''This article is about Frank Beard the drummer with the group ZZ Top, for the golfer see Frank Beard.

Frank Beard, born June 11, 1949 in Frankston, Texas, is the drummer in the blues-rock band ZZ Top. Beard was formerly with The Cellar Dwellers, The Hustlers, The Warlocks, and The American Blues bands before joining Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill in 1969 to form "That Little Ol' Band from Texas," better known as ZZ Top. (Ironically, Beard is the only member of the band that does not have a beard.)

He formed ZZ Top in late 1969 with bassist/vocalist Dusty Hill (with whom he had played in the bands American Blues, the Warlocks, and the Cellar Dwellers) and the Moving Sidewalks guitarist/vocalist Billy Gibbons. After honing their trademark Texas Boogie-Blues-Rock style, they released their aptly titled "ZZ Top's First Album" on London Records in 1971.

The band rolled on, intensively touring and recording/releasing albums until 1977, when they took an extended hiatus. Their long-time manager/producer/image maker Bill Ham used this time to negotiate a deal that allowed the band to keep control of their previous recordings, which would be distributed by their new label, Warner Brothers Records. They reunited two and a half years later in order to start recording under the new Warner Brothers contract. Unbeknown to the other, both Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons had grown the chest-length beards that quickly became a part of their "wildman" image.

The band hit international prominence and their commercial peak with the release of 1983's platinum-selling disc "Eliminator". Named after Gibbons' customized 1933 Ford Coupe (which, along with leggy party girls, was featured in several music videos), "Eliminator" featured the hits "Legs", "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "TV Dinners".

In 1994, the band signed a five-disc deal with RCA Record. Many fans feel that the recordings of this era are as artistically strong as the earlier London and Warner Brothers recordings, but have expressed disappointment with RCA's promotion of these releases.

In 2003, a comprehensive collection of recordings from the London and Warner Brother years entitled "Chrome, Smoke & BBQ" was released. Also in 2003, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They have the distinction of being the only band with a 30 year plus history with all of the original members.

As of 2006, it is reported that ZZ Top is recording their 15th studio album.

1949 births | Living people | American drummers | People from Texas

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