Of course, Saturday’s (October 19) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2024 induction ceremony in Cleveland means a lot to everyone involved. But you could argue that Peter Frampton is one of, if not the, happiest guy in Rockets Mortgage Arena.
Long considered one of the Rock Hall’s most neglected figures, Frampton’s arrival is particularly poignant given his nearly decade-long battle with inclusion body myositis (IBM). The degenerative disease was thought to be leading to his retirement shortly after he revealed it six years ago and embarked on what was supposed to be a farewell tour. Yet he still played — including at the induction ceremony, where he was joined by his band and guest Keith Urban — and had a smile on his face after performing on stage at Rocket Mortgage Field in Cleveland.
“It’s fantastic,” Frampton told advertising billboard. “It went better than I thought it would, which is awesome.” However, he did note, “In the middle of the speech, when I looked down at my family…that’s when I needed to drink some water. It can be tear-jerking. It’s so exciting to have everyone here. All my kids never get to do a show together, there’s always one here, one there, or whatever.
Like the other inductees, Frampton originally planned to perform a shortened version of his iconic hit “Do You Feel Like We Do,” which featured a Talk Box solo, in His concert period can be extended to 20 minutes. “That’s what everybody wanted to hear,” Frampton points out, “so we took it out, which also included the improvisation with Keith. But then[the show’s producers]said, ‘All we’re doing to you is It’s very sad to get a number. ” I said, “Well, I have the same amount of time as everyone else. “They said, OK, can you do another two minutes?” something happenedis 60 years old this year.
“Obviously, my biggest concern is the actual playing part, because I’m a silly perfectionist and I worry about every little detail… It has to be great. That’s what makes me nervous,” Frampton said. explained. “Or excited. Keith said, ‘Don’t say nervous. Say excited.’
Urban, for his part, was excited to jam with Frampton on “Do You Feel Like We Do,” even in a brief way. “When he called me and asked me if I would play this song of all songs, I was excited to do it,” Urban said, filling in for Bryan Adams at the 2021 Cleveland Rock Hall induction ceremony. advertising billboard After the show. “It’s great to play with Peter. He has such a command of sensitivity, drive and intention. He makes it look easy but it’s hard to actually do what he does. He’s like a black diamond The (cross-country) skier makes it look like a green. It’s crazy.
Peter Frampton performs on stage during the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Rocket Mortgage Field on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Frampton and Urban talked about their history in Nashville, having met in the 1990s when they both moved to Nashville and before Urban’s career took off. “I was living in a really bad, crappy house in a pretty shady part of town,” Urban recalled, “and my manager called and said, ‘Hey, you want to talk to Peter Frampton Writing together? I thought, ‘Oh my God, yeah! Where are we going to write?’ He said, ‘He’s going to come to your house. “I said, ‘No, no, no. He’s not coming to my house. But sure enough he came to my place and we spent the whole day playing music and writing. However, nothing came of the meeting. ‘Musically speaking, It was one of those weird, mismatched moments. I wasn’t in the best mood right now – but I’m glad we made a good, solid friendship out of it.
Another friend who was there on Saturday was the Who’s Roger Daltrey, who gave the induction speech for Frampton, who was opening for the Who on their first tour with The Herd. Daltrey also sparked a humorous revelry in the press room after the induction ceremony, joking that the original tour was “the pinnacle of your (Frampton’s) decline”. No wonder you joined [Humble Pie]because you need to be there. Whose world will you forever be trapped in—if you will ever be trapped in whose world.
Daltrey also gushed about hearing Frampton and Urban play together during the ceremony.
“It’s great to hear a real guitar sound instead of all the fuzz boxes they put out these days…” Daltrey noted. “This is not rock ‘n’ roll. This is not music… It was great to hear Peter’s guitar, Keith’s work with the band, and the sensitivity of (Frampton’s) voice… Your secret is everything you do From the bottom of my heart, and always, and always affected me…I mean it! I’m not blowing smoke on your ass, or on the way down. That’s exactly what I mean. .
After the ceremony, Frampton attended a party with family and friends at the Four Seasons Hotel. He recently returned from a brief late-summer concert tour and said he hopes to go out again next year. In the meantime, he’s hard at work on an album of new songs and a documentary directed by keyboardist Rob Arthur.
