ZZ Top announced Tuesday that longtime drummer Frank Beard has died at age 77. According to Rolling Stone, Beard’s death on Aug. 17 comes after the 2021 death of original bassist Dusty Hill, leaving Billy F. Gibbons as the only surviving member of the band’s classic lineup.
The group said it was canceling two shows that had been planned for Tuesday and Wednesday. At the same time, ZZ Top said it still expects to play two concerts in Austin this weekend at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, a venue the band described as one of Beard’s favorites and something of a second home for him.
For those Austin dates, Elwood Francis will play bass and Michael Monahan will be on drums, according to the band. Rolling Stone notes that ZZ Top’s last performance with its original lineup took place on July 18, 2021, at Iroquois Amphitheater in Louisville, Kentucky.
That show included a 15-song set built around many of the group’s best-known songs, including “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “La Grange,” and “Legs.” The final song of the night was “Tush,” which fans captured on video.
ZZ Top’s first album was released in 1971, and the lineup of Gibbons, Beard, and Hill remained together for five decades. The band still has dates scheduled into November.
