Longtime ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has died at the age of 77.

“It was announced today that Frank Beard, ZZ Top’s drummer for the past 56 years, has died. He was in hospice care when he passed away at his ranch in Richmond, TX with family members at his side,” the band’s publicist Bob Merlis said in a statement. It did not cite the reason for his death.

“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. The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished,” said ZZ Top front man Billy Gibbons.

Beard is the second member of the classic ZZ Top lineup to die, following bassist Dusty Hill in 2021. Gibbons remains the sole surviving original member.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame blues-rock band has a total of 15 studio albums to their credit during Beard’s tenure, with nine of them attaining RIAA gold or platinum status. The studio album Eliminator, released in 1983, was their biggest hit, having sold more than 10 million units in the United States.

Beard joined as the drummer of ZZ Top in 1969.

In March 2025, Beard temporarily left ZZ Top’s Elevation tour due to illness.

Following Beard’s death, ZZ Top canceled two shows of their The Big One! Tour that had been scheduled for Tuesday in Salt Lake City and Wednesday in Colorado Springs. The band will resume the tour this weekend with two dates in at Austin City Limits.

Source: RTT Music News

A new Billy Joel documentary 1971: Billy Joel’s Lost Interview is set to premiere at the second annual LIMEHOF Music Documentary Film Festival on September 25th at the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook Village.

The movie is based on a 1971 radio interview for C.W. Post’s WCWP Station’s “That’s Interesting” show, hosted by Ed Mann. The interview took place just after the release of Joel’s debut solo album, Cold Spring Harbor.

The updated interview will feature an AI visual recreation of Joel, who was inducted to LIMEHOF twice, in 2006 and 2025.

“We are entering a new era in filmmaking, where emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are creating new possibilities for preserving and sharing stories from the past,” Tom Needham, Executive Director of the LIMEHOF Music Documentary Film Festival, said. “1971: Billy Joel’s Lost Interview allows audiences to see a young Billy Joel before worldwide fame changed his life, and we hope people will experience it with curiosity and an open mind.”

Adam Ripp directed the 20-minute short film, which uses AI for visual recreation of Joel, his manager Irwin Mazur and the interviewer. As part of the premiere, there will be a Q&A panel with Ripp, Irwin Mazur and Ed Mann.

“It is a tremendous honor for 1971: Billy Joel’s Lost Interview to be selected as the opening night film of the LIMEHOF Music Documentary Film Festival. I cannot imagine a more meaningful setting for the film’s world premiere than an institution dedicated to preserving and celebrating Long Island’s remarkable musical legacy,” said Ripp, who also produced the film.

Source: RTT Music News

“Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run,” the bestselling oral history book by Paul McCartney, returns in paperback with a candid new conversation between the legendary Beatle and Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville.

Edited and with an Introduction by Ted Widmer, the book will be published on October 6. The book is available pre-order here.

“Suddenly Wings has found its moment. We have a generational shift at work, and it’s like being transported back on a magic carpet. Working on the book has awakened so many beautiful memories of our times back then,” Paul says about the book.

The book includes a foreword written by Paul and is compiled from over 42 hours of recent and historical interviews from Paul’s personal archive. “Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run” features over 150 photographs capturing Wings throughout the years – many previously unseen – and shot by an array of photographers including Linda McCartney, Mike McCartney, Clive Arrowsmith, Henry Diltz, Robert Ellis and Paul himself. The book also includes memorabilia, including some of Paul’s diary page entries from the time and handwritten lyrics.

The new paperback includes a candid conversation between Paul and director Morgan Neville, recorded around the launch of Neville’s highly acclaimed documentary Paul McCartney: Man on the Run, released earlier this year. Together they reflect on Paul’s creative reinvention after the Beatles and the enduring legacy of Wings.

“Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run” is an international story that moves through space as well as time, including adventures in Scotland, New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Nashville, Lagos, Japan, the Virgin Islands, Morocco, Montserrat and other memorable places, against the backdrop of political and social timelines of the 1970s.

Source: RTT Music News

Ozzy Osbourne’s iconic solo hit “Crazy Train” has surpassed one billion streams on Spotify, joining the platform’s exclusive Billions Club.

Originally released in 1980 as the debut solo single from Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz, the song was written by Osbourne, Randy Rhoads and Bob Daisley. It became one of Osbourne’s signature tracks following his departure from Black Sabbath.

“Crazy Train” now joins other rock classics in Spotify’s Billions Club, including Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters,” Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City,” Aerosmith’s “Dream On” and Van Halen’s “Jump.”

The milestone adds to the enduring success of Blizzard of Ozz, which was certified quintuple platinum in the U.S. in 2019. “Crazy Train” has also appeared in numerous films and television shows, including The Osbournes, The Office and The Simpsons.

Source: RTT Music News

Grammy Award-winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart, who recently underwent a coronary stent procedure, has canceled his upcoming tour dates.

A representative for the 81-year-old legend said in a statement that doctors are “pleased with his recovery.” The rep noted that although the musician has returned to normal daily activities, he will need to recover before continuing to perform live.

“Doctors are pleased with his recovery, and Rod is doing very well and has returned to his normal daily activities,” the statement said. “On the advice of his doctors, he will take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage.”

The statement continued, “Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates.”

Stewart was scheduled to perform shows as part of his “One Last Time” farewell tour and “The Encore Shows” Las Vegas residency.

“I’m already feeling better and very much on the mend,” Stewart said in a statement. “I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me. I’m deeply disappointed to miss these shows and sorry to let my fans down, but I look forward to getting back on stage and having a good time with you all again soon.”

Stewart, who postponed his Sunday concert in Cincinnati at Riverbend Music Center, citing a “minor medical procedure,” subsequently canceled his Tuesday night performance at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

Source: RTT Music News