ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dies at 77
Frank Beard, the longtime drummer whose backbeat helped define ZZ Top’s sound for more than five decades, died on August 17 at his Texas ranch.
In short
- Frank Beard, the longtime drummer whose backbeat helped define ZZ Top’s sound for more than five decades, died on August 17 at his Texas ranch.
Frank Beard, the longtime drummer for American rock band ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77.
A representative for the band confirmed that Beard died on Monday, August 17, 2026, while receiving hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas. His family was with him. No cause of death was announced.
Beard joined ZZ Top in 1971 and remained the group’s drummer for more than five decades. His playing was central to recordings including “La Grange,” “Tush” and “Legs,” helping shape the band’s blend of blues rock and boogie.
The band had cancelled a Hollywood Bowl performance the week before his death because of his health and subsequently withdrew from scheduled concerts in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs.
Singer and guitarist Billy Gibbons paid tribute to Beard as a friend, collaborator and innovative drummer, and said the group intended to continue in line with Beard’s wishes.
ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Beard’s death follows that of the band’s longtime bassist Dusty Hill in 2021; Elwood Francis later took over bass duties.
