ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dies at 77
Frank Beard, the longtime drummer of ZZ Top whose driving backbeat helped define the Texas rock band’s sound for more than five decades, has died, the band announced. He was 77.
“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,” guitarist Billy F. Gibbons said in a statement. “His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top.”
ZZ Top canceled upcoming shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs following Beard’s death. The band said it will resume its current “The Big One!” tour this weekend with two dates at Austin City Limits, one of Beard’s favorite venues in a city that had become a second home for him.
TMZ reported last week that Beard had been dealing with “serious health issues” after ZZ Top canceled a performance at the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 5.
Beard joined Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill in 1969, forming the classic ZZ Top lineup. The trio became known for its Texas blues-rock sound, long beards and sharply styled image, becoming one of the most recognizable rock bands of the 1970s and 1980s.
ZZ Top’s best-known songs included “La Grange,” “Tush,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs.” The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
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