ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Dies At The Age Of 77, Was Surrounded By Family When He Passed Away
Frank Beard was the drummer of ZZ Top for 56 years. He passed away at the age of 77 in the presence of his family.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleIn a piece of unfortunate news, it has been revealed that Frank Beard has passed away. For those unaware, he was the longtime drummer of the legendary rock band ZZ Top. The music industry and fans of the band have been left in shock, as nobody saw the news coming.
Frank Beard died while in hospice care
Frank Beard was the drummer of ZZ Top for 56 years. According to the Fort Bend County Medical Examiner, Frank died on August 17, 2026, at his Richmond, Texas ranch. As he took his last breath at the age of 77, he was surrounded by his family while remaining in hospice care. As of now, Frank Beard’s exact cause of death has not been made public.
ZZ Top founder Billy F. Gibbons was the one who released a statement after Frank's passing. He said that with Frank’s death, he lost a great friend and collaborator. At the same time, the world also lost an innovative drummer. He credited Frank’s signature backbeat for keeping their band on top. The statement read:
“Today, Elwood 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. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top. The band of which he was a part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on, as he had wished.”
For those unaware, the news of Frank’s death comes just weeks after he was forced to drop out of ZZ Top’s The Big One Tour due to health issues. This caused replacement drummer Michael Monahan to step in his place. When ZZ Top abruptly called off their Los Angeles show after this, Billy asked their fans to bear with them “for this brief interruption." In a statement posted to the band’s social media, she added:
“Insurmountable obstacles require canceling our Hollywood Bowl performance. Friends, fans and followers of ZZ Top are the best in the business, and the band is counting on everyone to bear with us for this brief interruption.”
Previously, in 2025, Frank had to step away from the road for a brief period of time due to an undisclosed medical problem that involved his foot and ankle. In 2002, drum tech John Douglas had subbed in for Frank when he underwent an emergency appendectomy.
His death now leaves singer and guitarist Billy F. Gibbons as the only remaining member from the years when ZZ Top was the most popular. The band’s bassist Dusty Hill passed away in 2021.
As the news of Frank Beard’s death continues to gain traction, fans are taking to social media to share their tributes. A user wrote, “The only guy in ZZ Top without the beard - and the one holding the whole thing together. That Texas shuffle was the heartbeat of American rock radio for 50 years. Rest easy, Frank.”
Another wrote, “This has to be it for the band now. They should've stopped after Dusty died but carried on because he'd asked them to. Without Frank it's literally just going to be Billy and a backing band.”
Frank Beard's personal life
In his personal life, Frank Beard was married to Debbie Meredith. The duo tied the knot on November 11, 1982. Having one of the longest-lasting marriages, they were blessed with three children.
As per reports, Debbie remained by Frank's side as he was dealing with addictions. But despite being the wife of one of the most renowned drummers, Debbie stayed largely out of the spotlight, maintaining a private life.
Rest in peace, Frank Beard. We send our condolences to the drummer's family and close ones as they navigate this loss.
Photo Credit: ZZ Top/IG
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