ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard, 77, Dies

Sun Sep 06 2026 01:14:20 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Frank Beard, the long‑time drums player for blues‑rock band ZZ Top, died Monday at his Texas ranch, prompting the band to cancel this week’s tour dates.

Frank Beard, the iconic drummer of ZZ Top, passed away at 77 in hospice care on his ranch in Richmond, Texas, as reported by the band’s website. His death has led to the cancellation of upcoming tour shows in Utah and Colorado, with the group planning to resume performances by the weekend. Beard, known as “The Man With No Beard”, contributed to 15 studio and four live albums and was celebrated for anchoring hits such as “Gimme All Your Lovin” and “La Grange”. The band, founded in 1969, has continued touring worldwide after the passing of bassist Dusty Hill in 2021, and remains a staple of American blues‑rock history.

ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard, 77, Dies

Longtime ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has died aged 77, the band announced.

According to a statement on the blues‑rock trio’s official website, Beard died on Monday in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, surrounded by family. The cause of death was not specified.

The loss has prompted the cancellation of the band’s tour dates this week in Utah and Colorado. ZZ Top will attempt to resume its “The Big One!” tour over the weekend, with two shows scheduled at Austin City Limits – one of Beard’s favourite venues.

Beard, who joined the group following its first single “Salt Lick” and who was known as “The Man With No Beard” because he was the only member who did not have the long facial hair the band famously sported, anchored classic hits such as “La Grange” and the 1984 chart‑topping album *Eliminator*. His rhythmic prowess helped the band, which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, become a staple of American blues‑rock.

Bandmate Billy Gibbons paid tribute to Beard: “Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers.” Gibbons emphasized how Beard’s signature backbeat “kept ZZ on top” for six decades.

Dusty Hill, the late bassist who died in 2021, had been replaced by Elwood Francis, and ZZ Top has continued touring worldwide with guitars, bass, and drums that echo the texture of their early days.

Beard’s passing marks the end of an era for the band, whose catalog includes 15 studio albums and four live releases.