Frank Beard, the Texas-born drummer who provided the unshakable backbeat for ZZ Top across more than five decades, died Monday, Aug. 17, at age 77. He passed away in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, surrounded by family, according to a statement from the band’s representative.
No official cause of death has been released.
Beard had recently stepped away from ZZ Top’s “The Big One!” tour due to health issues. The band canceled its Aug. 18 and 19 dates in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs and will resume the tour this weekend at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin, one of Beard’s favorite venues.
In a statement, ZZ Top founder and guitarist Billy Gibbons said: “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. The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished.”
Born Frank Lee Beard on June 11, 1949, in Frankston, Texas, he began playing drums as a teenager and cut his teeth in Dallas-area bands, including stints with Dusty Hill in groups such as American Blues. He joined Gibbons shortly after ZZ Top’s formation in 1969, becoming the trio’s definitive drummer and appearing on every studio album from ZZ Top’s First Album (1971) through the band’s later work.
Beard’s playing was the engine behind the band’s blend of Texas blues, boogie, and arena-ready rock. His hard-shuffling groove powered classics including “La Grange,” “Tush,” “Cheap Sunglasses,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’.” ZZ Top sold more than 50 million records, earned multiple Grammy nominations, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
In a band famous for its matching long beards, Beard was the visual exception. He typically wore a mustache and a distinctive head of curls, a contrast that became part of the trio’s enduring image.
After Hill’s death in 2021, longtime bass technician Elwood Francis stepped in at Hill’s request. Beard’s passing leaves Gibbons as the last remaining member of ZZ Top’s classic lineup.
Beard is survived by his wife, Debbie Meredith, whom he married in 1982, and their three children. He lived for many years on his ranch outside Houston, where he was known locally for his golf game and community involvement.
ZZ Top’s music remains a fixture of American rock radio and live stages. Beard’s contribution was never flashy, but it was essential—the steady, swinging pulse that let Gibbons’ guitar and the band’s humor and swagger do their work. That backbeat will be missed.
