“Beard, along with fellow ZZ TOP members Billy F Gibbons and Elwood Francis, presently on the Elevation tour since March 5, have engaged fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas, for the interim.

“Mr. 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).

“Frank is looking forward to a speedy recovery.”

ZZ TOP launched the “Elevation” tour earlier this month and is next scheduled to perform March 18 in Hiawassee, Georgia.

The band has North American dates booked through August 23.

Beard has been a member of ZZ TOP for over 55 years, having played on all of the band’s albums, starting with “ZZ Top’s First Album” in 1971.

When ZZ TOP started, Beard was known by the nickname “Rube” and was credited as “Rube Beard” on the first album and on “Tres Hombres”, the band’s third album, but is listed under his real name on “Rio Grande Mud”, ZZ TOP‘s second album. After “Tres Hombres”, he was credited as “Frank Beard” on all the band’s albums. Ironically, Beard is the only member of ZZ TOP who does not have a beard, usually wearing only a mustache (though he went through a phase in the 1990s with a tidy beard).

Frank resides in Richmond, Texas, where he owns and operates the Top 40 Ranch. He is a scratch golfer, renowned locally for participation in tournaments and community events.