Frank Beard's final public appearance wasn't in front of a packed arena—it came earlier this year, when he quietly stepped back from touring and handed his drumsticks to fill-in drummer Michael Monahan. The man who, alongside Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill, held down ZZ Top's signature sound for half a century passed away on August 17 while under hospice care at his home ranch in Richmond, Texas, at age 77. He was surrounded by family; no cause of death has been announced.
The news was confirmed on the band's official website on August 18. Gibbons offered a tribute, calling Beard "one of the most natural, innovative drummers" and "a true son of Texas," specifically noting that "his signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ Top standing strong." Gibbons also said the band would continue performing in line with Beard's wishes: while shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs have been canceled, the two scheduled performances at The Moody Theater in Austin this weekend will go on as planned—a venue the band described as one of Beard's favorites, "like a second home to him."
Warning signs about Beard's health had already emerged last year. He stepped away from touring in March of last year for surgery, returned three months later, then stepped back again earlier this year, with Monahan taking over on drums.
Beard was born in 1949 in Frankston, Texas, and took up drumming as a teenager, where he met future bandmate Dusty Hill. The two went on to play together in bands including The Cellar Dwellers, The Warlocks, and The Outlaws. In 1969, Beard joined the group Gibbons was forming, ZZ Top, and brought Hill along with him—completing the classic lineup that would define the band's legacy.
The trio made their name in the '70s with a hybrid sound blending rock and blues, with "La Grange" standing as one of their signature tracks. By the '80s, the album Eliminator pushed the band into the commercial mainstream, spawning hits like "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Legs." Over their career, the band sold more than 50 million records and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Following Hill's death in July 2021 at age 72, Beard's passing now leaves Gibbons as the sole surviving member of ZZ Top's founding trio.
