ZZ Top Drummer Frank Beard Returns to Band Following Leave of Absence

ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has announced his return to the band, more than two months after unspecified “health issues” necessitated a leave of absence.

Beard’s return was announced via a statement from the group’s management, noting that the drummer will return to his rightful place behind the kit this weekend, and will “see the tour through to its completion in October.”

“We’re happy that Frank is back with Elwood [Francis, bassist] and yours truly, BFG,” vocalist and guitarist Billy Gibbons explained. “We missed him and are looking forward to turning it up and rocking out with him as has been the case for the last few hundred or so decades. His complete recovery is cause for celebration and that’s just what we intend to do on an open-ended basis. Welcome back, pardner!”

Beard himself was far more concise, simply telling fans, “It’s good to be back. See you out there.”

The 75-year-old drummer’s leave of absence was announced on March 15, with a social media post from the group explaining that Beard had “temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term.”

During Beard’s time away from the band, “longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer” John Douglas stepped in. Douglas had previously served as Beard’s replacement during a Paris performance in October 2002 when he underwent an emergency appendectomy.

Though no specifics were revealed at the time, ZZ Top’s recent statement has detailed that Beard was suffering from foot and ankle issues which have since been resolved. 

ZZ Top are set to return to the stage on Saturday (June 1) to resume the North American leg of their ongoing Elevation tour, which currently features 51 dates between June and October.

Beard has been the drummer of ZZ Top since 1969, when he took over from co-founder Dan Mitchell. Alongside Gibbons, Mitchell and bassist Lanier Greig had founded the band that same year. 

Following Grieg’s replacement by Billy Ethridge, Dusty Hill assumed the role of bassist in 1970, with their lineup remaining unchanged for 51 years until Hill’s death at 72 in 2021. Elwood Francis has since served as the group’s bassist.

The group have not released a studio album since 2012’s La Futura, though Gibbons has claimed a new record featuring contributions from the late Hill is in the works.