ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Steps Away From Tour

ZZ Top longtime drummer Frank Beard is facing health issues that have forced him to step away from the band’s ongoing tour. The news follows the abrupt cancellation of the group’s Hollywood Bowl performance.

A spokesperson for the band confirmed that members Billy Gibbons and Elwood Francis will continue on the tour, with drummer Michael Monahan stepping in to deputize for Beard in his absence.

Tour Plans Continue With Michael Monahan on Drums

The health update arrives in the wake of the band calling off their Los Angeles show. At the time, Billy Gibbons addressed fans on social media, writing that insurmountable obstacles forced the cancellation of the Hollywood Bowl performance. Gibbons thanked followers and asked for patience during what he called a brief interruption.

While reports from outlets like Rolling Stone and TMZ indicate that Beard is dealing with serious health issues that have sidelined him, the band’s schedule rolls forward. ZZ Top’s itinerary includes upcoming stops at the Marymoor Amphitheater in Redmond, the Bi-Mart Amphitheatre in Central Point, and the Ilani Casino in Ridgefield, before heading out for a run of dates stretching into November.

A Long Legacy Behind the Kit

Beard has served as ZZ Top’s drummer for more than five decades, anchoring the rhythm section from their 1971 debut album through 2012’s La Futura.

Health concerns have occasionally sidelined the veteran drummer in recent years. Last year, the band announced a temporary break for Beard to recover from health matters, with John Douglas filling in on the kit. In 2002, drum tech John Douglas also subbed in when Beard underwent an emergency appendectomy.