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Fans from all around the world can tune in to Phish’s three-night concert series as part of the rock band’s spring tour, slated for Friday (April 25), Saturday (April 26) and Sunday (April 27).
The concert series livestreams from Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT during each evening on Live Phish. Read on for details on how to stream on Live Phish.
How to Watch Phish: Live From the Hollywood Bowl
Live Phish subscribers can livestream Phish Live from the Hollywood Bowl for $14.99 (regularly $29.99) per concert. If you’re not subscribed, you can sign up starting $9.99 per month. However, if you only want to livestream the concert, it’s priced at $29.99 per evening. Alternatively, you can watch all three concerts starting at $77.99 ($25.99 each) for non-subscribers.
Powered by Nugs.net, Live Phish features livestream concerts, a catalog of past shows going all the way back to 2002, exclusive archive footage and bonus interviews, music streaming, discounts and other benefits. Learn more about Live Phish here.
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Phish: Live From the Hollywood Bowl
April 25, April 26 and April 27 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT each evening.
Want to attend the Phish concert in person? There are still last-minute tickets available via Vivid Seats (get $20 off purchases of $200 and over with code BB30), StubHub and GameTime (score $20 off ticket orders of $150 and over with code SAVE20). Prices vary depending on the city and seats available.
Moreover, you can get $150 off when you spend $500 with promo code BILLBOARD150, or $300 off when you spend $1,000 with promo code BILLBOARD300 at TicketNetwork.com.
Meanwhile, those who want to watch internationally can access the streaming service with a VPN, such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN.
Taking place on Friday (April 25), Saturday (April 26) and Sunday (April 27), Phish: Live from the Hollywood Bowl livestreams from Los Angeles with a start time of 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT each evening. You can watch the event live starting at $14.99 each on Live Phish.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Lorde shakes us awake, Megan Thee Stallion is ready “whenever” and Benson Boone shows off a different side. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Lorde, “What Was That”
Lorde has made a habit of returning every four years with a bold new solo statement, and with “What Was That,” the pop auteur circles back into our orbit in her late twenties, chasing new highs in New York City and feeling a little more bruised by breakups; the subtle, slightly twitchy production and subject matter draw a line back to 2017’s Melodrama, but Lorde is evolving her feelings, sharpening the specificity of her lyrics and treating a much-anticipated new single like a too-honest piece of poetry.
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Megan Thee Stallion, “Whenever”
Megan Thee Stallion blacks out in the second verse of her new single “Whenever,” rattling off lines like “I love when I hear that a b—h don’t like me, stalk my IG / This pretty face on her FYP,” in a way that recalls her ferocious early mixtapes — it’s a moment that reminds us of Meg’s effortless drive when she wants to pick up the pace, and stirs up even more anticipation for her next project.
Benson Boone, “Mystical Magical”
Unless you’ve spent the past year under a rock, you know that Benson Boone possesses the type of soaring vocals that can startle listeners, and serve as the engine of a smash. Unlike “Beautiful Things,” however, new single “Mystical Magical” peppers that force into a more delicate arrangement, with Boone delivering the titular phrase in a blissed-out falsetto as the bass pops beneath him.
Young Thug feat. Future, “Money on Money”
After a few guest spots in recent months, Young Thug has unveiled his first proper single since leaving jail on a plea deal last year, and it’s a doozy: “Money on Money” is opulent Atlanta rap, with a killer beat switch, a reinvigorated Thugger calling out those who doubted him (and declaring that he’s “blowing money fast like a cheetah”), and Future supporting his frequent collaborator on the back end.
Coco Jones, Why Not More?
Coco Jones has already translated legions of Disney fans into R&B listeners, scored a crossover hit in “ICU” and taken home a Grammy, yet the release of her long-awaited debut album Why Not More? feels like a momentous occasion — as well as the proper full-length showcase that her voice deserves, as Jones spends the first half of the album sans guests and letting her sensual delivery commanding our attention.
Tucker Wetmore, What Not To
The reason why Pacific Northwest singer-songwriter Tucker Wetmore has broken through in Nashville involves his adeptness at emotional storytelling as well as party-ready singles; debut album What Not To boasts both across its 19-song track list, from the finger-snapping viral hit “Brunette” to the searing title track.
