ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Dies at 77; Band to Resume Tour This Weekend in Austin

Frank Beard, who sat behind the drum kit for ZZ Top for 56 years, has died at age 77. He passed away in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family members by his side.

The band’s representative, Bob Merlis, confirmed the death, and a ZZ Top press release described Beard as the group’s drummer for the past 56 years. Guitarist Billy Gibbons, now the band’s sole surviving original member, announced that ZZ Top will carry on touring in Beard’s memory, resuming its “The Big One!” tour this weekend.

• Beard died at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, at 77.
• ZZ Top canceled shows on August 18 in Salt Lake City and August 19 in Colorado Springs.
• The tour resumes August 22 and 23 at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater.
• ZZ Top joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

What Billy Gibbons Said About Frank Beard

Gibbons paid tribute to his longtime bandmate in a statement, saying: “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.”

Gibbons added that the band intends to honor Beard’s own wishes by continuing to perform, telling Variety that ZZ Top will keep going under its established name with a fill-in drummer alongside bassist Elwood Francis.

ZZ Top Cancels Two Shows, Then Returns to Austin

Following news of Beard’s death, ZZ Top pulled its scheduled concerts in Salt Lake City on August 18 and Colorado Springs on August 19. The band says it will pick the tour back up this coming weekend with a pair of shows at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater on August 22 and 23, a venue singled out as a favorite of Beard’s in a city that had become like a second home to him.

Frank Beard’s History With ZZ Top

Beard was not among ZZ Top’s founding members, but he stepped in as drummer in 1969, taking over from original drummer Dan Mitchell not long after the band put out its first single, “Salt Lick.” He went on to become part of the band’s classic lineup alongside Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill for more than five decades.

Beard also played a direct role in shaping that lineup: he helped bring Dusty Hill into ZZ Top after the pair had already played together in Dallas-area bands. Hill died in July 2021 and was succeeded on bass, at his own request, by the band’s longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis. Beard, Gibbons, Francis and Hill were inducted together into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Beard had already stepped back from touring once before, sitting out beginning in March 2025 because of health issues that were not publicly detailed. Tech team member John Douglas filled in for him during that stretch. Beard returned to the road in September, but he was largely absent again from ZZ Top’s 2026 shows, with Michael Monahan serving as his replacement on drums.

About a week before Beard’s death, ZZ Top canceled a planned performance at the Hollywood Bowl, citing what was described at the time as “insurmountable obstacles.” That cancellation was later attributed to Beard’s worsening health.

ZZ Top 2026 Tour Dates

• August 22-23: Austin, TX, ACL Live at The Moody Theater
• August 29: Terre Haute, IN, The Mill
• August 30: Kettering, OH, Fraze Pavilion
• September 1: East Meadow, NY, Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre
• September 5: Gilford, NH, Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
• September 6: Bangor, ME, Maine Savings Amphitheater
• September 9: Lynne, MA, Lynne Memorial Auditorium
• September 11: Solomons, MD, PNC Waterside Pavilion
• September 12: Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena
• September 13: Hyannis, MA, Cape Cod Melody Tent
• September 15: Lancaster, PA, American Music Theatre
• September 18: Wilmington, NC, Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre
• September 26: Nashville, TN, Ascend Amphitheater
• October 3: The Woodlands, TX, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
• October 4: Irving, TX, The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
• November 9: Guadalajara, Mexico, Telemex Auditorium
• November 11: Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico, Auditorio Nacional
• November 12: Monterrey, Mexico, Banamex Auditorium
• November 16: Santiago, Chile, Teatro Caupolican
• November 18: Porto Alegre, Brazil, Pepsi On Stage
• November 20: Curitiba, Brazil, Igloo Super Hall
• November 21: Sao Paulo, Brazil, Espaco Unimed
• November 24: Buenos Aires, Argentina, Movistar Arena

More Info

• Billy Gibbons vows ZZ Top will continue performing, following drummer Frank Beard’s death | Guitar World
• Frank Beard, ZZ Top drummer, dies aged 77: "I made him jam for eight hours straight until his tongue just fell out. By the time we stopped, we both knew we had a band" | MusicRadar
• ZZ Top to Keep Touring After Frank Beard’s Death, Per Drummer’s Wishes | Loudwire
• ZZ Top Will Keep Touring After Frank Beard’s Death, Per the Drummer’s Wishes | Ultimate Classic Rock
• ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Dead at 77: ‘The World Lost One Of the Most Innovative Drummers And a True Son of Texas’ | Ultimate Guitar News
• ZZ Top Breaks Silence on Band’s Future After Drummer Frank Beard’s Death | American Songwriter
• Frank Beard was the enigma at the heart of ZZ Top. "I never wanted to quit ZZ Top. And I never wanted to get fired" | Louder / Classic Rock