Frank Beard, the longtime drummer of ZZ Top, has died aged 77. The musician died on Monday 17 August 2026, surrounded by his family at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, while receiving hospice care, according to the band’s representative Bob Merlis. No cause of death has been announced.
ZZ Top have cancelled their scheduled concerts in Salt Lake City on August 18 and Colorado Springs on August 19 following Beard’s death. The band’s tour is expected to resume in Austin this weekend.
Frank Beard dies aged 77
Beard had been dealing with health problems in recent weeks.
Earlier in August, ZZ Top cancelled a performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles at short notice, citing “insurmountable obstacles”. The cancellation was later reported to have been connected to Beard’s health, although the band did not provide further details at the time.
Beard’s death now brings to an end a career spanning more than five decades with one of America’s most recognisable rock bands.
Frank Beard’s early years with ZZ Top
Born in Frankston, Texas, in June 1949, Beard began playing in bands while he was still at school.
He later met bassist Dusty Hill on the Dallas music scene, and the pair played together in several groups during the 1960s, including the Warlocks and American Blues.
Beard eventually connected with guitarist and vocalist Billy Gibbons, who was then a member of the Moving Sidewalks. After joining Gibbons, Beard helped bring Hill into the group, completing the classic ZZ Top lineup.
The trio went on to record 15 studio albums together, with Beard remaining the band’s drummer throughout its career.
Billy Gibbons remembered Frank Beard’s drumming
Beard recalled meeting Gibbons in the 2019 documentary ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas, joking about the circumstances surrounding their first jam.
“I was jacked up on speed, so I made him jam for about eight hours ’til his tongue just fell out.”
Gibbons remembered immediately recognising Beard’s ability as a drummer.
“It didn’t take 30 minutes, it didn’t take 30 seconds — I knew that Frank Beard had the kind of chops that I was looking for. He played fiercely. He played with determination.”
Their partnership became one of the defining elements of ZZ Top’s sound, with Beard’s playing providing the rhythmic foundation beneath Gibbons’ guitar work and Hill’s bass.
ZZ Top’s rise to rock stardom
ZZ Top released their debut album, ZZ Top’s First Album, in 1971. Although it failed to chart at the time, the band built a strong reputation through extensive touring.
Their commercial breakthrough came with 1973’s Tres Hombres, which established ZZ Top as a major force in American rock.
The band briefly went on hiatus in 1976, with Beard taking time away from music to address his substance use, before ZZ Top returned in 1979.
The group’s biggest commercial period arrived during the 1980s and early 1990s, when albums including Eliminator, Afterburner and Recycler produced major hits and helped turn the band into MTV-era stars.
Songs including “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” became enduring ZZ Top favourites.
ZZ Top continued after Dusty Hill’s death
Beard and Gibbons continued performing after bassist Dusty Hill died in July 2021, aged 72.
Hill’s place on the road was subsequently taken by Elwood Francis, who had worked as ZZ Top’s guitar technician for many years.
Beard remained the band’s drummer and one of its two surviving original members until his death.
ZZ Top were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
Frank Beard is survived by his wife and children
Beard is survived by his wife, Debbie Meredith, and his three children.
His death leaves Billy Gibbons as the only surviving member of ZZ Top’s classic three-piece lineup.
The band’s scheduled Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs performances have been cancelled, with the tour due to resume in Austin this weekend.
