The drummer of the American rock band ZZ Top, Frank Beard, died on Monday, August 17, at the age of 77. He was in a hospice facility at his ranch in Richmond, Texas.
According to The Guardian, the family was with him in his last moments. Billy Gibbons, the band’s lead singer, relayed that “the world has lost one of its most innovative drummers”.
“Today, Elwood (Francis) and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of its most innovative drummers and a true son of Texas.
His unmistakable beat was essential to ZZ Top staying on the charts. The band he was a part of for six decades will continue to play, as he would have wantedBilly Gibbons stated.
According to the publication, ZZ Top had canceled a concert at the Hollywood Bowl last week due to Beard’s health problems. Also, the band will no longer perform the concerts scheduled for Tuesday, August 25, in Salt Lake City and Wednesday in Colorado Springs.
Frank Beard was born on June 11, 1949, in Frankston Texas. He played in several local rock bands before joining ZZ Top in 1971. The band was founded in 1969 and released 15 studio albums and 4 live concert albums, with the famous hits Gimme All Your Lovin’, Sleeping Bag or Viva Las Vegas.
Although not a founding member, he came to be regarded by fans as the band’s iconic drummer due to his energetic drumming style on tracks such as “La Grange”, “Tush” and “Legs”.
Beard struggled with drug addiction in the late 1970s, then recovered and continued to perform with ZZ Top for decades. He also had more health problems, retiring from the band last year for medical reasons.
In 2004, following ZZ Top’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Beard described his success as “a pleasant surprise”.
In 2021, the band’s bassist, Dusty Hill, died at the age of 72. At the time, bandmates Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard said he died in his sleep at his home in Houston, Texas.
Dusty Hill (real name Joseph Michael Hill) first played guitar with his brother Rocky in Dallas before moving to Houston and joining Beard.
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