Inside the final haunting photo of ZZ Top legend Frank Beard in California venue

ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard was still in performing shape, photographed with his legendary bandmates months before his death. Beard, seated behind his trusty drum kit, took the stage behind bassist Elwood Francis and ZZ Top founder Billy F. Gibbons as the trio performed at Viejas Casino & Resort on November 02, 2025 in Alpine, California. Legendary ZZ Top Drummer takes the stage one last time in Alpine, CA. Getty Images The November 2, 2025 show featured many of the band’s greatest hits. Getty Images Beard looked poised at the packed show, where the band belted out some of its biggest hits, including “Legs,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide,” all of which were co-written by Beard. The drummer had just returned to the band after a two month absence, while suffering foot and ankle issues. Gibbons welcomed Beard back in a poignant statement shared on social media. Get all the Taylor Swift Super Bowl highlights delivered to your inbox Subscribe to our Special Edition newsletter Thanks for signing up! “We missed him and are looking forward to turning it up and rocking out with him as has been the case for the last few hundred or so decades. His complete recovery is cause for celebration and that’s just what we intend to do on an open-ended basis. Welcome back, pardner!” “It’s good to be back. See you out there,” Beard replied. Beard is credited with co-writing some of ZZ Top’s greatest hits. Getty Images The band encored the show with their rock anthem “La Grange,” bringing the house down. Beard only remained with the band for a handful more shows after the gig in Alpine, taking another extended health leave before his eventual death. Drummer Michael Monahan filled in while he was gone. The drummer died after a stay in hospice August, the Fort Bend County Medical Examiner’s Office in Rosenberg, Texas, told The Post. “It’s good to be back. See you out there,” Beard said. Getty Images His cause of death is unclear, and an autopsy will not be performed, the medical examiner said. “Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top,” Gibbons said. ZZ Top was scheduled to play the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 5, but canceled only hours before the show was supposed to start. ZZ Top has canceled upcoming shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs, the band said. However, the band plans to resume its The Big One! tour this weekend with two performances at Austin City Limits, one of Beard’s favorite venues in a city he considered a second home, a statement said. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!