Iconic Musician & 2024 Rock Hall Inductee Kicking Off Current Tour In North Charleston

Jeff Walker,  Entertainment Writer

Although not his first album, musician, songwriter, and singer Peter Frampton's breakthrough 1976 solo release 'Frampton Comes Alive!' propelled Frampton into the musical stratosphere, spending 97 weeks on the Billboard Album Charts (including 10 at #1), becoming one of the best selling live albums of all time. Three of singles from the live album 'Show Me the Way', 'Baby, I Love Your Way', and 'Do You Feel Like We Do' have become classic rock radio staples. 

50 years later Frampton has become an icon and has recorded or shared the stage with some of the who's who of rock n' roll including Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr, John Entwistle, and childhood friend David Bowie, as well as fellow guitar greats Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Satriani, Robert Cray, and blues legend B.B. King.

Despite a career that has had its share of ups and downs over the past five decades including a 2019 diagnosis of IBM aka inclusion body myositis (a progressive muscle disorder characterized by muscle inflammation, weakness, & atrophy), Frampton remains upbeat. "I guess you could say, I'm rolling with punches."

Four years ago he imagined the diagnosis would have sidelined the now 74 year old entertainer, even planning his retirement. However, treatment and self determination brought him back in 2022, eventually going out on an appropriately titled 2023 tour called 'Never Say Never'.

His 2024 outing 'The Positively Thankful Tour' which brings him to Charleston is even more fitting. "I love Charleston. I have friends there. The city is amazing. I've performed there several times over the years and have been welcomed overwhelmingly by the fans. We're actually kicking the tour off in Charleston."

Given his diagnosis he has changed things up a little. "I'm doing shorter tours. Maybe go out for two or three weeks at a time. But I enjoy it so much." Given his health concerns Frampton is ever mindful of what's going on around him. "Absolutely. I have a great support team with the crew and my band. They help me if I need it."

He explains further. "Obviously the muscle disease has progressed, oftentimes making it harder to walk for long periods of time, and of course play guitar like I would love to play." But he stays focused. "I work it out in my own way. Some days, some fingers are not working better than others, so I'm constantly changing the way I play. Thankfully fans in the audience don't notice, so I just play on." He adds, "I was put on this planet to do what I do, so that is what I do."

While he was mulling over retirement in 2020 Frampton released 'Do You Feel Like I Do?: A Memoir'. The autobiographical ode to his 1973 mega-hit takes fans and curious readers on a journey that began during post World War II (1950) England right up through the time he announced he had IBM, with the book ending on his farewell tour cut short by COVID 19. 

"I'm very proud of the book, but quite honestly it was one of the hardest things for me to do. I can write music and lyrics, and even though I had a co-writer (Alan Light) my life's story was still challenging. And I'm such a perfectionist, I could have been editing the book today. There's a few things I would have added, but you don't think about everything when you're looking back on that many years in the music business. Still it's been well received, so I'm happy about that."

The tale of Frampton’s '57 Les Paul custom guitar a modified a three pickup 1954 'Black Beauty' permeates throughout the book. The famed axe he received in 1970, and believed was gone forever in a 1980 plane crash that destroyed several of Peter’s collection, rose from the ashes. The very guitar that appears on the cover of ‘Frampton Comes Alive’, and became his go to instrument, found its way back to him after 31 long years, with Peter dubbing his lost love ‘Phenix’.

"That story is unbelievable. I'm amazed and thankful at the same time. I can remember everything about the day it was returned to me. Where I was and what I was thinking. It had been over three decades. Even though it was in a weird case, the moment they handed it to me I knew it was my guitar. The feel and the weight of it made me certain it was my guitar."

While there has been more highlights than downturns in his long career which began in British bands The Herd and Humble Pie in the 1960's, Frampton is just happy to be able to perform and hold on to a lifetime of cherished memories. "No doubt I have been blessed, and I hope by playing live I can share those blessings with fans who have followed me throughout my career."

One of his more recent highlights came just last year. Frampton is the only artist to be featured twice on Dolly Parton's 2023 album 'Rockstar', a collaborative project from the Queen of country music featuring variety of rock musicians, covering several classic rock songs, all the while marking Parton's first full album-length foray into the genre.

"I had heard she was recording this project and thought it would be cool to have any part of it. So I got a hold of the producer and told him straight up I'd just love to play on it. Maybe do a guitar solo. He said, ‘Is that all you want to do, a guitar solo?’ I figured they had most it, if not all of the duets done, so I was just hopeful to take any part."

Frampton adds, "He comes back and says 'how would you like to perform one of your songs with Dolly?'. It took me all of two seconds to say yes. They got back to me in quick fashion and said Dolly would love to do 'Baby, I Love Your Way'. I was blown away. We're talking Dolly Parton. She's the embodiment of a legend."

Sensing he had his foot in the door Frampton opted for more. With an acoustic solo under his belt he asked about adding an electric solo on a track. That's when he found out Parton was covering The Beatles song 'Let It Be', and had managed to get Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to sing and play drums on their cover.

"For a musician it doesn't get much better than this. Working with Dolly was amazing, and now I'm on an iconic song with two of The Beatles. There are no words to describe how awesome the whole experience was." As if that weren’t enough validation for Frampton's value to 'Rockstar', Mick Fleetwood is also on the track, playing tambourine. "So many legends."

Born in England in 1950, Frampton resided in Los Angeles during his heyday, lived in Cincinnati, Ohio during the early 2000's and now hangs his hat in Nashville, Tennessee where's he been since 2014. "I spent four years here prior, so I have a total of 14 years in Nashville."

Frampton makes no bones about why he enjoys living in the country music capital. "I absolutely love Nashville. The city and the surrounding area. It has so much to offer. It's sort of like New York and LA but more welcoming, and easier to navigate. It truly is the 'music city' of the country."

He breaks it down this way. "Everything you could possibly need you can find in Nashville. Writers, musicians, producers, studios, it's all here. There's literally a 1000 people you can call. If I need a session player at five o'clock in the afternoon or at 2am, I can just pick up the phone." He adds, "Nashville is vibrant almost around the clock, and I feel at home here."

With kids and grandkids (some living nearby in Nashville) to further fill his days, Frampton admits all is good with him. "I'm at a good place in my life. I'm still able to perform. I love being out on tour even if it's shorter runs. I have my family and loyal bandmates to surround me. What more could I ask for."

Perhaps the culmination of a well received career. Although he's been eligible for more than 20 years Peter Frampton made the cut and will be inducted into the prestigious Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio this year. The live-streamed event takes place Oct 19th. "I'm a little surprised I didn't make it sooner. It's out of our control. But it's nice that it's happening while I'm still around to enjoy it." 

Aside from triple threat from his live album, some of Frampton's most cherished catalog of hits include 'Signed Sealed Delivered', 'I'm In You', Something's Happening', 'I Can't Stand It No More', and 'Thirty Days in the Hole (The Herd).

'The Positively Thankful Tour' kicks off at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center at 8pm on Sunday September 8th. For more on the show visit https://www.northcharlestoncoliseumpac.com/events/detail/peter-frampton  For more dates that appears to be charting an east coast swing visit https://www.frampton.com/