Frank Beard (musician)

American drummer

Frank Beard

Beard in 2008

Background information
Birth name| Frank Lee Beard
Born|  (1949-06-11) June 11, 1949 (age 74)
Frankston, Texas, U.S.
Genres|

* Hard rock
* blues rock
* rock

Occupation(s)| Drummer
Years active| 1969–present
Member of|

* ZZ Top
* American Blues

Musical artist

Frank Lee Beard (born June 11, 1949) is an American drummer best known as a member of the rock band ZZ Top.

## Early life[edit]

Beard was born in Frankston, Texas, and attended Irving High School in Irving, Texas.

## Career[edit]

Beard performing with ZZ Top in 2014

Before joining ZZ Top, Beard was a member of a fake version of the British band the Zombies, which toured in the US without authorization from the original band members, and also was part of the Outlaws with later ZZ Top member Dusty Hill.[1] Other bands Beard and Hill played with early in their careers included the Cellar Dwellers, the Hustlers, the Warlocks, and American Blues.[2]

In May 1969, Beard joined The Moving Sidewalks, a band that would become ZZ Top in July 1969. Beard also introduced Gibbons to Hill. After honing their trademark "Texas boogie-blues-rock" style, they released ZZ Top's First Album on London Records in January 1971. Beard is credited under the nickname "Rube Beard" on the ZZ Top's First Album and on Tres Hombres, the band's third album, but is credited under his actual name on Rio Grande Mud, their second album. He is also credited under his actual name on every ZZ Top album since 1975's Fandango!

After achieving success with ZZ Top in the late 1970s, Beard began spending a lot of money on drugs, including LSD, cocaine and heroin. He later regretted spending the money, and said it damaged his relationships. He joined a rehabilitation program. He recalled: "I just wanted to get sober. I wanted to be like people I admired who could sit home and watch TV and go to bed and that was okay [for them]."[3] ZZ Top went on hiatus for three years while Beard dealt with his addictions.[4]

## Personal life[edit]

Beard married long-time girlfriend Catherine Alexander in April 1978 and divorced July 1981.[5] He married Debbie Meredith in November 1982. They remain married and have three children.[5] Beard resides in Richmond, Texas, where he owns and operates the Top 40 Ranch. He golfs, and is known locally for participation in tournaments and community events. Beard was long known as, ironically, the only member of ZZ Top not to have a beard, but he grew a short one in 2013.[6]

## Endorsements[edit]

Beard plays Tama drums, Paiste cymbals, Promark drumsticks, and Remo drumheads.[citation needed]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Hlavaty, Craig (June 3, 2016). "ZZ Top's Dusty Hill and Frank Beard once masqueraded as British rock act the Zombies". Chron.com. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
2. ^ Dansby, Andrew (February 25, 2004). "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2004: ZZ Top: Texas blooze men celebrate thirty years of fuzz". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
3. ^ Kielty, Martin (February 26, 2020). "ZZ Top's Frank Beard Details '70s Heroin Addiction: 'A Regret'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
4. ^ Lifton, Dave (August 31, 2019). "Why Dusty Hill Spent ZZ Top's '70s Hiatus Working at an Airport". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
5. ^ a b Biography for Frank Beard at IMDb
6. ^ Stegall, Tim (December 27, 2013). "Tracking the beards". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 5, 2019.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frank Beard.

* Frank Beard discography at Discogs

* v
* t
* e

ZZ Top

* Billy Gibbons
* Frank Beard
* Elwood Francis

* Lanier Greig
* Dan Mitchell
* Billy Ethridge
* Dusty Hill

Studio albums|

* ZZ Top's First Album
* Rio Grande Mud
* Tres Hombres
* Fandango!
* Tejas
* Degüello
* El Loco
* Eliminator
* Afterburner
* Recycler
* Antenna
* Rhythmeen
* XXX
* Mescalero
* La Futura

Compilations|

* The Best of ZZ Top
* Greatest Hits
* One Foot in the Blues
* Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top

Live albums|

* Live from Texas

Box sets|

* The Six Pack
* Chrome, Smoke & BBQ

Singles|

* "Francine"
* "La Grange"
* "Tush"
* "It's Only Love"
* "Arrested for Driving While Blind"
* "I Thank You"
* "Cheap Sunglasses"
* "Leila"
* "Tube Snake Boogie"
* "Gimme All Your Lovin'"
* "Sharp Dressed Man"
* "TV Dinners"
* "Legs"
* "Sleeping Bag"
* "Stages"
* "Velcro Fly"
* "Rough Boy"
* "Doubleback"
* "My Head's in Mississippi"
* "Viva Las Vegas"
* "Pincushion"
* "She's Just Killing Me"
* "What's Up with That"

Other songs|

* "Waitin' for the Bus"
* "Jesus Just Left Chicago"
* "Master of Sparks"
* "Pearl Necklace"
* "Got Me Under Pressure"

Video albums|

* Greatest Hits
* Live from Texas
* Live at Montreux 2013

Tours|

* Worldwide Texas Tour
* Recycler Tour
* XXX Tour
* Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour
* Whack Attack Tour
* Hollywood Blues Tour
* El Camino Ocho Tour
* 2010 World Tour
* Gang of Outlaws Tour
* Tonnage Tour

Related articles|

* Discography
* Super Bowl XXXI halftime show
* CadZZilla
* Bill Ham
* Moving Sidewalks
* American Blues
* Sharp Dressed Men: A Tribute to ZZ Top
* ZZ Top: A Tribute from Friends

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Class of 2004

Performers|

* Jackson Browne
* The Dells
* Verne Allison, Chuck Barksdale, Johnny Carter, Johnny Funches, Marvin Junior, Michael McGill
* George Harrison
* Prince
* Bob Seger
* Traffic
* Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, Steve Winwood, Chris Wood
* ZZ Top
* Frank Beard, Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill

Lifetime achievement|

* Jann Wenner

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Norway
* Germany
* United States
* Czech Republic
* Netherlands

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template