beard, and bassist Elwood Francis, who joined the band after the death of Dusty Hill in 2021. The band recently canceled a performance at the Hollywood Bowl due to "unforeseen personnel matters."