ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has died at age 77.
In a statement posted by the band, ZZ Top frontman Billy F. Gibbons paid tribute to a ‘great friend and collaborator’ who he says was a key part of their success.
‘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. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top,’ Gibbons said in a statement posted to the band’s Instagram.
The band will now be cancelling it’s upcoming shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs however will be moving forward with upcoming shows at Austin City Limits, a venue which held a special place in Beard’s heart.
‘The band will resume its current The Big One! Tour this weekend with two dates in at Austin City Limits, one of Frank’s favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him,’ the statement added.
Beard joined the iconic band in 1969 but last year was urged to retire by fans after he pulled out of the band’s tour due to a health issue.
Frank Beard, the longtime drummer for rock group ZZ Top, has died at age 77.
Beard, pictured far L, joined the iconic band in 1969
A statement from the band’s management, Shelter Music Group, announced that Beard ‘temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term.’
‘Beard, along with fellow ZZ Top members Billy F Gibbons and Elwood Francis, presently on the Elevation tour since March 5, have engaged fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas, for the interim.’
The post added that Douglas ‘has maintained a close relationship with Beard and the bandmates’ and previously replaced Beard in a Paris performance in 2002 when the drummer had an emergency appendectomy.
The statement concluded: ‘He is looking forward to a speedy recovery.’
ZZ Top is currently comprised of guitarist Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist Elwood Francis. Francis joined the band after Dusty Hill died in 2021 at age 72.
The loss comes less than a month after the band cancelled a concert hours before they were set to take the stage.
The band were set to perform at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this month but were forced to cancel due to ‘unforeseen personnel matters.’
The statement also contained a comment from frontman Billy Gibbons, who said: ‘Insurmountable obstacles require canceling our Hollywood Bowl performance.’
‘Friends, fans and followers of ZZ Top are the best in the business and the band is counting on everyone to bear with us for this brief interruption.’
