John Douglas, a longtime tech member of the Texas boogie band, will man the drum kit in the interim. He played with ZZ Top back in 2002 when Beard underwent an emergency appendectomy in Paris. The band’s Elevation Tour kicked off March 5 in Alabama and is slated to run through April 12 in Arkansas.

Beard, along with fellow ZZ Top members Billy F Gibbons and Elwood Francis, presently on the Elevation tour since March 5, have engaged fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas, for the interim.

Beard will be replaced by "fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas" during his absence.