ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has died at age 77.

In a statement posted by the band, ZZ Top frontman Billy F. Gibbons paid tribute to a ‘great friend and collaborator’ who he says was a key part of their success.  

‘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 said in a statement posted to the band’s Instagram account. 

The band will now be cancelling it’s shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs however will be moving forward with upcoming performances at Austin City Limits, a venue which held a special place in Beard’s heart.  

‘The band will resume its current The Big One! Tour this weekend with two dates in at Austin City Limits, one of Frank’s favorite venues and in a city that had been something of a second home for him,’ the statement added. 

Beard joined the iconic band shortly after it was formed in 1969 but his health issues were becoming more apparent this past year. 

Beard, pictured far L, joined the iconic band in 1969

The band were set to perform at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this month but were forced to cancel due to ‘unforeseen personnel matters.’

Rolling Stone later reported that they had actually cancelled due to Beard’s health. 

A year earlier, Beard’s health also led to him stepping away from the band’s tour.  

A statement from the band’s management, Shelter Music Group, announced that Beard ‘temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term.’

‘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.’

The post added that Douglas ‘has maintained a close relationship with Beard and the bandmates’ and previously replaced Beard in a Paris performance in 2002 when the drummer had an emergency appendectomy.

The statement concluded: ‘He is looking forward to a speedy recovery.’

ZZ Top former in 1969 and Beard joined shortly thereafter. It now consists of bassist Elwood Francis and founding member Gibbons. 

The group formed in 1969 and are behind the hits Gimme All Your Lovin’ and Sharp Dressed Man

‘I would say, for me, I have found the people that I want to play with. And I was able to do that at a very early age. I’m still satisfied with them. I’m satisfied with Dusty and I’m satisfied with Billy,’ Beard said in the 2019 documentary, That Little Ol’ Band from Texas, according to Rolling Stone. 

‘With these two guys, I’ve never wanted to quit, and I’ve never wanted to get fired.’

Beard also grappled with substance abuse, admitting drugs ‘f**ked up’ relationships and led to him selling a drum kit to buy more substances. 

‘All the money I pissed off, that’s a regret,” he said in the documentary. “I sold my original Ludwig kit to buy drugs with it. Relationships I f**ked up … In the back of my mind, I knew I needed to kick heroin. I needed to stop doing cocaine. I had done it all, and I couldn’t go any further.’

Beard eventually became sober after seeking treatment at rehab, during which time the band entered a three year hiatus. 

Beard pictured performing at Stagecoach with the band in 2023

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‘In the late ’70s, I entered rehab. Somebody asked Dusty what he was gonna do. ‘Hey what are y’all gonna do, you know? Frank’s in rehab.’ And Dusty said, ‘Well, I’m goin’ fishing!’”  Beard recalled during an interview with CBS News. 

Gibbons said he never considered replacing Beard with another drummer: ‘There is no other drummer. There’s one guy!’ he said.

Beard is just the latest death the band has had to cope with in recent years. 

In 2021, founding member Dusty Hill passed at age 72. He was replaced by Elwood Francis. 

ZZ Top became popular in the 1970s and did very well in the 1980s. Their signature was very long beards on two of the band members, Hill and Gibbons.

ZZ Top released Tres Hombres in 1973, which reached the No. 8 position on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Their top hits from that were La Grange and Jesus Just Left Chicago.

On their album Eliminator, they had the massive hits Gimme All Your Lovin’ and Sharp Dressed Man as well as Legs.

ZZ Top’s discography spans 15 albums, several of which won awards.

In 2004, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The former Withins pub has been the subject of concerns from people living nearby for some time.

Residents have reported people gaining access to the building and questioning why it has been allowed to remain in a state of disrepair for years.

The derelict site now

Bolton Council owns the freehold of the site but says the building is subject to a long-term lease held by a third party, which is responsible for its security, condition and management.

Residents say windows have been boarded up while an entrance at the side of the building appears to have been secured with a makeshift door.

There are also concerns that young people and homeless people have been entering the premises, prompting fears someone could be seriously injured, as youths climbed the pub roof.

The issue was previously raised by Cllr Sean Fielding, who said the council had found itself paying to secure the property despite believing this should be the responsibility of the leaseholder, in his call for action over the former Withins pub.

He said: “It is not for the council to use taxpayers’ money to secure properties under the responsibility of a third party.

“However, due to the irresponsibility of the leaseholder at The Withins, this is what the council has found itself doing, with the cost of this added to the rent bill.

“Unfortunately, those who are breaking into the site have proven to be very determined too, and security measures installed have rarely been a match for them for any length of time.”

Cllr Fielding also called on residents to report anyone they see breaking into or damaging the property to the police.

