ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Dies at 77: A Rock Legend Remembered
ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Dies at 77: A Rock Legend Remembered
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Frank Beard, ZZ Top's iconic drummer for over 50 years, has passed away at 77. Remember his legendary backbeat and lasting legacy.
The music world is mourning the loss of a true rock legend. Frank Beard, the iconic drummer for the legendary Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top, has passed away at the age of 77. Beard, who was an integral part of the band for an incredible 56 years, died peacefully in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, surrounded by his loving family.
His passing comes shortly after ZZ Top had to cancel a planned performance at the Hollywood Bowl, citing Beard's ongoing health issues. He had also temporarily stepped away from touring last year for similar reasons, highlighting the health struggles he faced in recent times.
Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top's co-founder, shared a heartfelt tribute, reflecting on the profound loss. "Today, Elwood [Francis] 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," Gibbons stated. He emphasized Beard's crucial contribution, adding, "His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top. The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished."
ZZ Top, known for their distinctive sound that blended heavy rock, blues, and later, synthesizer-powered hits in the 1980s, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Beard joined the band shortly after its formation, playing on every album from their 1971 debut, "First Album," right up to 2012's "La Futura." His tenure saw the band evolve while maintaining their rootsy Texan identity. The band had also faced another significant loss with the passing of bassist Dusty Hill in 2021.
Ironically, despite the band's famous moniker and the flowing facial hair of Gibbons and Hill, Frank Beard himself was famously known for sporting only a mustache. Billy Gibbons once quipped about this, saying, "Frank’s beard is on his driver’s license." Born on June 11, 1949, in Frankston, Texas, and raised in Irving, Beard's rhythm defined an era, leaving an indelible mark on rock and roll history.
