Frank Beard, ZZ Top drummer for 56 years, has died at 77.
The band’s representative, Bob Merlis, confirmed that Beard died while in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with his family by his side.
“Today, Elwood [Francis, ZZ Top bassist] 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,” guitarist Billy Gibbons wrote on social media. “His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top.”
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The band cancelled yesterday’s (August 18) show in Salt Lake City and today’s show (August 19) in Colorado Springs.
The band’s current tour resumes this weekend in Austin, Texas. A representative confirmed to Variety that Gibbons and Francis will continue performing under the ZZ Top moniker with a fill-in drummer.
As Gibbons told the publication, “The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished.”
Gibbons and co had recently cancelled their scheduled performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles due to “insurmountable obstacles” – later revealed to be Beard’s health issues. Last year, the drummer also “temporarily” stepped away from touring due to unspecified health problems.
Although he wasn’t technically a founding member, Beard is widely regarded as ZZ Top’s definitive drummer.
He replaced original drummer Dan Mitchell shortly after ZZ Top released their first single, Salt Lick, and its B-side, Miller’s Farm, in 1969. While much of the band’s appeal lies in its hooks and riffs, Beard’s mastery of the Texas shuffle meant he was very much the band’s anchor.
Beard was also instrumental in recruiting the late Dusty Hill – the band’s late bassist, who was part of its fabric for over 50 years. The two had previously played together in local Dallas bands before finding fame with ZZ Top.
“Dusty and I knew each other’s tricks,” Beard said in a 2008 interview with Guitar World.
“So automatically his audition sounded four times better than the other bass players we were auditioning. I really wanted Dusty in the band.
“So when the other bass players were up there, I made sure it was plenty lame. When Dusty got up there, we knew all these little punches and kicks we could do together at certain points. And it was like, ‘Wow! Oh man!’”
