Passionate songwriter, exceptional guitarist, and cultural touchstone, Peter Frampton is one of few musicians who can evoke an image of rock & roll stardom with three simple words, “Frampton Comes Alive!”
While growing up in England, Frampton learned the music of American rockers like Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent, and at the age of 16 he joined the band the Herd as their lead guitarist and singer, showing his impressive musical skills while gaining notoriety for his good looks. Two years later, in 1969, Steve Marriott recruited Frampton to join the supergroup Humble Pie, in which he experimented with a blistering mix of blues and jazz guitar styles, achieving massive success in the U.K.
Frampton left Humble Pie in 1971, ready to find his own musical path. His solo debut Wind of Change featured an impressive list of collaborators, including Ringo Starr and Billy Preston. In 1976, he recorded one of the greatest live albums of all time, Frampton Comes Alive! On this seminal album, Frampton is in dialogue with his audience, calling to them, taking them on an emotional ride with his pioneering guitar solos – highlighted by his masterful use of the talk box to create a human/guitar hybrid sound – and making everyone feel part of the musical experience. Hook-filled songs like “Show Me the Way,” “Baby, I Love Your Way,” and “Do You Feel Like We Do” were showcased on the album, becoming enduring rock anthems and reaching the Top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Frampton continues to write and perform, and he has collaborated with rock & roll’s elite, including George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, John Entwistle, Donovan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr, David Bowie, and Dolly Parton. Since publicly sharing his diagnosis of inclusion body myositis in 2019, he has been recognized as a symbol of hope and raising awareness about the degenerative muscle disease. Today, Frampton continues to find new audiences who embrace him and the spell his music has cast over all of us since the 1970s.
“From the Underworld” (with The Herd) (1967) • “I Don’t Need No Doctor,” Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore (with Humble Pie) (1971) • “Wind of Change,” “Alright,” Wind of Change (1971) • “Lines on My Face,” Frampton’s Camel (1973) • “Show Me the Way,” Frampton (1975) • Frampton Comes Alive! (1976) • I’m in You (1977) • “I Can’t Stand It No More,” Where I Should Be (1979) • “Lying,” Premonition (1986) • “Blowin’ Smoke,” Fingerprints (2006) • “Vaudeville Nana and the Banjoele” (2010) • “The Thrill Is Gone,” All Blues (2019)