Frank Beard, the drummer for legendary Houston rock band ZZ Top, dies at age 77
By Kyle McClenagan | Houston Public Media
August 18, 2026 at 3:41 PM CDT
Frank Beard, the longtime drummer for ZZ Top, died Monday at the age of 77, according to the Houston-based rock band.
The band announced Beard's death on its website and said he died at his ranch in Richmond, located southwest of Houston.
"Today, Elwood [Francis] 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," ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons said in a statement. "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."
According to the band's website, Beard had been in hospice care at his home before his death.
The band also announced that due to Beard’s passing, ZZ Top’s tour dates scheduled for Tuesday in Salt Lake City and Wednesday in Colorado Springs have been canceled. According to the band, the tour will resume this weekend at Austin City Limits, which the band said was "one of Frank's favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him."
Beard was born in Frankston, Texas, on June 11, 1949. He joined the band in 1969 when it formed in Houston with Beard, Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill as original members. Gibbons and Hill gave the band a signature look with long beards, while the drummer named Beard did not have one.
Their 1984 album "Eliminator," which featured the hits "Gimme All Your Lovin," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Legs," sold more than 10 million copies and was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Beard and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
Beard is the second original band member to have died. In July 2021, Hill died at age 72. Francis has since served as ZZ Top’s bassist.
Copyright 2026 Houston Public Media News 88.7
The band announced Beard's death on its website and said he died at his ranch in Richmond, located southwest of Houston.
"Today, Elwood [Francis] 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," ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons said in a statement. "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."
According to the band's website, Beard had been in hospice care at his home before his death.
The band also announced that due to Beard’s passing, ZZ Top’s tour dates scheduled for Tuesday in Salt Lake City and Wednesday in Colorado Springs have been canceled. According to the band, the tour will resume this weekend at Austin City Limits, which the band said was "one of Frank's favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him."
Beard was born in Frankston, Texas, on June 11, 1949. He joined the band in 1969 when it formed in Houston with Beard, Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill as original members. Gibbons and Hill gave the band a signature look with long beards, while the drummer named Beard did not have one.
Their 1984 album "Eliminator," which featured the hits "Gimme All Your Lovin," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Legs," sold more than 10 million copies and was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Beard and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
Beard is the second original band member to have died. In July 2021, Hill died at age 72. Francis has since served as ZZ Top’s bassist.
Copyright 2026 Houston Public Media News 88.7