ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard was dealing with ‘health issue’ that kept him off stage for nearly a year before death

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. ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard (pictured above in April 2023) had a serious health issue for over a year before he died Monday after a stay in hospice. WireImage Back in March 2025, he took time off the rock band’s Elevation tour to take care of a “health issue requiring his focus.” ZZ Top/Instagram He was notice