D4vd, Withered
Throughout his short career, D4vd has refused to trade in viral success for mainstream pandering, instead using the platform afforded by his early hits to keep exploring his sonic interests — and Withered, his first proper album, sounds like a young singer-songwriter comfortable in his own skin, drifting toward dreamy rhythmic pop that should be a natural springtime soundtrack.
Editor’s Pick: Samia, Bloodless
Bloodless is the sound of a talented artist achieving clarity: Samia Finnerty has released intriguing albums before, but nothing comes close to the stylistic command and singular point of view she demonstrates on her third album, which oscillates between alt-folk and indie-pop to study gender norms in modern society and present Samia’s full self without compromise.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” lifts a spot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart dated May 3.
Lamar rules Pop Airplay for the third time — and first as a lead artist, following two No. 1s in featured roles, on Maroon 5’s “Don’t Wanna Know” for a week in 2017, and Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” (five weeks, 2015). SZA scores her fourth No. 1, after “Saturn” (two weeks, 2024) and “Kill Bill” (one, 2023) and as featured on Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” (one, 2021).
“Luther,” on pgLang/Interscope/ICLG, previously made history as the first song to hit No. 1 on both Rap Airplay (five weeks and counting) and Adult R&B Airplay (three weeks in March). It has also topped Radio Songs, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay.
Notably, “Luther” joins 10 other songs that have led Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Adult R&B Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay and Pop Airplay. (All are four individual-format charts. Radio Songs reflects all-format play; R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay blends mainstream R&B/hip-hop and adult R&B reach; and Rap Airplay counts activity on mainstream R&B/hip-hop and rhythmic stations.)
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Here’s a look at the elite mass-appeal hits that have topped Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Adult R&B Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay and Pop Airplay (which have coexisted since 1993).
“Luther,” Kendrick Lamar & SZA, 2025
“Talk,” Khalid, 2019
“That’s What I Like,” Bruno Mars, 2017
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” The Weeknd, 2015
“Happy,” Pharrell Williams, 2014
“Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell, 2013
“No One,” Alicia Keys, 2007-08
“Be Without You,” Mary J. Blige, 2006
“We Belong Together,” Mariah Carey, 2005
“On Bended Knee,” Boyz II Men, 1994-95
“I’ll Make Love to You,” Boyz II Men, 1994
Meanwhile, “Luther” is the first rap hit to lead Pop Airplay since two back-to-back in February-March 2024: Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” followed by Doja Cat’s “Agora Hills.” (Rap titles are defined as those that have hit or are eligible for Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart.)
“Luther” is an ode to late R&B great Luther Vandross and samples his vocals. He charted one Pop Airplay entry as a credited artist: “Endless Love,” with Mariah Carey, hit No. 7 in 1994.
“Luther” has notched nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has drawn 896 million in radio audience and 582 million official streams and sold 50,000 downloads in the U.S. through April 17, according to Luminate. It’s from Lamar’s LP GNX, which has ruled the Billboard 200 albums chart for three weeks and spent its first 21 weeks on the chart in the top five.
All charts dated May 3 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, April 29.
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Shannon Sharpe will step down from his obligations at ESPN as he and his legal team are fighting a $50 million lawsuit alleging sexual assault. The unnamed woman, named in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, is currently being represented by Tony Buzbee in the matter.
Shannon Sharpe, 56, is accused of sexual assault and battery by Jane Doe, whose legal team has named in a public statement. Doe is reportedly an OnlyFans model who says she met Sharpe in 2023 at a Los Angeles gym when she was 19.
With more details coming forth, including a filmed video statement earlier this week from Sharpe, the controversy began to grow by the minute as Buzbee’s side released text messages that could support Doe’s claims of rape and assault.
Taking to social media, Shannon Sharpe delivered a written statement announcing his move to step away from ESPN as this matter moves ahead.
“At this juncture[,] I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties,” a portion of the statement reads. “I will be devoting this time to family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me.”
Sharpe contends that the relationship between him and Doe was consensual and is asking for Doe’s team to release all the documents and evidence connected to the lawsuit.
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Diddy’s fall from grace is getting more real by the day, and his time behind bars is starting to show, hard.
