Frank Beard, the Texas-born drummer who anchored the rock band ZZ Top for 56 years, has died at the age of 77. A representative for the band confirmed to that Beard passed away while in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with his family by his side.
Beard’s health had recently become a concern for the group. In early August, he stepped away from the band’s “The Big One Tour” due to health complications, with drummer Michael Monahan filling in. This followed a 2025 incident where Beard was forced to temporarily leave the road to address an undisclosed medical issue involving his foot and ankle.
The band announced that they would cancel shows scheduled for August 18-19, with plans to resume the tour on August 22-23 at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin. The group noted that the venue was one of Frank’s favorites and located in a city that had become a “second home” for the musician.
Born on June 11, 1949, in Frankston, Texas, Beard joined the band shortly after its formation. He had previously played with bassist Dusty Hill in several groups, including the Outlaws, the Cellar Dwellers, the Warlocks, and American Blues. While he played on the band’s 1971 debut, “ZZ Top’s First Album,” he was initially credited as “Rube Beard,” a pseudonym he also used on their third release, “Tres Hombres.”
In the 2019 documentary “ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas,” Beard recounted his first meeting with guitarist Billy Gibbons, where he insisted they head to a rehearsal studio for an eight-hour jam session. “I was jacked up on speed,” Beard admitted in the film, joking that he pushed Gibbons to play “until his tongue almost fell out.” Gibbons recalled the intensity of that encounter, noting, “He played fiercely. He played with determination. And I decided, enter Frank Beard as… the new drummer for ZZ Top.”
The trio of Beard, Gibbons, and Hill became famous for a swampy, blues-infused rock sound that dominated charts in the 1970s with hits like “La Grange” and “Tush.” By the early 1980s, the band evolved, incorporating catchy melodies into tracks like “Cheap Sunglasses” and “Tube Snake Boogie.” Their global superstardom arrived in the mid-80s with the MTV-era albums “Eliminator” and “Afterburner,” which featured iconic music videos for songs such as “Sharp-Dressed Man,” “Legs,” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’.”.
Beard was a unique figure in the band, famously serving as the only member of the trio who did not sport the group’s signature long facial hair, opting instead for a mustache and a curly hairstyle. His passing leaves Billy Gibbons as the sole remaining member from the band’s most successful era, following the death of bassist Dusty Hill in 2021.
The legacy of the band, which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, remains deeply tied to the rhythmic foundation Beard provided. Despite the band’s early history involving drummer Dan Mitchell, who played on their 1969 track “Salt Lick,” it was Beard’s long-standing tenure that defined the sound of the Texas-blues legends. The report also notes that beard played with ZZ Top since their 1971 debut, “ZZ Top’s First Album,” though he was credited as “Rube Beard” on that release, as well as their third album, “Tres Hombres.” But despite his tenure, he couldn’t lay claim.
