He has an unnamed health issue. John Douglas stepping in. Hope Frank gets better soon!!
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Frank Beard has to drop out of ZZ Top tour
- Thread starter Skyrm
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Bummer. I hope that he recovers soon.
mydadisjr
DFO Veteran
I heard that with Frank gone it will be renamed...
Wait for it....
THE BILLY GIBBONS EXPERIENCE
Wait for it....
THE BILLY GIBBONS EXPERIENCE
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Frank is a living legend. Here's to his speedy recovery.
langmick
DFO Veteran
He's been touring forever. I caught them at Pine Knob and he was chain smoking the entire gig.
5 Style
DFO Star
Ouch! playing that much and that long seems like one would really need to take care of themselves better than that. I hope the that the guy is able to get his health issues behind him and tour again. With only Billy Gibbons left, it would seem that there's not enough left of the band to call themselves ZZ Top...
Drumming dog
Very well Known Member
I loved Franks early playing (Tres Hombres) like waiting for the bus, whole album is great! The groove on manic mechanic is a good independence exercise with the cowbell part. He definitely inspired me. I hope he is alright. Touring kicks your butt
SonorBart
Well-Known Member
I met Frank four years ago when ZZ Top had a few days off before a show in Sturgis, SD during the motorcycle rally. They were staying here in Sioux Falls and came out to play golf at the course I ranger at in the summer. Frank played with two crew guys while their manager, road manager, and another guy played together. I chatted with them on the course and introduced myself as a drummer. They were very cool, no egos. I know some local guys who have a very good ZZ Top tribute band that were going to be playing in Sturgis during the rally and they got a laugh out of that. They said they play quite a bit of golf on the road. I asked Frank where they were headed after Sturgis and he didn't know.
He chain smoked the whole round and I remember wondering how long his body would hold up as he looked pretty rough. I hope he recovers well.
He chain smoked the whole round and I remember wondering how long his body would hold up as he looked pretty rough. I hope he recovers well.
I played golf with ZZ's road manager years ago. Was a great guy. He invited me to their show that night to meet the band, but my band had a radio interview that night so I couldn't go. Really wish I had gone to the show. Love ZZ. Frank was awesome on those early records and Billy G is such a great guitar player.
He chain smokes at his age? Not conducive to a long life, I'm afraid. I've seen too many people in their 70's die of smoking related illnesses.
Tarkus
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Hope, he gets well soon. Wish him all the best.
He was a big inspiration back in the wild days.
He was a big inspiration back in the wild days.
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Here’s a vid of Frank discussing his past. I’ve met him several times, always very nice. I’m not his bro, but I used to play a bit with the late Rocky Hill (Dusty’s brother) in Houston for many years and they’d come to his club shows. Gibbons, I think, was the healthiest one of the bunch. I played house parties in the 80s with cover bands for some of ZZ Top’s permanent crew. I saw lots of thangs I can’t unsee, none involving the actual band. But that crew was a wild and woolly bunch.
Edit: I wanted to add that my old drum salesman, then friend and ZZ Top drum tech John Douglas was not at any of those parties. He’s a clean living fellow. A great drummer, quite functional on double bass kits and again, quite the player from his old band XOX that I used to watch often in Houston in the late 80s. As I’ve written here before, John is quite the artist, drum head artist, drum set painter as well as drum and set design. He brought Franks kits to life for decades with his talented designs.
I’ve played all my life with musicians ten years older than I. A great experience. That’s who I still play and socialize with. I’m 65 now, but they were old enough to see the Moving Sidewalks and ZZ in their pre-fame days lots and lots in the late 60s and early 70s when I was still in elementary and jr high. Houstonians are proud of ZZ even tho just Billy is from Houston. Frank and Dusty from up DFW way.
Edit: I wanted to add that my old drum salesman, then friend and ZZ Top drum tech John Douglas was not at any of those parties. He’s a clean living fellow. A great drummer, quite functional on double bass kits and again, quite the player from his old band XOX that I used to watch often in Houston in the late 80s. As I’ve written here before, John is quite the artist, drum head artist, drum set painter as well as drum and set design. He brought Franks kits to life for decades with his talented designs.
I’ve played all my life with musicians ten years older than I. A great experience. That’s who I still play and socialize with. I’m 65 now, but they were old enough to see the Moving Sidewalks and ZZ in their pre-fame days lots and lots in the late 60s and early 70s when I was still in elementary and jr high. Houstonians are proud of ZZ even tho just Billy is from Houston. Frank and Dusty from up DFW way.
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A J
DFO Master
Many years ago my wife and I were hiking along the Manistee River here in Michigan. We saw a group of canoes coming down the river. One of the canoes had two guys with long beards. I joked to my wife "Hey look. It's ZZ Top!"
A couple days later, I realized, it really WAS ZZ Top! They'd just finished some concerts in Northern Michigan and were relaxing for the day during some time off.
A couple days later, I realized, it really WAS ZZ Top! They'd just finished some concerts in Northern Michigan and were relaxing for the day during some time off.
What’s wrong with the dude?
Syncopated_1
Very well Known Member
Don't even want to imagine what it feels like waking up in the morning after smoking one's whole life.
Smoking is a terrible addiction, so glad I finally quit 6 years ago . Took me several attempts to finally have it stick ….
It’s been a long time…saw ZZ Top at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin in 1986.
At the time, my wife was in PR and her client, Koss Audio, wanted a media program to sponsor. So under the banner of “research”, we were guests of NBC Radio to experience their program “NBC Album Party”, which took place on the deck of a ski chalet at a resort not far from the venue.
The theme was “A Texas BBQ on the first day of summer with ZZ Top.” The program consisted of all 3 band members being interviewed live and by phone-in guests with ZZ Top tunes interspersed.
All the while the dozen of us in the audience ate BBQ (I remember killer beef ribs) and drank Tecate. It was just great!
And later we had 15th row center tix for the show. The boys were LOUD!
At the time, my wife was in PR and her client, Koss Audio, wanted a media program to sponsor. So under the banner of “research”, we were guests of NBC Radio to experience their program “NBC Album Party”, which took place on the deck of a ski chalet at a resort not far from the venue.
The theme was “A Texas BBQ on the first day of summer with ZZ Top.” The program consisted of all 3 band members being interviewed live and by phone-in guests with ZZ Top tunes interspersed.
All the while the dozen of us in the audience ate BBQ (I remember killer beef ribs) and drank Tecate. It was just great!
And later we had 15th row center tix for the show. The boys were LOUD!