He added: “I will continue to work constructively with the council officers to try and bring the site back into productive use, as this is ultimately the best way to stop antisocial behaviour here.”

But residents say concerns remain about the condition of the site.

Katrina Oldham, a Breightmet resident, said she had previously asked about a number of derelict buildings and whether they could be brought back into community use.

She said: “I have asked about several buildings left derelict to be brought back into community use.

“I got a vague list back saying that all the properties asked about have only just come back into the council’s hands.

“The buildings have been derelict for years and could have been being utilised for the community, but they simply refuse to give anything to this community.

“It’s disgusting.”

She also said she had spoken to a woman and her son, who has learning difficulties, after they had collected rubbish from around the site at the weekend.

The rubbish collected

According to Ms Oldham, they were left disappointed when the rubbish was not subsequently removed.

Residents have questioned what is being done to resolve the long-running situation and whether more can be done to prevent people from entering the building.

A make-shift door was spotted at the site

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “While the council owns the freehold on this site, the long-term lease is held by a third party.

“This third party is responsible for the security, condition and ongoing management of the building.

“We are aware of local concerns relating to the building and we have met with the leaseholders to raise these issues.

“In the meantime, the council has used its Building Safety and Building Control powers to ensure the structure does not present an immediate risk to the public.

“The cost of these measures will be recovered from the leaseholder.”

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are understood to have signed contracts to fight on November 20 in New York City, raising concerns that the mega-fight will take place in the middle of the night for British fans.

Fury took to social media on Tuesday morning to tease the announcement, telling his followers that the fight was on the verge of being publicised. He said: ‘Big news being dropped very, very soon. A big fight on the horizon. It’s the one you’ve all been waiting for. It’s about to be announced imminently so stay tuned!’

While those close to the negotiations have told Daily Mail Sport that the blockbuster bout is done, with New York’s Madison Square Garden understood to have been agreed as the venue and Fury himself appearing to confirm the fight, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has insisted there is still work to be done on the deal.

Those familiar with the discussions say Joshua and his promoter Hearn continued to push for the fight to take place in the UK, with Fury also keen on a homecoming event.

However, Hearn – who recently revealed it was written into Joshua’s contract that the fight has to be staged in Britain – has told Daily Mail Sport that no agreement has yet been reached to change those terms.

‘We are in constant communication with Turki and SELA but as of yet there is no agreement to any variation within the contract,’ he said.

It is understood that Anthony Joshua (left) and Tyson Fury (right) have signed contracts to fight on November 20 in New York City  

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The fight is said to be taking in New York and the iconic Madison Square Garden – where Joshua previously suffered his shock defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019

Turki Alalshikh (above), who is helping bankroll the fight, had left the door open to staging the event in Britain, but made it clear that the numbers had to work

Others close to the discussions say Alalshikh’s position was that the fight could be staged in the UK if the financial case stacked up and the figures could be demonstrated.

But with that case ultimately unable to be made, the decision has been taken to move the blockbuster to New York and the iconic Madison Square Garden – the scene of Joshua’s shock defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019.

The fight is expected to take place on a Friday night in an attempt to avoid clashes with major American sporting events and maximise its exposure in the US.

It remains unclear, however, whether the main event will take place at a time convenient for British boxing fans.

And while Hearn’s comments indicate that the contractual position has yet to be formally altered, Daily Mail Sport understands the final pieces are now being put in place for the official announcement, with the relevant parties due to meet in the coming days to organise the launch press conference.

That is expected to take place before the end of August.

Spencer Brown, Fury’s manager, said several weeks ago that the announcement would be made at an iconic British landmark, adding that it would be ‘like no announcement’ fans have ever seen before and claiming they ‘don’t want to miss it’.

Hearn has also previously told Daily Mail Sport that the announcement press conference would take place before the end of the month and would be timed around Joshua’s return from holiday.

Anthony Joshua has his hand raised following victory over Kristian Prenga on July 25

However, result didn’t come without drama as he was knocked down in the first 20 seconds

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The roots of Joshua-Fury go back to the beginning of the 2010s, when both men were establishing themselves as Britain’s leading heavyweight prospects.

Joshua won Olympic gold at London 2012 before turning professional, while Fury had already made his professional debut in 2008 and was building an unbeaten record of his own.

For years, the prospect of the two eventually meeting was one of British boxing’s biggest talking points.

Fury’s victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 transformed him into a world heavyweight champion, while Joshua was rapidly moving towards the same position.

Joshua won the IBF heavyweight title by beating Charles Martin in 2016 and subsequently added the WBA and IBO belts.

By 2017, the possibility of an undisputed Joshua-Fury fight had become a genuine objective rather than simply a dream matchup.