After months in lockup at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, the once-polished music mogul is looking like a shell of his former self.He recently popped up in court to ask for a delay in his trial, after even more charges were slapped on him. The judge shut that down quick. No cameras were allowed inside, but a courtroom sketch artist captured what people are calling a “dramatic transformation.”
The drawing showed Diddy with wild, unkempt hair that’s gone fully grey, looking stressed and way older than we’ve ever seen him. His beard was also grey and scruffy, and it looked like he’d lost a good amount of weight since being locked up. Gone is the slick, confident image he used to flex, now he just looks worn out and broken.
Diddy and his team haven’t said anything about his condition inside, but the sketch speaks for itself. This ain’t just jail weight loss, it’s the look of a man facing the consequences of years of dirty behavior finally catching up to him.Though he managed a small legal win by getting access to draft copies of Cassie’s unreleased memoir, it doesn’t mean much in the bigger picture.
The damage is done, and the truth is closing in. The image of Diddy now is not of a legend, it’s of a man crumbling under the weight of his own actions.
Jeremy Tucker of Raven Music Partners is content to operate in areas of the music business that attract relatively little attention. “I am certainly not going to pretend that I’m the coolest person at cocktail parties,” Tucker says, “and I’ve never signed any famous bands as a former A&R rep.”
As co-founder and managing member of the Nashville-based investment firm, Tucker isn’t focused on acquiring what he calls “trophy” catalogs — the Taylor Swifts, Bruce Springsteen and Queens of the world. Nor is he creating biopic films made for the artists in his catalog. Instead, he’s wringing out value from acquired music catalogs and trying to provide his investors a good, risk-adjusted return.
While interest in music rights from financial buyers has exploded in the last five years, Raven Music Partners launched in 2015 and has built a 15,000-song portfolio of assets including recorded music, music publishing and derivative rights such as producers’ royalties. Tucker and his team focus on the small- to medium-sized part of the market with deal sizes typically ranging from $5 million to $35 million but going up to $100 million.
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The world of music catalog investors can be broken into two camps: strategic buyers and financial buyers. Large music companies like Universal Music Group are called strategic buyers because they have a large infrastructure and creative talent to generate additional value from catalogs. These multi-faceted companies will pursue everything from movies to box sets to artist-branded jukeboxes in order to generate licensing income from their catalogs.
Raven Music Partners is a financial buyer, the kind of investor that treats music royalties as financial instruments similar to stocks, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds and debt. Financial buyers seek out catalogs with predictable cash flows and opportunities to generate a better return. Strategic buyers often pay a premium to control 100% of the rights; financial buyers are more willing to have fractional ownership of a recording or composition.
“What we’re focused on is the boring part of the business,” says Tucker, a former managing partner at Merrill Lynch who specialized in alternative asset classes.
Administration fees lack pizazz but are a good example of how a financial buyer can improve the returns on its investments. After an acquisition, Raven Music Partners will consolidate the rights under its rights management partner, Endurance Music Group, to cut out as many of the middleman fees as possible. Tucker says it’s not uncommon to see administration or distribution fees on acquired catalogs around 15% to 25%, and he’s seen catalogs with fees as high as 40%. Reducing fees isn’t the sexiest of accomplishments, but it increases the catalog’s net cash flows. “Saving 10% in collection fees can be pretty meaningful in terms of value-add,” he says.
There are also creative options for finding return on its catalog investments: re-releasing the masters in high-fidelity audio and Dolby Atmos, anniversary editions of albums or songs, and YouTube lyric videos, for example. Sometimes, says Tucker, there’s value in something as simple as a YouTube fan page or making sure all an artist’s tracks are available on the platform. “There are plenty of bands out there that might have several million repeat followers on Spotify or one of these other DSPs, but maybe they’re not that focused on all of the different media.”
Tucker says the Raven catalog has “a good amount” of rock, country, pop and Christian music, with some hip-hop and Latin. “From a genre standpoint, we are agnostic, and we think that all of these genres have value,” he says. “What’s important is that they have a fan base that cares.” The catalog includes well- known tracks by major artists, such as “Whiskey Glasses” by Morgan Wallen, “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor, and “Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur.
There’s a lot more music for financial buyers like Raven Music Partners to acquire. Tucker puts a rough estimate of $500 billion on the total addressable market for recorded music and publishing assets. The majors probably own close to half of that number, he says, while financial buyers like Raven Music Partners probably own “less than $20 billion.” That leaves much of the market potentially for sale. And with more artists retaining ownership of their rights, Tucker believes there will continue to be investment opportunities.
