Frank Beard, the drummer of ZZ Top, passed away on Monday at age 77 in hospice care at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family by his side, according to a statement on the band’s website. The cause of death was not specified, though reports from Reuters indicated he had been facing health issues for months.

Beardless in a Bearded Band

Despite his surname, Beard was the only member of the band who did not grow a beard, earning him the nickname ‘The Man With No Beard.’ The band noted he instead sported a moustache and blonde hair. His absence from ZZ Top’s recent summer concerts in Europe, including several performances in Spain in July, had already signaled his declining health.

Beard had been with the group since its founding in 1969, and he served as the band’s rhythmic force for over five decades; he anchored hits such as ‘La Grange,’ ‘Tush,’ and ‘Cheap Sunglasses,’ according to Rolling Stone.

Legacy of a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer

ZZ Top, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, released 15 studio albums and four live albums over the band’s history — Among their most popular tracks were ‘Gimme All Your Lovin’,’ ‘Sleeping Bag,’ and ‘Viva Las Vegas.’

Beard’s passing necessitated the cancellation of the band’s scheduled shows in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Monday and in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Wednesday. The band said it plans to resume its The Big One! Tour this weekend with two performances at Austin City Limits — a venue close to Beard’s heart.

Billy F. Gibbons, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, expressed his grief in a statement: ‘Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally creative drummers and a great and true son of Texas.’

Continuing the Legacy

Beard’s death follows that of ZZ Top’s bassist Dusty Hill, who died in 2021. With Hill’s passing, only Gibbons remained from the original lineup. Elwood Francis joined the band as bassist in 2021. Gibbons said the band will continue to tour as Beard had wished: ‘The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on.’

Beard’s 56-year tenure with ZZ Top was one of the longest in rock history. The trio of Beard, Gibbons, and Hill formed one of the most enduring musical trios, playing together for the first time in 1969 and continuing until Hill’s death in 2021.