RICHMOND, TEXAS — Frank Beard, the drummer for ZZ Top for more than five decades, died at the age of 77 on August 17, 2025. He passed away in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas.

Family members were present at Frank Beard's side when he died. The cause of death was not disclosed, and an autopsy will not be performed.

Billy Gibbons, the ZZ Top singer, issued a statement honoring his bandmate. "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," Gibbons said.

Gibbons noted the musical foundation Beard provided to the group. "His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top."

Elwood Francis will play bass and Michael Monahan will play drums for the upcoming Austin concerts. Gibbons addressed the future of the group in his statement. "The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished."

ZZ Top canceled several recent dates as Beard dealt with health issues. The group canceled their concert at the Hollywood Bowl on August 5, 2025. They also canceled scheduled concerts in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs.

Michael Monahan replaced Frank Beard on drums for ZZ Top performances in 2025. Beard had stepped away from ZZ Top's Elevation tour in March 2025 due to health issues.

Frank Beard is survived by his wife, Debbie Meredith, and three children. ZZ Top has released 15 studio albums and sold an estimated 50 million records.

Timeline

In 2004, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During that year, Frank Beard said: "All I have to say is that most of my life has been a pleasant surprise, and so is this. Thank you."

Dusty Hill died in 2021 at the age of 72. Elwood Francis joined ZZ Top as bassist after Hill's death.

What's New

Additional reporting provides context on the band's formation and history. ZZ Top was formed in 1969 by Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and Hill. Billy Gibbons was the founder of The Moving Sidewalks, the precursor to ZZ Top, and introduced Frank Beard to Hill, who later became a founding member of ZZ Top.

Frank Beard's early career included backing Lightnin’ Hopkins, a prominent blues musician, before forming ZZ Top. He was part of a fake version of the British band the Zombies and the Dallas-area band Outlaws before joining ZZ Top.

Frank Beard checked himself into rehab in the early 1980s during ZZ Top's three-year hiatus, which coincided with the band's temporary separation to address his substance abuse. Billy Gibbons described Frank Beard's drumming as the kind of chops that I was looking for in a 2019 documentary, showing Beard's immediate impact on ZZ Top's sound.

Elwood Francis served as a guitar tech for ZZ Top before being officially named bassist following Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top plans to perform two concerts at Austin City Limits in Austin, Texas, over the weekend following Frank Beard's death.

Why It Matters

Frank Beard was a foundational member of ZZ Top, an American rock band that achieved commercial success. The group sold an estimated 50 million records and released 15 studio albums during its tenure. Beard's tenure spanned from the band's formation in 1969 through his death in 2025, covering the group's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

The band has navigated personnel changes in recent years, including the death of bassist Hill in 2021 at the age of 72. Hill requested that Elwood Francis replace him, and Francis had served as the longtime guitar technician for the bassist. With Beard's passing, the remaining original member, Billy Gibbons, has affirmed the band's intention to continue performing as Beard wished.