08/18/2026
RIP Frank.
Frank Beard the drummer who powered ZZ Top for more than half a century, has died at 77. He passed away at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, while under hospice care, surrounded by members of his family. His death was announced Tuesday, August 18. No specific cause of death has yet been disclosed.
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Beard joined ZZ Top in 1969 and soon helped bring bassist Dusty Hill into the group, completing the classic trio with guitarist and singer Billy Gibbons. His powerful but economical drumming became fundamental to the band's combination of blues, hard rock, and Texas boogie, from Tres Hombres and Fandango! to the enormous worldwide success of Eliminator.
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Gibbons has remembered Beard as a great friend, collaborator, and naturally innovative drummer whose backbeat helped keep ZZ Top moving for decades. His death comes five years after the loss of Dusty Hill in 2021, leaving another enormous void in the history of one of America's greatest rock bands.
