Frank Beard (musician)

Frank Beard ( born June 11, 1949 in Frankston, Anderson County, Texas) is an American blues musician, best known as the drummer of the band ZZ Top.

Life

Youth

Beard was born in Frankston, and attended high school in Irving. In his youth, he worked in several small bands such as " The Cellar Dwellers ," "The Hustler " and " The Warlocks ". From " The Warlocks " eventually became American blues.

American Blues

American Blues was founded in early 1960 by Rocky and Dusty Hill as "The Star Liners " and was soon renamed " The Dead Beats". About an organizer, the band was booked early on as a backup musician for the likes of Freddie King and Lightnin ' Hopkins, who had no fixed band. From "The Dead Beats" was " The Warlocks " and it was again "American Blues". As a new drummer Frank Beard joined them. The trademark of the band at that time were blue dyed hair to stand out from the others coming bands.

The band played a mixture of psychedelic and blues rock. The first single, the band played a cover of Pete Seeger's a " If I Had a Hammer" for the local label karma. With " Is Here " (1967) and "Do Their Thing" (1968 ) published two albums, which were later re-released several times.

The band left the scene in Dallas and moved to Houston. There, the band split up due to the different conceptions of the Hills Brothers. Dusty Hill wanted more rock music, his brother wanted stronger Blue influences. So he left the band and was a solo artist. Frank Beard finally collided with Billy Gibbons of Moving Sidewalks, which was still looking for a bass player. Beard suggested Hill and the band ZZ Top was formed.

ZZ Top

See also the main article: ZZ Top

Together with the Moving Sidewalks guitarist Billy Gibbons and his former bandmates Dusty Hill Beard founded in late 1969, the band ZZ Top. As a music style you chose for Blue Rock, Texas Blues and Southern Rock. In Bill Ham was found a manager for the band, who remained from 1969 to September 2006.

Within the next six years was ZZ Top five albums out: The first album ZZ Top's First Album released in 1971 under the label Warner Bros. Records, in which the band released their albums until 1990.

By 1976, ZZ Top was one of the best-selling rock bands of their time, yet made ​​the band until 1979 a break. The following albums were more modern and the band mixed electronic sound with their normal style.

Until the sale of their 's 1983 internationally successful album " Eliminator " Hill and Gibbons could be grow their long beards as well trademark of the band were as Gibbons ' 1933 Ford Coupe and leggy women in their music videos and the large number of different guitars and basses in live performance. However Blackbeard could be grown as a single not have a beard, but a mustache. Some of the band's songs are among the most-played music videos on MTV.

With the 1994 released album "Antenna " ZZ Top joined with a better-paid contract to RCA Records, where they released four albums.

2004 Beard was recorded with his band mates in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Guest Posts

In 1990 he was co-producer of the tribute album for Roky Erickson ( lead singer of The 13th Floor Elevators ) "Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye: A Tribute to Roky Erickson ."

Film and Television

In addition to the purely musical career as a drummer Beard is connected as a member of ZZ Top since the early 1980s with the movie scene. From 1982 to 2007 he contributed (as a member of ZZ Top) some songs to soundtracks, such as to An Officer and a Gentleman, The Winner - American Flyers, Knight Rider, Stephen King's The Stand - The Stand, Shang - high Noon, The Sopranos, and Ghost Rider.

In addition, Frank Beard himself had appearances on television. One of the townspeople he plays in the series Deadwood. In the movie Back to the Future III, he, together with his bandmates a band on the village festival dar. Self Beard had at Mother Goose Rock ' n' Rhyme, Ellen, A Simple Plan, King of the Hill and MADtv.

Private

Frank Beard is married for the second time. The first marriage to Catherine Alexander held on 12 April 1978 to 16 July 1981. Since November 11, 1982, he is married to his second wife Debbie Meredith. From this marriage he has three children: a boy twins and a daughter.

First Beard tried using the pseudonym Rube Beard to make a career and became the two albums " ZZ Top's First Album " and " Tres Hombres " is specified in the directory before he gave his real name.