Longtime ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has died at age 77, according to a statement on the blues-rock band's website published August 18. Beard died on Monday while in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family members present. His cause of death was not specified.
The band announced that Beard's passing necessitates the cancellation of tour dates scheduled for this week in Utah and Colorado. Specifically, the group had been scheduled to perform in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Monday and in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Wednesday.
Lead vocalist Billy Gibbons stated that the group lost a great friend and collaborator, describing Beard as an innovative drummer and a true son of Texas. Gibbons noted that Beard's signature backbeat was key to the band's success and stated the group would continue performing as Beard had wished.
Beard joined the group after the release of the single Salt Lick and later brought bassist Dusty Hill into the ensemble. He earned the nickname The Man With No Beard because he was the only member of the Houston-based group who did not have the long facial hair for which the band is known.
ZZ Top, which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, has released 15 studio albums and four live albums. Their 1984 album Eliminator was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1996.
The group plans to resume The Big One! Tour over the weekend with two dates at Austin City Limits. The band noted that Austin was a favorite venue for Beard and a city that served as a second home for him.
