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 a very successful 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 in the United States. Frampton has also worked with other famous musicians like Ringo Starr, David Bowie, and members of Pearl Jam.
Peter Frampton is famous for his hit songs "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. 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 Musical Beginnings
Peter Kenneth Frampton was born in Beckenham, Kent, England. His parents were Owen and Peggy Frampton. His father was a teacher and head of the Art department at Bromley Technical High School, where Peter also went to 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. Later, he also learned to play the guitar and piano. When he was eight, he started taking classical music lessons.
Frampton was inspired by rock music from the late 1950s and early 1960s. Some of his influences included Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, and later the Ventures, Jimi Hendrix, and the Beatles. His father also introduced him to the music of French gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.
Peter Frampton's Music Career
Starting Out in Bands
By the time he was 12, Peter Frampton was playing in a band called the Little Ravens. He and David Bowie, who was three years older, both went to Bromley Technical School. Peter's father was even Bowie's art teacher. The Little Ravens and Bowie's band, George and the Dragons, sometimes played at the same school events. Peter and David would spend lunch breaks playing Buddy Holly songs together.
At 14, Peter played with a band called the Trubeats. After that, he joined a band called the Preachers, which later became Moon's Train. Bill Wyman from the Rolling Stones produced and managed Moon's Train.
In 1966, Peter became a member of the Herd. He was the lead guitarist and singer for the band. They had several popular songs in Britain. A teen magazine called Rave even named Frampton "The Face of 1968."
In 1969, when he was 18, Frampton joined Steve Marriott from the Small Faces to form the band Humble Pie. While with Humble Pie, Frampton also recorded music with other artists. These included George Harrison and John Entwistle of the Who. In 1970, during a recording session, he learned about the "talk box." This special guitar effect would later become one of his signature sounds.
Becoming a Solo Artist
After making four studio albums and one live album with Humble Pie, Frampton decided to start his solo career in 1971. He continued to work with his manager, Dee Anthony.
Frampton's first solo album was Wind of Change in 1972. It featured guest musicians like Ringo Starr and Billy Preston. He then released Frampton's Camel in 1973 and Somethin's Happening in 1974. Frampton toured a lot to support his solo music. For three years, he was joined by his former Herd bandmate Andy Bown on keyboards.
In 1975, the album Frampton was released. It reached number 32 on the US charts and sold enough copies to be certified Gold.
Peter Frampton's early solo albums did not have much commercial success. 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 featured his use of the talk box guitar effect.
Frampton Comes Alive! was recorded in 1975, mostly at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The album was on the Billboard 200 chart for 97 weeks. It was the top-selling album of 1976. Readers of Rolling Stone magazine later ranked Frampton Comes Alive! as one of the best live albums ever. The success of the album made him a huge star.
Challenges and Comeback
Frampton's next album, I'm in You (1977), also sold well, but it did not reach the same level of success as Frampton Comes Alive!. He also appeared in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) with the Bee Gees. The movie was not well-received.
In 1978, Frampton was in a car accident that caused injuries. This period marked a time when his career was less successful. However, he returned to the studio in late 1978 to record the album Where I Should Be. This album was released in 1979 and quickly became certified gold. The song "I Can't Stand It" was his last hit single.
In 1980, Frampton faced another challenge when his guitars were thought to be destroyed in a plane crash. One of the lost guitars was his black Gibson Les Paul Custom, nicknamed "Phenix." This guitar was pictured on the cover of Frampton Comes Alive! and was very important to him. Many years later, in 2011, the guitar was found and returned to him.
Even though his albums in the 1980s did not sell as well, Frampton continued to record music. He had a brief comeback in 1986 with his album Premonition. The song "Lying" from that album became a hit on the rock charts.
Most notably, Frampton reunited with his old friend David Bowie. Frampton played on Bowie's 1987 album Never Let Me Down and joined him on the Glass Spider Tour. Frampton later said that this tour helped to restart his career.
In the late 1990s, Frampton appeared in commercials for a guitar learning software. He said it was a great way to learn guitar. In 1995, he released Frampton Comes Alive! II, which featured live versions of songs from his later albums. After this, he 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.
Recent Years and Farewell Tours
Frampton released his 14th studio album, Thank You Mr. Churchill, in 2010. In 2011, he went on a special tour called "The Frampton Comes Alive 35th Anniversary Tour." During this tour, he played the entire Frampton Comes Alive! album, song by song, just like the original concerts.
