ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard will not participate in the band’s upcoming Australian tour due to a health issue, the band announced. Beard’s absence, initially revealed on March 15, has been extended based on medical advice, according to a statement from promoters Live Nation on Thursday, April 24.
The Texas rock trio stated that Beard, who missed the current Elevation tour to undergo a health procedure, will be replaced by percussionist and drummer John Douglas. Douglas, a longtime associate of the band, previously filled in for Beard during a 2002 performance in Paris.
“Beard’s continued physical therapy has been effective,” Live Nation said. “However, physicians recommend extended therapy for optimal recovery, which is now his priority.”
Beard has been with ZZ Top since 1969, taking over from co-founder Dan Mitchell. The band, formed by Billy Gibbons, Mitchell, and Lanier Greig, saw Dusty Hill join as bassist in 1970, maintaining that lineup until Hill’s death in 2021. Elwood Francis now serves as the bassist.
ZZ Top’s Australian tour, their first since 2013, begins Saturday, April 26, and includes ten dates, concluding in mid-May. Following performances in New Zealand, the band will resume their North American tour in June, with a total of 51 dates scheduled through October.
