Peter Frampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Frampton
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Frampton performing in 2024
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Peter Kenneth Frampton |
| Born | 22 April 1950 Beckenham, Kent, England |
| Genres | Rock |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1966–present |
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Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is a famous English-American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He became well-known as a member of the rock bands the Herd and Humble Pie. Later, Peter Frampton became very successful as a solo artist.
He has released many albums, including his huge hit live album, Frampton Comes Alive! (1976). This album had several popular songs and sold millions of copies. Peter Frampton has also worked with other famous musicians like Ringo Starr, David Bowie, and members of Pearl Jam.
Frampton is known for his signature songs like "Show Me the Way", "Baby, I Love Your Way", and "Do You Feel Like We Do". These songs are still played often on classic rock radio stations. He has also appeared on TV shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy. In 2024, Peter Frampton was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Discovering Music
Peter Kenneth Frampton was born in Beckenham, Kent, England. His father was a teacher and head of the Art department at Bromley Technical High School. Peter first became interested in music when he was seven years old.
He found his grandmother's banjolele (a small banjo-like instrument) in the attic. He taught himself to play it, and later learned guitar and piano. When he was eight, he started taking classical music lessons. His early music heroes included Cliff Richard & the Shadows, Buddy Holly, and the Beatles.
First Bands and Fame
By age 12, Frampton played in a band called the Little Ravens. He and David Bowie, who was a few years older, went to the same school. Peter and David would play Buddy Holly songs together during lunch breaks.
At 14, Peter played with bands called the Trubeats and then the Preachers. The Preachers were managed by Bill Wyman from the Rolling Stones. Peter's parents were worried about him playing late-night shows while still in school. After a meeting, they allowed him to join the band.
He became a successful child singer. In 1966, he joined the Herd as their lead guitarist and singer. They had several pop hits in Britain. A teen magazine even called Frampton "The Face of 1968." In 1969, when he was 18, he joined Steve Marriott to form the band Humble Pie.
While with Humble Pie, Frampton also played on recordings for other artists. These included George Harrison and Harry Nilsson. He was introduced to the "talk box" guitar effect, which later became one of his famous sounds.
Solo Career Highlights
Becoming a Solo Artist
After making four studio albums and one live album with Humble Pie, Frampton decided to go solo in 1971. His first solo album was Wind of Change in 1972. It featured guest artists like Ringo Starr and Billy Preston.
He followed this with Frampton's Camel in 1973 and Somethin's Happening in 1974. Frampton toured a lot to support his solo music. In 1975, he released the album Frampton, which became a "Gold" record in the US.
Frampton Comes Alive! Success
Peter Frampton's early albums didn't sell very well. But everything changed with his live album, Frampton Comes Alive!, released in 1976. This album became a massive hit! Songs like "Baby, I Love Your Way", "Show Me the Way", and "Do You Feel Like We Do" became popular singles. The last two songs famously used his talk box guitar effect.
The album was recorded in 1975, mostly in San Francisco. Frampton Comes Alive! was the top-selling album of 1976. It stayed on the Billboard charts for 97 weeks, with 10 weeks at number one. Rolling Stone magazine readers later voted it the third favorite live album of all time. Frampton said he regretted the album cover photo, as it made him seem more like a teen idol than a serious artist.
In 1979, Peter Frampton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This honored his important contributions to music.
Challenges and Comebacks
Frampton's next album, I'm in You (1977), also sold well, but not as much as Frampton Comes Alive!. He also starred in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) with the Bee Gees, which was not very successful.
In 1978, Frampton was in a serious car accident in the Bahamas. This accident affected his career for a while. He returned in 1979 with the album Where I Should Be. In 1980, he faced another setback when his guitars were thought to be destroyed in a plane crash. This included his famous black Gibson Les Paul guitar, called "Phenix," which was on the cover of Frampton Comes Alive!. Luckily, the guitar was found and returned to him in 2011.
Even though his albums didn't always have huge commercial success, Frampton kept recording music. In 1986, he had a small comeback with his album Premonition. He also joined his old friend David Bowie on his 1987 Glass Spider Tour. Frampton later said this tour helped restart his career.
In 1991, Frampton briefly rejoined his old Humble Pie bandmate, Steve Marriott, for some shows. They even recorded some new music together. Sadly, Marriott died in a house fire shortly after. Frampton was very sad and took a break from touring.
Later Career and Health
Touring and New Music
In 1994, Frampton released an album called Peter Frampton. In 1995, he released Frampton Comes Alive! II, which featured live versions of his newer songs. He also toured with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings and Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band.
In 2003, Frampton released the album Now and toured with the band Styx. In 2006, he released an instrumental album called Fingerprints. This album won a Grammy Award in 2007 for Best Pop Instrumental Album.
In 2010, Frampton released his 14th studio album, Thank You Mr. Churchill. He also toured North America with the band Yes. In 2011, he went on a special "Frampton Comes Alive 35th Anniversary Tour." He played the entire Frampton Comes Alive! album, song by song, at each concert.
