ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard’s health was ailing for more than a year before his death on Monday.
As far back as March 2005, the rock band announced on Instagram that Beard was temporarily stepping away from their Elevation tour to “attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term.”
“He is looking forward to a speedy recovery,” the band noted at the time.
Beard eventually returned to the tour in September of that year, and his last performance with ZZ Top was in November 2025.
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He was noticeably absent for the band’s The Big One! tour, which started in March, and fans on Reddit noted in May that he hadn’t appeared onstage.
ZZ Top later made headlines when they abruptly canceled their show on Aug. 5 just hours before they were scheduled to perform at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, citing “unforeseen personnel matters.”
Frontman Billy Gibbons shared in a statement at the time, saying that “Insurmountable obstacles require canceling our Hollywood Bowl performance.”
Though the band did not mention Beard’s health at the time, People confirmed less than a week later that the musician was going on leave due to illness and that drummer Michael Monahan would be taking his place.