ZZ Top has announced a temporary change in their lineup through a statement posted on their Facebook page.
‘Shelter Music Group, ZZ TOP’s management, has announced the band’s drummer, Mr. Frank Beard, has temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term,’ the statement revealed.
‘Beard, along with fellow ZZ TOP members Billy F Gibbons and Elwood Francis, are presently on the Elevation tour since March 5. They have engaged fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas, for the interim,’ they explained.
The statement provided context about Douglas’s history with the band. ‘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.’
The band made this announcement during their ongoing Elevation Tour.
NotReble reports that the 2025 Elevation Tour launched on March 5 at the Dothan Civic Center in Alabama. The tour will continue through April 12, 2025, spanning multiple states across the Southeast and Midwest United States.
Antimusic highlights John Douglas’s extensive connection to ZZ Top. He has served as a longtime technical team member and trusted associate of the band.
Coverage from Ultimate Classic Rock reveals Douglas’s previous experience with the band. He stepped in for Beard during a 2002 European tour when the drummer needed an emergency appendectomy in Paris.
The tour schedule includes stops in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Missouri, and Arkansas. The band remains committed to their fans during this temporary lineup adjustment.