“We don’t think that it’s gotten to the point where people can’t compete in this market. Some of the more iconic catalogs are, of course, going to have everyone in the space interested in owning them. But for us, because we focus on a small- to medium-sized part of the market where things are a little more fragmented, we just don’t see that much repeat competition from the same people.”
In March, Raven Music Partners formed a joint venture with Aquarian Holdings, an asset manager with nearly $22 billion of assets under management, to invest in music rights. Raven’s ability to unlock value from catalogs through “active management and creative monetization strategies” aligns with Aquarian’s belief that music can be “both culturally significant and financially compelling,” says Rudy Sahay, founder and managing partner of Aquarian Holdings.
“At Aquarian, we’re focused on backing high-quality, enduring assets — and few assets are as enduring as great music,” says Sahay. “We see real value in partnering with Raven Music Partners, whose investment strategy is rooted in both discipline and deep industry connectivity.”
Every night on tour, Olivia Rodrigo performs for countless women and girls – but when they all funnel out of the arenas and festival grounds at the end of each of her shows, she worries constantly for their futures.
That’s why she’s spent almost her entire career advocating for reproductive rights, using her platform to speak out against oppressive policy changes and raising money through her concerts for abortion funds. And on Thursday evening (April 24) at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s Spring Into Action Gala in New York City, those efforts were honored by the organization with the designation of 2025’s Catalyst of Change award to the 22-year-old pop star, who asked during her speech, “When I play shows, I look out at crowds filled with young girls and the bond I feel with them is profound… I often wonder, ‘What happens to those girls when they leave those venues? What are their dreams? What kind of world are they returning to?’”
Rodrigo was one of two guests of honor at the night’s celebration at Cipriani South Street in lower Manhattan, with Amanda Zurawski — the Texas woman who sued her home state in 2023 after she nearly died due to pregnancy complications and was denied an abortion — also getting a moment of recognition as this year’s Champion of Change award winner. Past winner Laverne Cox was on hand to present Zurawski with the honor, while the “Vampire” singer’s friend and fellow activist Lily Allen (with whom she chanted “F–k you” to the Supreme Court at her Glastonbury set three years prior, shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned), gave Rodrigo a heartfelt introduction.
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“Olivia, my love, you’re the realest,” the British singer-songwriter gushed after commending Rodrigo for not “[straying] from her values to make powerful people comfortable.” “You use your platform because you actually give a s–t about reproductive freedom and justice. And in this world, genuinely giving a s–t is revolutionary.”
After taking the stage and giving Allen a hug, Rodrigo used her speech to highlight the work of Planned Parenthood and shout out Zurawski — “You deserve this award far more than I do,” the singer said, singling out the activist in the audience — before paying tribute to Cecile Richards, the healthcare organization’s former president who died earlier this year after battling brain cancer.
“It’s a privilege to be here tonight to support an organization that, despite countless obstacles, continues to show up with compassion, hope and dignity for women,” Rodrigo told a crowd of donors and Planned Parenthood of Greater New York board members, who clung to every word. “My greatest wish is that through organizations like Planned Parenthood and the action of everyday citizens, no woman will need to sacrifice her dreams, her health or humanity because of restrictive laws or lack of resources.”
“[Richards] led at a time of relentless attacks on care and constant efforts to silence and shame women into submission,” the three-time Grammy winner added. “She reminds us that standing up for what’s right doesn’t mean we have to be fearless. We can be scared, we can be angry, we can feel hopeless. We just have to fight anyway.”
The event honoring her comes after years of Rodrigo being one of the most vocal and hands-on modern pop stars when it comes to advocating for reproductive freedom. Back in May 2022 at a Sour Tour concert in Washington, D.C., just after the overturning of Roe, she made headlines for telling her crowd, “Our bodies should never be in the hands of politicians … I hope we can raise our voices to protect our right to have a safe abortion, which is a right that so many people before us have worked so hard to get.”
