Frank Beard, the longtime drummer whose unmistakable rhythm helped power ZZ Top for more than five decades, has died. 

Beard, 77, died August 17 following a stay in hospice, according to the Fort Bend County Medical Examiner, TMZ reported on Tuesday, August 18. His death came shortly after serious health problems forced him away from the band’s ongoing tour.  ZZ Top confirmed the news on Instagram, sharing a tribute from Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top’s frontman, guitarist, and lead vocalist. alongside details on how the band plans to move forward. “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 wrote. A cause of death was not immediately known.

Details surrounding Beard’s final illness remain limited. The drummer had stepped away from performing in recent weeks as concerns about his health grew.

His condition reportedly led to ZZ Top’s August 5 cancellation at the Hollywood Bowl.