ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Dies at 75 After Decades of Rock Legacy

RICHMOND, Texas - Frank Beard, longtime drummer for ZZ Top, died Aug. 17 at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, according to a statement from the band. He was in hospice care and surrounded by family.

Guitarist and singer Billy Gibbons said in a statement, "Today, Elwood [Francis, 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. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top."

In March 2025, ZZ Top announced Beard would step away from the band's North American tour to address unspecified health issues.

Beard joined Gibbons in ZZ Top about a year after Gibbons formed the group following his work with the Moving Sidewalks. In the 2020 documentary "That Little Ol' Band From Texas," Beard recalled, "I drove down to Houston, I hunted all over the place, found Billy Gibbons, made him go - I mean, just threatened him - made him go to the rehearsal studio. I made him jam for about eight hours till his tongue just fell out."

Gibbons said in the same documentary, "It didn't take 30 minutes, didn't take 30 seconds. I knew that Frank Beard had the kind of chops that I was looking for. He played fiercely, he played with determination."

Soon after, Beard recruited bassist Dusty Hill from his former band, American Blues. The trio's lineup - Beard, Gibbons and Hill - stayed together for more than 50 years, becoming one of rock's most enduring acts.

Beard played on all 15 of ZZ Top's studio albums, from their 1971 debut "ZZ Top's First Album" to 2012's "La Futura." The group's blues-rock sound reflected influences from Texas and Mexico, where "border blasting" radio stations introduced them to the "country Jesus and hillbilly blues" mentioned in their 1975 single "Heard It on the X."

As the band's profile grew with hits like "Tush" and "La Grange," ZZ Top took a break in 1977, partly so Beard could address substance abuse. "Frank goes all out on what he does, and that includes the bad things," Hill said in the documentary. Beard added, "The pills thing came about just from the workload." The break lasted nearly two years.

Gibbons told CBS Sunday Morning in 2020, "There is no other drummer. There's one guy."

Despite his last name, Beard was the only member of the trio without the now-famous chin-length beard sported by Gibbons and Hill.

ZZ Top returned with the 1979 album "Deguello," showcasing a more experimental sound. Their 1983 album "Eliminator," with heavy use of synthesizers and drum machines, brought them unexpected mainstream success.

The group continued to tour for decades, although their studio output slowed after the release of "XXX" in 1999.