On her next tour in support of 2023 Billboard 200-topping sophomore album Guts, Rodrigo launched her Fund 4 Good, which funneled proceeds from her shows on the trek to local abortion funds. Through the initiative, the Grammy winner also had local abortion funds set up tables at her venues, allowing young fans to learn about reproductive health and resources. In December, she announced that she’d donated more than $2 million in ticket sales from her 2024 Guts Tour — which continues this year with shows in Latin America and Europe as well as a run of global festival dates — to 10 organizations around the world championing girls’ education, reproductive rights and the prevention of gender-based violence.
Read Rodrigo’s full speech at the 2025 Planned Parenthood Spring Into Action Gala below.
Um, first of all, huge thank you to Lily. I absolutely adore you and I’m so grateful that you’re here tonight, thank you. And a huge thank you to Planned Parenthood of Greater New York for this incredible honor.
I feel very fortunate for so many things in my life and my career. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten to live out dreams that I had as a little girl. I’ve traveled the world, I’ve written music that inspires me, and I’ve met so many of the people I grew up worshiping, like Miss Lily, for example.
But perhaps the greatest privilege this career has given me is connection with women through my music. When I play shows, I look out at crowds filled with young girls and the bond I feel with them is profound. To be in a space where we can all feel safe to be wild, emotional and carefree is incredibly powerful, and even though we’re not speaking one on one, those moments where we sing together and lock eyes, something real forms. It feels like we’re part of each other’s lives. I often wonder, ‘What happens to those girls when they leave those venues? What are their dreams? What kind of world are they returning to?
We live in a world that politicizes our bodies and uses harmful ideologies to deny us safety and healthcare, and it breaks my heart to think that, because of oppressive laws and outdated policies, some of those girls may not get to follow their dreams the way I was able to follow mine. Just a year ago, fueled by heartbreak and anger over what was happening in the world, I launched my Fund 4 Good, a global initiative that supports local nonprofits, championing reproductive freedom, girls’ education and the prevention of gender-based violence. A portion of my tour proceeds went to the fund, and I’m proud to share that we’ve raised and donated over $2 million to organizations around the world.
I’m so, so incredibly humbled to be here amongst so many real-life heroes in the fight for freedom of choice. Amanda, wherever you are – where are you? Oh, hi Amanda! I’m absolutely floored by your story. Your ability to turn something so heartbreaking and painful into such powerful activism is so incredibly inspiring. I’m just so in awe of you. You deserve this award far more than I do, and I’m just very honored to stand with you tonight and celebrate your bravery.
I can’t express how much I admire Planned Parenthood and the life-saving work that they do. Providing affordable healthcare, cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing, and abortion care, amongst so many other things, gives women the autonomy to care for themselves and shape their futures. It’s a privilege to be here tonight to support an organization that, despite countless obstacles, continues to show up with compassion, hope and dignity for women. My greatest wish is that through organizations like Planned Parenthood and the action of everyday citizens, no woman will need to sacrifice her dreams, her health or humanity because of restrictive laws or lack of resources.
Before I go, I want to honor Cecile Richards. She led at a time of relentless attacks on care and constant efforts to silence and shame women into submission, but Cecile stood her ground, and in doing so, she stood up for millions of us. I never got the chance to meet her, but her legacy of resilience and decency continues to impact me. She reminds us that standing up for what’s right doesn’t mean we have to be fearless. We can be scared, we can be angry, we can feel hopeless. We just have to fight anyway. Thank you again, so much.
Kylie Minogue had to call off what was going to be her first-ever show in Denver, CO this week for the very best reason. The Australian dance pop legend was slated to play at Ball Arena on Tuesday (April 29), but because the hometown Denver Nuggets are still in the playoff hunt and have a […]
Jelly Roll stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night (April 24) to talk about the hardest part of being an American Idol mentor, leaving the continent for the first time on his upcoming tour with Post Malone and why he’s on the verge of jumping out of a plane and doing other wild stunts now that he’s nearing his goal weight.
Jelly, of course, talked about his recent weigh loss, which he said he couldn’t make sound cool, since it basically involves eating a “lot of protein and vegetables” and walking. It’s clearly working, with Jelly Roll saying he’s lost “an entire Jimmy Kimmel” to date, or around 200 pounds.
That means he’s nearing the ability to do the “fun stuff” he said you can do when you are under 250 lbs. “I want to skydive, I want to ride a roller coaster, I want to ride a bull. I know it sounds crazy [but] I want to wrestle an alligator,” he said.
