Frank Beard, the drummer for ZZ Top, had a “health issue” that prevented him from performing live for about a year prior to his passing.
Frank Beard, the drummer for ZZ Top, suffered from poor health for almost a year before to his passing on Monday.
The rock group first revealed on Instagram in March 2005 that Beard would be taking a brief break from their Elevation tour in order to “attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term.”
The band said at the time, “He is looking forward to a speedy recovery.”
In September of that year, Beard made a comeback to the tour; he last appeared with ZZ Top in November 2025.
Fans on Reddit pointed out in May that he was conspicuously missing from the band’s March-starting The Big One! tour.
Later, on August 5, ZZ Top made news when they abruptly cancelled their performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, citing “unforeseen personnel matters.”
“Insurmountable obstacles require cancelling our Hollywood Bowl performance,” frontman Billy Gibbons said in a statement at the time.
Beard’s health was not mentioned by the band at the time, but less than a week later, People reported that the guitarist will be taking a leave of absence due to sickness, with drummer Michael Monahan replacing him.
The Fort Bend County Medical Examiner’s Office in Rosenberg, Texas, notified The Post that Beard passed away a few weeks later on August 17 following a stay in hospice.
His age was seventy-seven.
The medical examiner stated that an autopsy will not be conducted because it is unknown what caused his death.