It's Frank Beard's Birthday!!
Although, he bounced around with a few bands in the 60's, the bulk of Beard's career is being the backbone of ZZ Top! Going by the name Rube Beard for a time, Frank Beard and ZZ Top hit the scene in 1969. With Billy Gibbons, and Dusty Hill, ZZ Top's signature blues style gave the Texas rockers a reputation for their great live performances, sly lyrics. Unlike the rest of the band however, Frank did not take on the look of matching appearances of hats and long beards.
ZZ Top hit the ground running in 1971 and rolled through the 70's behind the classic albums Tres Hombres, and Fandango!, which were powered by the singles "La Grange" and "Tush".
After a short break in the late 70's ZZ Top came back with a vengeance in the 80's with the album El Loco, as they began to experiment with synthesizers and drum machines to create a more mainstream sound. The band would hit big with the albums Eliminator and Afterburner, which were powered by the massive popularity of their videos on MTV. "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Legs", garnered the group mass exposure. which made them prominent on the rock scene throughout the decade.
ZZ Top has released 15 studio albums, sold 50 million records worldwide, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Happy Birthday Rube, your Beardless career is the stuff of legend.