Overview
- Frank Beard died Tuesday at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, while receiving palliative care, a fact confirmed by his publicist and the Fort Bend County medical examiner.
- No specific cause of death has been released, and officials described his passing as occurring with family at his side.
- ZZ Top canceled shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs after the announcement and scheduled two performances at Austin’s ACL Live at the Moody Theater for August 22–23.
- Beard had missed recent dates for health reasons and was replaced on stage by drummer Michael Monahan before his death, a pattern that had already disrupted tour plans including an August 5 Hollywood Bowl cancellation.
- A founding member since 1969, Beard helped define ZZ Top’s boogie-blues sound across five decades and his death leaves Billy Gibbons as the last original member while the band plans to continue performing.