ZZ Top’s Frank Beard Sidelined by Health Issues, Tour Moves Forward With Replacement

ZZ Top’s latest tour interruption traces back to a familiar concern: drummer Frank Beard’s health. The band canceled a scheduled performance at the Hollywood Bowl last week after what Billy Gibbons called “insurmountable obstacles” in a brief social media statement. A spokesperson confirmed that Beard is dealing with ongoing issues and will be temporarily replaced by Michael Monahan as the tour continues.

Gibbons addressed fans directly, asking them to “bear with us for this brief interruption,” while emphasizing that he and bassist Elwood Francis intend to honor the remaining dates. The shift is not unprecedented. Beard stepped away from touring last year to recover from undisclosed health problems, and in 2002 an emergency appendectomy briefly put John Douglas behind the kit. He has been the band’s only drummer of consequence for over five decades, appearing on every studio album from 1971’s *First Album* through *La Futura* in 2012.

The Big One tour rolls through Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Texas, and other states in the coming weeks. Earlier this year, ZZ Top added nearly two dozen summer dates to an already extended 2026 itinerary. For a group that has turned endurance into part of its identity, the question is not whether the tour goes on, but how long Beard can remain part of it.