ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Passes at 77 | Rock Music News

ZZ Top’s legendary drummer Frank Beard, the only member without a beard and a true Texas icon, has died at 77—peacefully with family at his ranch in Richmond, Texas. A 56-year drumming pillar behind every ZZ Top album, Beard stepped away from their current tour due to health issues, leaving his bandmates Billy Gibbons and Elwood Francis to carry on with a fill-in. The tour will resume later this week in Austin, a city close to Beard’s heart. Gibbons hailed him as an innovative, irreplaceable collaborator whose rhythm defined ZZ Top’s sound—and vowed the band will keep playing as he’d want. His passing comes just under two years after bassist Dusty Hill’s death, cementing Beard’s legacy as a rock giant whose groove shaped generations. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/dd838d95d34b17e7