ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dies — he played with the band for 56 years

Frank Beard, drummer of the iconic rock band ZZ Top, has died in hospice care at his own ranch in Richmond, Texas, surrounded by family. The band's representative confirmed the news but did not disclose the cause of death. The musician had been with the group for 56 years.

Beard had already "temporarily stepped back" from ZZ Top's activities last year. He did not perform at the band's concert in Pardubice last month either, with young drummer Michael Monahan filling in for him.

Only one member of the legendary trio remains

Following the death of bassist Dusty Hill in 2021, who was replaced by Elwood Francis, guitarist and vocalist Billy Gibbons is now the last remaining original member of ZZ Top's classic lineup.

"Elwood and I lost a great friend and comrade today. The world lost one of the most original and innovative drummers, a true son of Texas. His signature groove was one of the key reasons ZZ Top stayed at the top for so long," Gibbons wrote. He stressed that this would not mean the end of the band: the group, of which Beard had been part for six decades, would continue on — just as the musician himself would have wanted.

Half a century on stage and 50 million records sold

Guitarist and vocalist Gibbons, bassist Hill and drummer Beard began performing as ZZ Top in 1970, giving their first concert in El Paso, Texas. Their debut album, ZZ Top's First Album, came out a year later.

The band's music blended hard rock, blues rock and so-called Southern rock. Their signature style rested on a distinctive guitar sound, gruff Southern humor, and the long beards sported by Gibbons and Hill.

Early in their career, the musicians toured across the United States, including opening for Alice Cooper and the Rolling Stones. Major success came with the albums Tres Hombres (1973), Fandango! (1975) and Eliminator (1983). It was in the 1980s, thanks to music videos aired on the then-popular MTV, that the band became known to a wider audience.

In 2004, the trio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In total, ZZ Top released 15 studio albums and sold an estimated 50 million records worldwide. The band performed their hits — Gimme All Your Lovin', Legs, La Grange, Sharp-Dressed Man, Tush — many times in Czechia: after first playing Prague in 1994, the musicians later returned to Brno, Pardubice and Plzeň as well.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz