Frank Beard, the drummer whose unmistakable backbeat helped power ZZ Top for more than five decades, has died at 77. Beard passed away Monday at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, while in hospice care and surrounded by family. His cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.

Beard had recently stepped away from the band’s summer tour because of health problems. His absence came shortly before ZZ Top canceled a highly anticipated Hollywood Bowl performance.

Beard joined ZZ Top in 1969 and became part of the classic trio alongside Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill. For decades, his drumming helped drive songs including “La Grange,” “Tush,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’.” ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

His death comes five years after bassist Dusty Hill died in 2021, leaving Billy Gibbons as the surviving member of ZZ Top’s legendary three-man lineup.

Gibbons remembered Beard as a great friend and collaborator and praised the distinctive drumming style that helped define ZZ Top’s sound.

For generations of rock fans, that unmistakable Texas rhythm will always be part of ZZ Top’s legacy.