ZZ Top’s long-time drummer, Frank Beard, dies at 77
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Frank Beard was the drummer of the band known for hits such as Sharp Dressed Man and Legs for 56 years.
PHOTO: AFP
- Frank Beard, ZZ Top's drummer for 56 years, died at 77 in hospice care in Texas, with family by his side; cause of death not disclosed.
- ZZ Top, known for hits like Sharp Dressed Man and Legs, had a stable lineup with Beard, Billy Gibbons, and Dusty Hill since 1970; Hill died in 2021.
- The band cancelled two shows but plans to perform in Austin; they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and are committed to continue Beard’s legacy.
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LOS ANGELES - Frank Beard, the long-time drummer for the rock group ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77, the band said on Aug 18.
Beard died in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family members at his side, according to the group’s statement.
His cause of death was not disclosed.
Beard was the drummer of the band known for hits such as Sharp Dressed Man and Legs for 56 years.
The trio of Beard, guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill were among the most-enduring lineups in music history. They first played together in 1970 and continued until Hill’s death in 2021, when Elwood Francis joined the group.
The trio of Frank Beard (right), guitarist Billy Gibbons (centre) and bassist Dusty Hill (left) were among the most-enduring lineups in music history. The group became known for the flowing beards of its members, though Beard was seen mostly clean shaven.
PHOTO: AFP
“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,” Gibbons said in a statement.
“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.”
The band said it would cancel the Aug 18 show in Salt Lake City and the Aug 19 performance in Colorado Springs but return to the stage in Austin, Texas, this weekend.
ZZ Top gained fans in the 1980s as one of the bands showcased on MTV during the heyday of music videos. The group became known for the flowing beards of its members, though drummer Beard was seen mostly clean shaven.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
“All I have to say is that most of my life has been a pleasant surprise, and so is this. Thank you,” Beard said at the induction ceremony. REUTERS
