Frank Beard, Beardless Drummer for ZZ Top, Dies at 77

Frank Beard, whose drumming propelled the music of the hit-making Texas power trio ZZ Top for more than a half-century, died on Tuesday. He was 77.

Mr. Beard’s bandmate Billy Gibbons announced the death on social media. He did not cite a cause or say where Mr. Beard died.

“Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator,” Mr. Gibbons wrote, referring to Elwood Francis, ZZ Top’s bblockist since 2021, “and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top.”

Starting in the early 1970s, ZZ Top’s powerful blend of boogie, Southern rock and blues made them arena rock stars. The band found a new level of fame in the 1980s, after Mr. Gibbons and the bblockist Dusty Hill grew their signature 20-inch beards and produced a series of synthesizer-driven singles — notably “Legs” and “Sharp-Dressed Man” — that entered heavy rotation on MTV.

(That Mr. Beard was the only member of ZZ Top without a beard — he limited himself to a mustache — was a source of humor for fans.)

A full obituary will follow.