But the negotiations repeatedly failed.

The biggest opportunity came in 2021, when Joshua and Fury appeared to be moving towards a two-fight agreement. A deal was publicly discussed, but the proposed fight ultimately collapsed after Fury became obligated to face Deontay Wilder following an arbitration ruling.

Fury took on Mariusz Wach at the Max Muay Thai Stadium, Pattaya, Thailand on July 24

Fury emerged victorious and had been expected ringside for AJ’s fight with Prenga

Fury subsequently fought Wilder for a third time, while Joshua moved towards his own defining bouts.

Joshua then suffered back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk, losing his WBA, IBF and WBO titles in 2021 before being beaten again in their 2022 rematch.

The sport then appeared to get another opportunity to make Joshua-Fury. In late 2022, negotiations accelerated dramatically, with both camps discussing a proposed fight in December. 

A deal again failed to materialise.

Fury instead moved on to other opponents, while Joshua continued his rebuilding process following the Usyk defeats.

The arrival of Alalshikh and the expansion of major boxing events in Saudi Arabia created a new route to making the fight.

Now, after years of failed negotiations and multiple points at which the fight appeared close before falling apart, the contracts have finally been signed.

Joshua-Fury is no longer a fight being negotiated.

It is happening.

November 20. Madison Square Garden. Or, so they say… 

Joshua signed to face his heavyweight rival on the condition the all-British blockbuster was held in the UK but Netflix want the fight moved to New York

Anthony Joshua is edging closer to agreeing terms to fight Tyson Fury in New York.

Joshua signed to face his heavyweight rival on the condition the all-British blockbuster was held in the UK. The former two-time world champion has admitted his legacy will be affected if the meeting is shipped overseas. But broadcasters Netflix – and the fight’s Saudi Arabian backers – insist the clash must be staged in the Big Apple.

They have pencilled in November 20 at Madison Square Garden despite Joshua’s protestations. His promoter Eddie Hearn has insisted no agreement has been reached to move the venue from London, telling Mirror Fighting: “We are in constant communication with Turki and SELA but as of yet there is no agreement to any variation within the contract.”

But Hearn has admitted a deal could be reached in the coming days. “We don’t want to change the venue or the host country,” he told About Boxing. “But if they’re that desperate, we will find a way to help. It’s been going for a month now and they haven’t changed their mind; there’s not even been a conversation about the UK.

“We are talking through a roadmap of what it might look like to change the deal. “If they do all the things we’ve discussed and agreed in principle, there is a very good chance the fight will take place in America. Its a ballache; it’s an arduous process we’re going through. There is a way that we would be, not happy, but comfortable with doing the fight in America.

“Right now there is absolutely no agreement to change the contract we signed. From our side, no announcement is imminent; everything has to be locked down if they want to do this.” Fury has no concern over the fight’s venue and took to social media to prematurely suggest a deal was done.

“I’ve got some big news going to be dropped very, very soon,” he said. There is a big fight on the horizon, it’s the one you’ve all been waiting for and it’s about to be announced imminently.”

​An updated plan to reinstate Scarborough’s historic Museum Steps and the retaining wall has been approved after more than a year of complaints from local residents who had called on North Yorkshire Council to complete the works.

​The steps provide an important and popular thoroughfare for pedestrians from Scarborough town centre to South Sands/Foreshore Road, connecting Museum Terrace to Spa Bridge and Cliff Bridge Terrace above.

Landing Of The Main Steps, Museum Terrace Steps. SCC Ltd

​The substantive works will involve the insertion of a frame to support the steps after plans were submitted this spring.

​A survey of the steps by Align Property Services in April 2025 found that their overall condition is “very poor, with large gaps between steps – there is visible vertical settlement at the centre point of the steps with some steps showing signs of horizontal displacement and vegetation emerging from gaps in between steps”.

​Following consultation with the council’s conservation officer, the authority said a further inspection would have to be undertaken by a conservation-accredited structural engineer.

Based on advice from a consultant structural engineering company, the scheme was amended to remove the use of a concrete frame and padstone support to bear the load of the main step.

​Instead, a less invasive solution will involve the installation of a steel frame anchored to the side walls.

Museum Terrace Steps. SCC Ltd

​The engineers said that approach would provide a long-term remedial solution that helps retain the existing fabric, causes minimal damage to the stone walls, and would be “relatively straightforward to install”.

​​The steps up to Cliff Bridge Terrace are Grade II Listed and were constructed around 1830.

Scarborough Museum Steps, General Location. Nyc

​At a meeting of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Planning Committee last week, members voted unanimously to approve the application.

