Frank Beard, ZZ Top drummer, dies at 77

Frank Beard, the drummer for ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77. The band announced that he passed away in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family by his side. The cause of death was not disclosed. Beard had been the drummer for 56 years, alongside Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill. Gibbons paid tribute to him as a 'great friend and collaborator.' The band has canceled two upcoming shows.

Frank Beard, the drummer for the rock band ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77. The band announced late Tuesday night that Beard died in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with his family by his side. The cause of death was not disclosed. Beard had been ZZ Top's drummer for 56 years, having joined the lineup alongside guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill, with whom he first played in 1970. The trio performed together until Hill's death in 2021, when Elwood Francis joined. According to a Reuters report, Gibbons paid tribute to Beard, saying that he and Francis had lost a 'great friend and collaborator,' and that the world had lost a 'naturally innovative' drummer. Following the death, the band canceled a show in Salt Lake City and another in Colorado, and is expected to return to the stage this weekend in Austin, Texas. ZZ Top gained a large following in the 1980s, partly due to their appearances on MTV. The band was known for its members' long beards, though Beard himself was often seen clean-shaven. In 2004, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where Beard remarked that most of his life had been a 'pleasant surprise.'