In 2013, Frampton started the "Frampton's Guitar Circus" tour. This tour featured many guest guitarists like B.B. King and Robert Cray. In 2014, he released a new album called Hummingbird in a Box. In 2016, Frampton was added to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
Farewell Tours and Health News
On 22 February 2019, Peter Frampton announced his 'Peter Frampton Finale—The Farewell Tour'. He shared that he was retiring from touring because he was diagnosed with inclusion body myositis (IBM). This is a muscle disorder that causes muscle weakness. A dollar from every ticket sold for the tour went to his myositis research fund.
In June 2019, his album All Blues reached number one on the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart. His farewell UK and European tour dates in 2020 were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2022, Frampton resumed his farewell tour. He announced that he would be seated on stage during these shows because standing had become dangerous for him. He also shared that the disease was starting to affect his hands, but he could still play well.
On 6 August 2022, Frampton performed for one night at a Buddy Holly celebration. He sat down on stage for the first time, which he found comfortable. As of 2023, Frampton started the Never Say Never tour. He said he didn't expect to play again, but his fingers worked better than he thought. This gave him a reason to keep doing what he loves.
In 2024, Frampton played guitar on a re-release of Mark Knopfler's song "Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero" to help the Teenage Cancer Trust. On 19 October 2024, Peter Frampton was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by his friend Roger Daltrey.
Peter Frampton in Media
Peter Frampton has appeared in several films and TV shows. In 1974, he was in the film The Son of Dracula as a guitarist. In 1978, he played a character named Peter Buckley in a World War II TV series called Baa Baa Black Sheep.
He also played Billy Shears in the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This movie was inspired by the Beatles' album.
In 1996, Frampton appeared as himself in an episode of The Simpsons called "Homerpalooza". He also made a TV appearance in the Family Guy episode "Death Lives".
In 2000, Frampton worked as a music advisor for the film Almost Famous. He wrote some songs for the fictional band "Stillwater" in the movie. He also taught the actor, Billy Crudup, how to play guitar for his role. Frampton even had a small role in the film as "Reg," a road manager for his real-life former band, Humble Pie.
He appeared on The Colbert Report in 2006 for a fun "guitar battle." In 2010, he was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show as one of her favorite musicians. In 2011, Frampton was honored at Music City's Walk of Fame Park in Nashville, Tennessee. He also performed a NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert in 2016.
In 2019, Frampton appeared as himself on the TV show Madam Secretary, performing his song "Baby I Love Your Way." In 2024, Peter Frampton and his son Julian appeared on the game show We Are Family.
Personal Life Facts
Peter Frampton has been married three times and has three children. His first marriage was to Mary Lovett from 1972 to 1976. He was married to Barbara Gold from 1983 to 1993, and they had two children, Jade and Julian. His son Julian co-wrote and sang on one of Frampton's songs.
His third marriage was to Tina Elfers from 1996 to 2011. They had a daughter, actress Mia Frampton, and a stepdaughter.
Frampton has lived in London and various places in the U.S., including Los Angeles and Nashville. He moved to Indian Hill, Ohio, in 2000 to be closer to his ex-wife's family. In 2014, he moved back to Nashville.
After the September 11 attacks, Frampton decided to become an American citizen so he could vote in U.S. elections. Peter Frampton is a vegetarian. In 2020, he published his memoir (autobiography) called Do You Feel Like I Do?. In 2022, a company called BMG bought the rights to Frampton's music catalog.
His Music Gear
Peter Frampton is well-known for using a special guitar effect called the talk box. This device sends the guitar's sound through a plastic tube. The tube is attached to a microphone, and when Frampton moves his mouth, it makes the guitar sound like it's "talking" or singing words. He used this effect famously on "Do You Feel Like We Do?" Frampton now sells his own line of custom "Frampton" products, including his talk box.
On the cover of his famous Frampton Comes Alive! album, he is playing a special 1954 Gibson Les Paul guitar. This guitar was a gift from a friend and he named it "Phenix." He still plays this guitar today. He lost this guitar in a cargo plane crash, but it was returned to him 30 years later.
Discography
- Wind of Change (1972)
- Frampton's Camel (1973)
- Somethin's Happening (1974)
- Frampton (1975)
- Frampton Comes Alive! (1976)
- I'm in You (1977)
- Where I Should Be (1979)
- Breaking All the Rules (1981)
- The Art of Control (1982)
- Premonition (1986)
- When All the Pieces Fit (1989)
- Peter Frampton (1994)
- Frampton Comes Alive! II (1995)
- Now (2003)
- Fingerprints (2006)
- Thank You Mr. Churchill (2010)
- Hummingbird in a Box (2014)
- Acoustic Classics (2016)
- All Blues (2019)
- Frampton Forgets the Words (Instrumental cover tracks) (2021)
See also
In Spanish: Peter Frampton para niños
