parks
ZZ Top’s longtime drummer Frank Beard dies at 77
Summary by Laredo News Editorial Desk · Byline on the source page: Emily Van de Riet , as published by KGNS — Sitewide
· August 18, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: KGNS — Sitewide · view original
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Summary created by Laredo News Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Emily Van de Riet, as published by KGNS — Sitewide Original story Read at the source Source published Aug 18, 2026 Indexed here Aug 18, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key points Beard had played drums for ZZ Top for 56 years, providing a signature backbeat that helped define the band's sound. Frank Beard, the longtime drummer for ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77.
Frank Beard, the longtime drummer for ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77. The band announced his passing in a post on Instagram, describing him as a naturally innovative drummer and a great son of Texas. Beard had played drums for ZZ Top for 56 years, providing a signature backbeat that helped define the band's sound.
The band's lead singer noted that Beard's backbeat was key to the band's success. Further details about his death are not available, but more information is expected to come. For more on this developing story, readers can consult the original source for updates as they become available.
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KGNS — Sitewide reported and published this story. Laredo News selected it, summarised the key facts above, and links to the original. We did not report this story and we added no reporting of our own to it.
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Category: parks ·
Published: August 18, 2026 ·
Source: KGNS — Sitewide ·
Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Frank Beard, the longtime drummer for ZZ Top, has died at the age of 77. The band announced his passing in a post on Instagram, describing him as a naturally innovative drummer and a great son of…
When was this published? This article was first published on August 18, 2026 by KGNS — Sitewide and curated for Laredo News readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Emily Van de Riet at KGNS — Sitewide. To learn more about how Laredo News selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more parks coverage from Laredo News, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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