The band has asked John Douglas to fill in
Shelter Music Group, ZZ Top’s management, has announced the band’s drummer, Frank Beard, has temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term.
Beard, along with fellow ZZ Top members Billy F Gibbons and Elwood Francis, presently on the Elevation Tour since March 5th, have engaged fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas, for the interim.
Douglas has maintained a close relationship with Beard and the bandmates, having served with the group in the past. Douglas actually filled in when Frank underwent an emergency appendectomy in Paris, back in 2002. Douglas is also best known as replacing longtime Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer when he stepped aside from the band.
Beard is looking forward to a speedy recovery.
The band’s Elevation Tour continues on Tuesday, March 18th in Hiawasee, Georgia before it wraps on April 12th in Forrest City, Arkansas.
Since the founding of ZZ Top on the last day of 1969, they have gone on to become one of the top concert and recording attractions in the world, highlighted by a string of hit records including their 1973 breakthrough “La Grange” as well as “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs” and many more. Their album catalog including Tres Hombres, Deguello, Eliminator and others has sold more than 60 million units worldwide and their status as a top tier in-person attraction remains undiminished. ZZ Top’s concert audiences are typically multi-generational, reflecting their enduring role as blues rock standard bearers for more than half a century. Their ability to seamlessly blend grungy guitar-based blues with synth-pop solidified their place as rock icons as has their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by none other than Keith Richards.
In 2021, ZZ Top faced a significant loss with the passing of Dusty Hill. At his urging, Elwood Francis stepped up to fill the void, bringing exceptional musicianship and coincidental facial hair, making him a worthy successor to the legendary bassist. Fronted by the legendary Billy F Gibbons and underpinned by rhythmic force of Frank Beard (aka “The Man With No Beard”) with Elwood on bass for the past few years, the group continues to redefine their sonic approach.
ZZ Top’s latest album, Raw, released in July 2022, pays homage to their roots, and serves as a poignant tribute to the late Dusty Hill. The album, recorded at the historic Gruene Hall in Texas, captures the essence of the band’s 2019 Grammy-nominated documentary, ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band From Texas.
