Overview
- Frank Beard died on Monday, August 17, at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, the band announced on August 18.
- The Fort Bend County Medical Examiner confirmed Beard had been in hospice but has not released a cause of death.
- ZZ Top canceled upcoming shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs and said the Big One! tour will resume with two Austin City Limits dates this weekend.
- Beard had been ZZ Top’s drummer since 1969 and played on all 15 of the band’s studio albums, making his backbeat a defining part of their sound.
- Health problems had kept Beard off parts of recent tours, with fill-in drummers including Michael Monahan and longtime tech John Douglas stepping in, a pattern that has shaped the band’s near-term touring and personnel planning.