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And, on the night when his beloved Tennessee Titans football team made news for snagging quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, Jelly Roll admitted that his pep talk to the team before their dismal 3-13 season last year may have been a mistake. “I prayed you didn’t talk about this on TV!” Jelly laughed, swearing that he won’t go anywhere near Nissan Stadium until the team gets at least one win this year.
“Could you imagine that? I finally get to go talk to my lifelong favorite football team, Jimmy and I’m giving them what I think is the most inspirational speech of their careers,” he said. “I left there like, ‘we’re going to the playoffs, baby!’ And then we laid an absolute turd!” He also recalled being right up close to the legendary “Music City Miracle,” a vaunted Jan. 2000 moment during the Titans’ AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Bills at home when Kevin Dyson ran 75 years on a lateral to score the winning touchdown.
Well, Jelly wasn’t there there. He was locked up on the second floor of juvie across the street, where he could just make out half the field and half the scoreboard while sharing a peek through a window with a couple other guys. “I had a skybox. I was on level two. I had a bird’s eye view,” he joked.
With his felonious days long behind him, Jelly Roll crowed about his upcoming first international dates as part of Post Malone’s summer Big Ass tour. “This is a big deal… I think that y’all have already figured out that I’m a convicted felon by this conversation,” he said of the reason he’s not been able to tour in Europe before now. In fact, earlier this week, the singer was in Nashville to speak to the Tennessee Parole Board before they recommended that the state’s Governor consider pardoning Jelly (born Jason DeFord), a move that would make it easier for him to travel the world more freely.
“I got my passport last year and I was excited,” he said of his first venture out of the U.S. to play a handful of Canadian dates. “I said, ‘the United States of America has finally allowed me leave! I have redeemed myself!’ I didn’t know how many countries wasn’t gonna let me in! I had trouble getting into Mexico. It was bad. I’m not making this up!”
Jelly also talked to Kimmel about being the “internal hype man” on American Idol as a mentor to his “little Jelly Babies,” and not realizing how hard it was going to be for him when they get voted off. “I’m taking it worse than them. One of them came off last week and I’m, like, sobbing and she’s like, ‘I’m going to be okay.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m so sorry! I just really love you!’”
The singer returned later in the show to perform the country rock gospel anthem “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Christian singer Brandon Lake.
Over a month since ZZ Top announced drummer Frank Beard would be sitting out a number of tour dates over an unspecified “health issue,” it’s been confirmed that his absence will now extend to the band’s forthcoming Australian tour.
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In a statement issued on Thursday (April 24), promoters Live Nation explained that Beard will not be joining his bandmates on the forthcoming trek, “as recommended by medical personnel.”
The Texas trio revealed on March 15 that Beard would be absent from the group’s current Elevation tour due to the need to undergo an unspecified health procedure. “Shelter Music Group, ZZ Top’s management, has announced the band’s drummer, Mr. Frank Beard, has temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term,” a social media post from the band read.
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“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.”
Douglas has long maintained a close relationship with both Beard and his bandmates, having previously sat in for the drummer during a Paris performance in October 2002 when he underwent an emergency appendectomy.
“Beard’s continued physical therapy has shown to be very effective in dealing with the issue that caused him to leave the recent US leg of the tour,” Live Nation’s statement continued. “While cheered by the positive news, band and management believe that his total recovery must be priority #1.
“Beard’s attending physicians have suggested more physical therapy over a longer period would potentially achieve better and longer lasting results, and this will now be his focus.”
Beard has been the drummer of ZZ Top since 1969, when he took over from co-founder Dan Mitchell. Alongside vocalist and guitarist Billy Gibbons, Mitchell and bassist Lanier Greig had founded the band that same year.
Following Grieg’s replacement by Billy Ethridge, Dusty Hill assumed the role of bassist in 1970, with their lineup remaining unchanged for 51 years until Hill’s death at 72 in 2021. Elwood Francis has since served as the group’s bassist.
The group will embark upon their first Australian tour since 2013 on Saturday, April 26th. The ten-date tour will conclude in mid-May, with a handful of New Zealand tour dates to be followed by an additional North American trek in June. The band’s 51-date trek will run through until October.
