The musician was Frank Beard, the longtime drummer of ZZ Top. He died at the age of 77 while receiving hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas. According to representatives of the band, his family was with him during his final moments. The cause of death was not publicly disclosed.
Beard became a member of ZZ Top in the late 1960s and, together with Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill, formed the lineup that would later become part of rock history. The trio remained almost unchanged for more than five decades, until Hill’s death in 2021.
Beard’s precise and instantly recognizable drumming became the foundation of many of the band’s biggest hits, including Sharp Dressed Man, Legs, and Gimme All Your Lovin’. In the 1980s, ZZ Top reached a new level of popularity thanks to MTV, while their distinctive image — long beards, sunglasses, and unmistakable Texas style — became iconic.
Ironically, Beard, whose surname literally means “beard,” was for much of the band’s career the only member of the classic lineup who did not wear a famously long beard.
Paying tribute to his friend and bandmate, Billy Gibbons described him as one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a true son of Texas. He also emphasized that Beard’s signature rhythm had always been a crucial part of ZZ Top’s unmistakable sound.
Following the musician’s death, the band canceled its nearest scheduled performances but plans to return to the stage. According to Gibbons, that is exactly what Beard would have wanted — for the music to continue despite the loss.
Over the decades, ZZ Top sold tens of millions of records and became one of the defining names in American blues rock. In 2004, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For longtime fans, Frank Beard’s death marks the end of yet another major chapter in the history of this legendary band.