ZZ Top Performs First Concert Since Drummer Frank Beard’s Death
- ZZ Top returned to the live stage on August 22, playing its first concert at Austin’s Moody Theater since the death of longtime drummer Frank Beard at age...
- The legendary Texas blues-rock band took the stage at Austin City Limits Live just days after Beard passed away in hospice care at his Richmond, Texas, ranch on...
- I’ve never heard him admit, he said, ‘My bass drum foot’s a little weak.
ZZ Top returned to the live stage on August 22, playing its first concert at Austin’s Moody Theater since the death of longtime drummer Frank Beard at age 77. Drummer Michael Monahan stepped in behind the kit for the performance, which kicked off the band’s ongoing The Big One! Tour.
Austin Return Kicks Off The Big One! Tour Following Frank Beard’s Death
The legendary Texas blues-rock band took the stage at Austin City Limits Live just days after Beard passed away in hospice care at his Richmond, Texas, ranch on August 17, according to a representative who spoke with Variety. Following Beard’s death, ZZ Top canceled two scheduled tour dates in Salt Lake City on August 18 and Colorado Springs on August 19 before resuming the tour with back-to-back weekend shows in Austin. The venue holds special significance, serving as one of Frank’s favorite venues in a city that acted as a second home for him. Frontman Billy F. Gibbons addressed the audience during the band’s first-song introductions on August 22, sharing details about how Monahan came to take over the drum position. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Gibbons told the crowd that he and bassist Elwood Francis received an unexpected call from Beard as his health declined. Gibbons recalled Beard saying that his bass drum foot felt a little weak and asking if they could get Monahan to take over.
I’ve never heard him admit, he said, ‘My bass drum foot’s a little weak. Can you get my man [Monahan] to take over?’ I said, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, he’s been doing pretty good.’ Frank said, ‘Yeah, that’s what worries me.’
Billy F. Gibbons via Ultimate Classic Rock Gibbons then shifted the mood of the room for the crowd in Austin, telling attendees that they were all there for a celebration and intended to have a good time. Both Monahan and longtime drum tech John Douglas had previously filled in for Beard as the drummer dealt with health issues that caused him to step away from the spotlight in March 2025 during the band’s Elevation tour.
Parallel Legacy and Future Tour Dates Through October
The quick return to the stage mirrors how ZZ Top handled the passing of longtime bassist Dusty Hill in 2021. When Hill died at age 72, guitar tech of 20 years Elwood Francis stepped in on bass just days later. Gibbons previously noted that he never considered replacing Beard with anyone else, stating there was only one guy for the job. Beard played with ZZ Top for 50 years, forming a tight bond with Gibbons and Hill after the group’s inception in 1969. In the 2019 documentary That Little Ol’ Band from Texas, Beard reflected on his satisfaction with his bandmates, noting that he never wanted to quit and never wanted to get fired. The documentary also covered Beard’s past struggles with substance abuse, including selling his original Ludwig kit to buy drugs before he entered rehab in the late 1970s, which led the band into a three-year hiatus so he could achieve sobriety. ZZ Top will remain on the road through October for the remainder of The Big One! Tour before traveling to South America for additional performances in November. The band has not yet confirmed whether Monahan will continue behind the kit for the international dates.