In 2013, Frampton toured North America with "Frampton's Guitar Circus." This tour featured many guest guitarists like B.B. King and Don Felder. In 2014, he released a new album called Hummingbird in a Box. In 2016, Frampton was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
In 2019, Frampton announced his 'Peter Frampton Finale—The Farewell Tour'. He shared that he had been diagnosed with inclusion body myositis (IBM). This is a progressive muscle disorder that causes muscle weakness. A dollar from every ticket sold for the tour was donated to his myositis research fund.
In June 2019, Frampton's album All Blues reached number one on the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart. In 2022, Frampton continued his farewell tour in the UK and Europe. He explained that he would be seated on stage because standing had become difficult. He also mentioned that the disease was starting to affect his hands, but he could still play well.
In 2023, Frampton began the Never Say Never tour. He noted that he did not expect to be able to play again due to his condition. However, his fingers worked better than he thought, which encouraged him to keep performing. In 2024, Frampton contributed guitar to 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 inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by his friend Roger Daltrey. Frampton performed at the ceremony with Keith Urban.
Media Appearances
Peter Frampton has appeared in several films and television shows.
- In 1974, he was a guitarist in the film The Son of Dracula.
- In 1978, he played Peter Buckley in an episode of the World War II TV series Baa Baa Black Sheep.
- Also in 1978, Frampton played Billy Shears in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
- In 1996, Frampton appeared in The Simpsons episode "Homerpalooza", where he played "Do You Feel Like We Do". He also appeared in the Family Guy episode "Death Lives".
- In 2000, Frampton was a technical advisor for the film Almost Famous. He wrote some songs for the fictional band "Stillwater" and taught the actor Billy Crudup how to play guitar. He also had a small role in the film as "Reg," a road manager for Humble Pie.
- In 2006, Frampton appeared on The Colbert Report in a fun guitar duel.
- In 2010, he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show as one of her favorite musicians.
- In 2016, Frampton was interviewed and performed on the Howard Stern Show. He also performed a NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert.
- In 2019, Frampton appeared as himself on Madam Secretary, performing "Baby I Love Your Way" and other songs.
- In January 2024, Frampton played guitar on stage with Sheryl Crow for her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
- On January 31, 2024, Frampton and his son Julian appeared on the game show We Are Family.
Personal Life
Family and Relationships
Peter Frampton has been married three times and has three children.
- His first marriage was to Mary Lovett, from 1972 to 1976.
- From 1983 to 1993, Frampton was married to Barbara Gold. They had two children, Jade and Julian. Julian helped write and sang on his father's song "Road to the Sun."
- His third marriage was to Tina Elfers in 1996. They had a daughter, actress Mia Frampton. Frampton filed for divorce from Elfers in 2011.
Other Details
In June 1978, Frampton was in a car accident in the Bahamas. He suffered broken bones and other injuries. Frampton has lived in London and various places in the U.S., including Los Angeles and Nashville, Tennessee. He moved to Indian Hill, Ohio, in 2000, and then back to Nashville in 2014.
Frampton became an American citizen after the September 11 attacks. He said he wanted to be able to vote in U.S. elections. In 2020, Frampton published his memoir (autobiography) called Do You Feel Like I Do?.
Health
Peter Frampton is a vegetarian. He has been living with a muscle-wasting disease called IBM since 2019. Despite this, he continues to perform. He has said that while his fingers do not work as well as they used to, they work better than he expected. He believes this is a good reason to keep doing what he loves on stage.
Frampton has shared that he has learned to accept things he cannot change. He says his condition is not life-threatening, but it is life-changing, and he is "going with the flow."
Equipment
On the cover of his famous live album Frampton Comes Alive!, Peter Frampton is playing a special black 1954 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar. This guitar was a gift from his friend, Marc Mariana. In 1980, the guitar was thought to be destroyed in a plane crash. However, it survived and was returned to Frampton in 2011 after many years. He still plays this guitar, which he calls "Phenix."
Frampton is well-known for making the talk box famous. This device sends the guitar's sound through a plastic tube that goes into a microphone. This creates a unique effect where the guitar sounds like it is "talking" or singing words. Frampton even sells his own line of custom "Frampton" products, including his talk box.
In 1987, Frampton used two special Pensa-Suhr Strat-type guitars. He also used a Coral electric sitar, which was once owned by Jimi Hendrix, on David Bowie's 1987 album Never Let Me Down.
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
