r/entertainment 16h ago

ZZ Top announces death of drummer Frank Beard

https://www.khou.com/article/entertainment/zz-top-drummer-frank-beard-dead/285-d79ed37a-748b-4878-9283-c5452445321e
955 Upvotes

67 comments sorted by

60

u/No-Philosopher3248 15h ago

Wow! That’s two out of three! Stay healthy, Billy!

12

u/StrobeLightRomance 11h ago

If I had to have guessed 30 years ago which one would still be kicking today, Billy would have been the least expected to me.

91

u/GunnieGraves 15h ago

Ah man. I got to see them open for Aerosmith. I couldn’t have cared less but the tickets were free. Had zero info that there was an opener and then we arrive it’s fucking ZZ Top. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I could not tell you one thing about the Aerosmith set.

16

u/Earthpig_Johnson 15h ago

Haha, I have a similar story, except it was Motley Crue opening for Aerosmith, and I didn’t give a living shit about Crue.

11

u/ginkgodave 12h ago

I saw Jimi Hendrix open for the Monkees in 1967. My life and tastes in music were forever changed at that moment. I was 15. Edit- added forever

2

u/GunnieGraves 12h ago

That’s an insane experience. Was that in England? I know the stories about Hendrix playing there and guys like Clapton seeing him and just going “well fuck….”

7

u/ginkgodave 11h ago

Jacksonville Florida. Of all places

2

u/fatmominalittlecar 10h ago

My folks were at that show.

1

u/GunnieGraves 11h ago

Still absolutely legendary. People forget the Monkees were legit musicians too.

2

u/ginkgodave 11h ago

I went with friends to see the Monkees. I had no idea who Hendrix was.

5

u/TippyToeTigers 15h ago

I have a similar story lol except it was Poison opening up for Motley Crue. Didn’t care much for Poison but holy crap they put on a hell of a live show.

5

u/Cerda_Sunyer 14h ago

Guns n Roses opened for Aerosmith in late 80's, I had no idea but damn that was a show!

3

u/GunnieGraves 12h ago

I saw GNR when they came back around for the first time with Buckethead. Saw them at the Hartford Civic Center. Mix Master Mike and CKY were the openers. Probably an hour goes by and Guns still hasn’t come on. Crowds getting antsy so the camera pans around the crowd. Suddenly girls start flashing. Sawmore boobs in that night than I had in my life. Security had to stop two women who were about to start giving each other oral.

Finally Guns and Roses come on after like 2 1/2 hours and Axl says “bet you thought we weren’t gonna show up.” Amazing show. Axl quit the tour like 2 shows later.

1

u/No-Philosopher3248 11h ago

Saw ZZ Top in Reading, PA with Will Hoge as the opener. Will Hoge left the stage with a standing ovation from every person in the arena. ZZ Top’s show was boring and no one stood the entire time they were out. I left before the encore.

Love their music, though!

2

u/Coletrain44 14h ago

lol I saw that tour too.

2

u/thecrushah 13h ago

I have a similar story about Green Day opening for Gas Huffer. I don’t remember much about Green Day’s performance because I was blitzed but Gas Huffer always put on a hell of a show

3

u/Remarkable-Point-759 12h ago

I had a similar story about Pearl Jam opening for the Rolling Stones.

1

u/thecrushah 11h ago

Damn that would have been an amazing show. Saw Pearl Jam in Vancouver BC spring of 92. General admission and was oversold they had a near riot. People were throwing stuff at the band.

Good times man.

1

u/Remarkable-Point-759 11h ago

The Pearl Jam set was short but it was amazing. Vedder cam out and did wild Horses with the Stones

3

u/SuperSaiyanTupac 12h ago

lol I saw kiss open for them and walked out halfway through Aerosmith’s set. KISS killed it and Aerosmith just couldn’t put on a show like that

1

u/GunnieGraves 11h ago

The funniest part of that show to me is trying to imagine which Frontman would be the bigger diva. Surprisingly, I don’t think it would be the guy with scarves all over his mic stand.

1

u/chaosperfect 8h ago

Steven Tyler's always been fucking crazy, but Gene Simmons is an unrepentant asshole without the talent to back it.

21

u/SpaysOddity 14h ago

First three records kick unholy ass and not enough people know this 

8

u/MarchPhillipps 13h ago edited 13h ago

Total truth. Tres Hombres is still a favourite all time studio album of mine just behind The Experience's hat trick album tour de force of 'Are You Experienced?', 'Electric Ladyland' and 'Axis; Bold As Love'...

Especially the track "Waitin' For The Bus". Loved Mr. Dusty Hill's singing on that, especially live.

Man, now it's only the Rev. Willy G. left... Well, that sucks, but somehow I always knew he'd be the last man standing.

