ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dies at 77

Frank Beard, the longtime drummer of American rock band ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77, the band said in a statement on its website. He passed away on Monday while in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, surrounded by family. No cause of death was given.

Beard's death forced the cancellation of concerts scheduled for Monday in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The band said it intends to resume its ongoing "The Big One!" tour this weekend with two shows at Austin City Limits, a venue and city the band described as having been like a second home to Beard.

Six decades with the band

ZZ Top was founded in 1969 and performed its first live show the following year. For decades the lineup consisted of founder and lead vocalist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Beard. Following Hill's death in 2021, the band continued touring with Elwood Francis on bass.

In a statement, Gibbons said he and Francis had lost a great friend and collaborator, while the world had lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a true son of Texas. He added that Beard's signature backbeat had been key to the band's success, and that the group would carry on as Beard had wished.

Over its career, ZZ Top released 15 studio albums and four live albums, producing hits such as "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sleeping Bag" and "Viva Las Vegas". Its 1984 album "Eliminator", featuring "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs", sold more than 10 million copies, earned diamond certification and a Grammy nomination. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Beard joined ZZ Top after the release of its debut single "Salt Lick" and later helped bring Hill into the band as bassist. His drumming anchored hits including "La Grange", "Tush" and "Cheap Sunglasses". Despite his surname, he was the only member of the band without a long beard, earning him the nickname "The Man With No Beard".