Photo credit: Jimmy Steinfeldt
ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has passed away. The Texas native, who anchored the group from behind the kit for 56 years, was in hospice care when he died at his ranch with his family by his side. The group had canceled their August 5 date at the Hollywood Bowl last week due to "unforeseen personal matters.”
Beard was born on June 11,1949 in Frankston, TX and later grew up in Irving, TX. There he connected with bassist and fellow Beatles fan Dusty Hill. The two backed various artists as a rock-solid rhythm section, including Lightnin’ Hopkins.
In late 1969 the drummer reached out to Billy F Gibbons, suggesting that he and Hill would be a perfect complement to the guitarist. As Gibbons later said of the initial jam session at his home, “It was a blues in D, a shuffle and we just didn’t want to stop . . . and we didn’t for the next five or six decades.”
The trio's first show was at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Beaumont, TX on February 10, 1970. They toured steadily from the outset, gaining renown for their high octane performances. Beard, the one member of the group not to sport a beard, set the tone with his affinity for the Texas shuffle, which drove the group's energetic blues-rock boogie groove.
In 1973 ZZ Top found radio success with "La Grange" from their third album, Tres Hombres (1973). Other notable songs from this era included "Tush" from 1975’s Fandango!, "Cheap Sunglasses" from 1979’s Degüello and “Tube Snake Boogie” from 1981’s El Loco. The band’s career hit a new trajectory with 1983’s Eliminator which sold over 11 million copies, thanks to sinewy tunes such as "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs" which also became memorable music videos. The next three albums from the group all achieved platinum status in the United States and the trio supported these records on the road with animated live gigs.
Beard, Hill and Gibbons remained together through July of 2021, having recorded 15 studio albums, before Hill passed away. The bassist encouraged his two longtime bandmates to continue with Hill's tech Elwood Francis appearing in his stead.
In 2004 ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Keith Richards.
Gibbons said of Beard’s passing, “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.”
Beard’s passing has led to cancellation of ZZ Top tour dates that had been scheduled for tonight in Salt Lake City and Wednesday in Colorado Springs. The band will resume its current The Big One! Tour this weekend with two dates at Austin City Limits, which the group notes was "one of Frank’s favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him."