A person has posted footage of the fire from Canary Wharf, amid claims on social media that it is at a recycling plant.

They wrote: “Major fire in London. View from Canary Wharf.”

And a person replied: “I think it might be recycle centre, which had a fire incident last month as well. Though not sure about it.”

A further comment read: “Very black smoke. Hope everyone is safe.”

Tioxide Materials Limited has commenced operations at its titanium dioxide (TiO₂) plant in Greatham, Hartlepool, following its acquisition by LB Group earlier this year.

The relaunch brings with it over 100 jobs and marks a significant step in restoring production at the site.

It was previously operated by Venator Materials UK Limited before it closed in late 2025 due to financial difficulties.

Karen Askwith, managing director at Tioxide, said: “Today is a landmark moment for Tioxide and a proud achievement for everyone involved in bringing the Greatham facility back into operation after it was idled in Q4 2025.”

The company plans to ramp up production in phases. (Image: Tioxide)

He added: “Drawing on more than 50 years of manufacturing heritage, the site at Greatham has a proud history of producing high-quality TiO₂ pigments.

“This is an important step forward for our new business, but also for the local economy on Teesside, for the UK chemical sector, and the wider TiO₂ industry.

“The successful commencement showcases the skill, dedication and expertise of our employees, whose commitment has been instrumental in safely commissioning the site and establishing production.”

The site produces a range of pigments used in coatings, plastics and inks. (Image: Tioxide)

Following four months of commissioning, testing and maintenance, the site is now operational with single-stream production underway and Tioxide and Deltio products beginning to return to the market.

The company plans to ramp up production in phases, aiming for full operational capacity by early 2027.

Ms Askwith said: “I’d like to thank everyone on our team for their outstanding efforts.

“I’d also like to acknowledge our suppliers for their support and our customers for their confidence throughout this process.

“With production now underway, our focus turns to delivering our ramp-up programme, stepping the site up to full manufacturing operations – safely and successfully – and ensuring our customers have access to a reliable and sustainable source of TiO₂ pigments for many years to come.”

The site is now operational. (Image: Tioxide)

The Greatham facility has a nameplate capacity of 150,000 tonnes of TiO₂ pigment per year.

Production is supported by a team of scientists at Tioxide’s research and development centre in Wynyard, as well as commercial and business support teams at its Stockton headquarters.

The site produces a range of high-performance pigments under the Tioxide and Deltio brands, used in coatings, plastics and inks.

Pale does not mean feeble. While researching this piece, over lunch at Scott’s Richmond I found an excellent illustration in Yorkshire grouse from H.G. Walter, served with butternut squash purée and sliced cabbage: richly flavoured, yet given lift rather than weight. Chef Tom Fraser had bypassed the usual bread sauce, parfait and game chips. ‘Always seems strange to me eating grouse this time of year with the traditional additions… especially with the heat we’ve had recently,’ he says. ‘Tried to lighten it up a bit.’ With such a dish, reach for a slightly chilled Pinot with tea leaf, earth and woodland notes, rather than sweet fruit or emphatic oak.

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Lindsay Clancy’s former mother-in-law was called to testify by the defense on Tuesday, in the fourth week of her murder trial.

Clancy was “begging for help” in the months leading up to killing her three children and attempting to end her own life, said Susan Clancy, mother of Patrick Clancy. “Lindsay was struggling — we were all concerned.”

Susan Clancy, who like her daughter-in-law was a labor and delivery nurse, told jurors in the Plymouth Superior Court that she and Lindsay were close, calling her a “wonderful mother” who was “very nurturing, very loving.”

Susan Clancy said that Lindsay was transparent about her struggles and would ask for her mother-in-law’s support.

Texts between Lindsay and Susan Clancy in which Lindsay spoke about fears that she had developed a dependence on benzodiazepines, but couldn’t sleep without taking them were shown to the jury.

“I’m not okay and I’m terrified of taking meds tonight,” Lindsay texted her mother-in-law on Nov. 30, 2022, two months before the killings.

Susan Clancy’s testimony echoed emotional accounts the day before from Lindsay’s mother and sister, who recounted for jurors how they saw her become increasingly anxious, paranoid and suicidal starting in the fall of 2022.

The trial centers not on whether Lindsay Clancy killed her children, which her lawyers do not dispute, but on her state of mind at the time. The defense argues she should not be held criminally responsible because she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors say she planned the killings and understood what she was doing.

Lindsay Clancy’s ex-husband found their children after they had been strangled in the family basement in January 2023

Lindsay Clancy also attempted to take her own life that night, and was left paralyzed. Lindsay and Patrick Clancy are now divorced.

If convicted of murder, Lindsay Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty because of a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI) or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you