Remembering ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard, Dead at 77

By the Editorial Team · Monday, August 31, 2026

Frank Beard, the drummer and co-founder of ZZ Top, has died at age 77 at his Texas ranch, marking the loss of a key figure in the band's formation and long-lasting success. His passing follows the 2021 death of bandmate Dusty Hill, but ZZ Top plans to continue performing in tribute to their legacy.

Frank Beard, the drummer and founding member of the rock band ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77. Beard passed away at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, surrounded by family. Born in 1949 to Rachel and John Beard, he spent his entire life in Texas, beginning his musical journey in the Dallas suburb of Irving.

Beard first connected with future bandmate Dusty Hill at the age of 15 during a club performance in Fort Worth, Texas. Hill invited him to join his band, the Warlocks, and the two played together through the 1960s in various groups influenced by artists such as the Beatles, the Zombies, and John Lee Hooker. After relocating to Houston in 1969, Beard met Billy Gibbons while playing in the Moving Sidewalks. This meeting led to the formation of ZZ Top, with Beard on drums, Gibbons on vocals and guitar, and Hill on bass.

ZZ Top released their debut album in 1971. Their third album, “Tres Hombres,” released in 1973, established the band’s signature boogie rock style and led to high-profile touring opportunities, including opening for The Rolling Stones. The band found considerable commercial success in the 1980s, incorporating synthesizers into their sound and benefiting from heavy rotation on MTV. Their popularity made them the highest-selling band in the United States for a period, surpassing acts such as Nirvana and Guns N’ Roses.

The band maintained a long-lasting career, signing a $35 million deal with RCA Records in 1994. ZZ Top secured two top 10 hits in the United Kingdom—“Gimme All Your Lovin’” and “Viva Las Vegas”—and earned three Grammy nominations during their tenure. Following the death of Dusty Hill in 2021, bassist Elwood Francis joined Beard and Gibbons to continue the group as a trio.

Despite his last name, Beard was widely recognized as the only member of ZZ Top without a beard. The band paid tribute to him on social media, calling him “one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas.” Gibbons emphasized Beard’s crucial role in keeping the band’s rhythm and pledged that ZZ Top would continue in his honor.

Beard is survived by his wife from his second marriage, Debbie Meredith, with whom he had twin sons Nico and Max, as well as a daughter from his first marriage. His influence on rock music and his legacy with ZZ Top remain enduring elements of his life’s work.

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