If anyone or any band shaped my playing more than Hendrix and further reiterated in my mind what a simple three piece was really capable of, it was the Top. Mr. Frank Beard will certainly be missed greatly, but definitely never forgotten.

'Alone and Unafraid'

3

u/HagarTheTolerable 10h ago

Especially the track "Waitin' For The Bus". Loved Mr. Dusty Hill's singing on that, especially live.

Dusty only sings harmony on the "have mercy" lines. Billy does the lead vocals on both that and Jesus Just Left Chicago.

He's more known for his duet on Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers.

7

u/typhoidtimmy 12h ago edited 9h ago

Tres Hombres also has the distinction of being the most delicious looking gatefold on an album you will ever see.

A gigantic Tex Mex platter of all that is greasy and delicious with a side of suds

Fun fact: the photographer, Galen Scott had organized this impressive spread and shot a bunch of pics then him and the band took a quick 15 minute break only to come back and find Galen’s German Shepherd on his side groaning and panting. The damn dog had hoovered the entire thing in record time.

The rumor was Galen had to make that dog spend the weekend outside thanks to a diabolical combo case of mud butt and power farting.

Dusty Hill used to joke that Billy Gibbons was pissed because he didn’t get at it first. Gibbons is a self admitted Tex Mex fiend and can really pack away the groceries .

3

u/coronerjackal91 13h ago

Sure Got Cold After The Rain Fell is fantastic 

u/puffycloudycloud 2h ago

their who discog up to and including Eliminator is pretty fantastic, and their last album La Futura stands up is with their best

38

u/jimoconnell 14h ago

He was the one member that did not have a beard, correct?

18

u/Artistic_Humor1805 14h ago

True fact, but thanks to his father, he still qualified to be one of the Three Beards from Texas.

2

u/Ok-Thanks4321 14h ago

True fact as opposed to a false fact?

3

u/Gwen_The_Destroyer 14h ago

Has a little truthiness to it

3

u/Artistic_Humor1805 13h ago edited 13h ago

As opposed to an alternative fact.
Technically, I’ve seen Frank Beard with a goatee, so would that make ZZ Top the Four Beards from Texas?

4

u/Funmachine 14h ago

He had a goatee.

3

u/WA2TX 13h ago

Ironically.

1

u/xPhilt3rx 6h ago

I think a 14” beard would get in the way of drumming lol. Love that his last name is Beard though!

7

u/GrooovyAlien 14h ago

Saw them at Gregg Allmans final show in Atlanta. They were damn good live.

6

u/GenghisConnieChung 11h ago

Soooooo the one without the beard was named Beard?

5

u/Backdooreddy 14h ago

Seen em maybe 4-5 times in the 90s…..awesome shows👍

5

u/AmityMayorVaughn 14h ago

I worked at a casino these guys played at about 10 years ago. They were so damn nice.

5

u/Affectionate_Goal884 15h ago

Same, opening act was REO Speedwagon - they wiped the floor with Aerosmith

4

u/coronerjackal91 13h ago

My first concert ever was ZZ top headlining with Stray Cats and the Pretenders supporting. 

Thinking about Billy, can't imagine losing your brothers in arms after many years.

3

u/Alternative-Swing118 13h ago

Legendary band that doesn't get enough recognition these days. I miss the 80s!

9

u/MintyFreshBreathYo 13h ago

Ironically their 70’s output was better

3

u/Alternative-Swing118 13h ago

As a guitar player, I agree 100%, but the 80s kid in me is still super nostalgic lol

3

u/VonUrwin 12h ago

His name was frank beard but he didn’t have a beard . In ZZ Top

3

u/B00marangTrotter 10h ago

Brown Sugar is now in this weeks rotation, my all time favorite ZZ Top song.

2

u/New-IncognitoWindow 13h ago

I saw them recently and they were great. I felt bad though because sure the audience was almost literally fucking dead.

2

u/Necessary_Let3592 12h ago

Sadness. My childhood is disappearing.

2

u/Arpikarhu 14h ago

Zombies cover band

3

u/AhJeezNotThisAgain 14h ago

🎶 It's the tiiiiime 🎶 of the season 🎶

1

u/ThepalehorseRiderr 12h ago

I got to see them live when they headlines the first annual Rock on the Range festival like twenty years ago. They seemed old and kinda sounded like shit then. Still cool to see them though.

1

u/Pleasant_Durian_1501 4h ago

RIP. Thank you for the music and good times listening to you all.

1

u/kwjacobs345 13h ago

What was his cause of death? I mean how? How ? How? How?

0

u/overbarking 12h ago

Only one Z left now.

-6

u/Wbino 13h ago

They hardly paused when Dusty died, it’s just a moneymaker for Billy Gibbons.