Frank Beard: The Beat Behind ZZ Top

Frank Beard: The Beat Behind ZZ Top

Frank Beard may have been the only guy in ZZ Top without the famous beard, but his drumming was every bit as unmistakable as the band’s look.

Beard, who has died at 77, spent more than five decades behind the kit for ZZ Top, helping create the swaggering Texas blues-rock sound that turned the band into legends. From the shuffle of “La Grange” and “Tush” to the monster hits of the MTV era, Beard’s groove was the engine underneath it all.

Alongside Billy Gibbons and the late Dusty Hill, Beard helped make ZZ Top one of rock’s most recognizable—and enduring—bands. His playing was tight, funky, laid-back and unmistakably cool, proving that sometimes the best drummers are the ones who know exactly when not to overplay.

Frank Beard leaves behind a massive musical legacy and more than five decades of ZZ Top memories for rock fans everywhere.

Crank up “La Grange,” “Tush,” or “Sharp Dressed Man” today and give Frank Beard the volume he deserves.

Rock on, Frank.