• Apr. 22, 1950
• Before going solo, he was in the bands The Herd, Humble Pie, and Frampton's Camel.
• His concerts sold well, but his albums did not. He took advantage of this in 1976 by releasing a live album, Frampton Comes Alive.
• Frampton Comes Alive, recorded at Winterland in San Francisco and released in 1976, claimed the title of best-selling live album of all time when it was certified for 6 million copies in 1984. Eric Clapton bested it when his album Unplugged notched 10 million in 1996, and Garth Brooks blew past those totals with Double Live, which was certified for 20 million in 2020.
• Frampton played Billy Shears in the 1978 movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It's considered one of the worst movie musicals ever, despite appearances by The Bee Gees, Aerosmith, Earth, Wind & Fire and Billy Preston.
• Frampton was an advisor on the 2000 movie Almost Famous. He had a cameo as the tour manager for Humble Pie, his actual former group.
• He was in a group called The Preachers when he was 15. Bill Wyman from the Rolling Stones was their manager.
• He's played guitar on albums for George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and David Bowie.
• He appears in cartoon form in the 1996 "Homerpalooza" episode of The Simpsons, where he gets hot and bothered after Homer sets loose his inflatable big, bought at Pink Floyd's yard sale.
• Peter's dad was Owen Frampton, who taught David Bowie at a technical arts school in the '60s. Peter followed him in school a few years later, and ended up playing guitar on Bowie's 1987 Glass Spider tour.
  
  "I made it before Bowie," Frampton told Uncut magazine. "In fact, the story goes that he was watching Top of the Pops one day, he hadn't yet had a hit himself. The Herd come on Top of the Pops. He looked at the screen and went, 'Oh my, that's Peter! Why isn't he at school?'"
• Peter Frampton announced on February 22, 2019 that's he's been diagnosed with inclusion body myositis (IBM), a a rare and incurable inflammatory condition which causes muscles to weaken slowly. He keeps performing but in 2022 has to begin doing so while seated.
• In 1978, Peter Frampton had a life-altering car accident in Nassau, Bahamas, crashing into the wall of the James Bond house famously featured in the shark pool scenes of Thunderball. The crash was so severe that doctors initially feared they might have to amputate his right arm - a devastating prospect for the legendary guitarist. Frampton suffered multiple fractures across his body and endured a harrowing recovery. Reflecting on the incident, he described it as a "sobering moment" that ultimately marked a turning point in his life, leading to his eventual sobriety and a revaluation of his career and personal priorities.
• Frampton was 74 when he was finally inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2024, 26 years after he first became eligible. He was inducted by Roger Daltrey of The Who, who said, "This guy's voice takes his music to another level. He's got a sensitivity that matches his guitar playing. It all comes from his heart and it's played with a smile on his face."
• Some of his most famous songs, including "Show Me The Way," were inspired by his girlfriend, Penny McCall. When they met in 1972, both were married, but that didn't stop them from moving in together a year later. Frampton's divorce wasn't finalized until 1976, so he didn't talk much about McCall in the press, although he did include a song about her called "Penny For Your Thoughts" on his 1975 album Frampton.

Comments: 10

• Shell from MarylandI saw Peter in West Palm Beach FL in the 70's. To this day still one of the best concerts ever.
• Jordan from Brooklyn, NyMy favorite song by him is "Show Me The Way" from the album Frampton Comes Alive. It just makes me giddy and lightheaded. Probably the best love song ever!!!
• Katie from Melbourne, AustraliaI'm a Frampton fan, I find him a fantastic -but kinda underrated- musician, though he seemed very popular in the '70s.
  I love his stuff, even the songs that arn't featured on 'Frampton Comes Alive!'. Though it's still one of my all-time favourite albums!
• Max from Boston, Manow, correct me if i'm wrong, but im pretty sure that if you release the best selling live album in history you career isn't ruined
• Larry from Texas City, VaIn the early 70's Frampton was considered one of the worlds leading rock guitarists, often called the "Prince of Guitar".
• Sdfsdf from U.s., Ilthat didn't ruin his career, i think that's the highest selling live album of all time
• Jes from Canal Fulton, OhFrampton Comes Alive ruined his career everytime he wanted to play something new everybody would want to hear songs from Frampton Comes Alive
• Don from Pittsburgh, PaTwo of the best rock/blues live recordings ever released, Peter Frampton was an integral part of both. "Frampton comes Alive" and "Humble Pie--Rockin' the Fillmore."
• Ryan from Edmonton, CanadaPeter also appeared on Family Guy, when Peter gets hit by lightning
  
  he sings Baby, I love your way
• David from Antioch, CaTotally underated as a guitar player he is considered to much as a pop artist instead of a rock and roll artist. Love you Peter and so does your family of friends. Saw Peter with Styx in Concord California blew me away how good he really is.

More Songfacts:

I SwearAll-4-One

"I Swear" was a #1 country hit for John Michael Montgomery before All-4-One made it a #1 pop hit.

I Won't Back DownTom Petty

"I Won't Back Down" is a very personal song for Tom Petty. "I thought it wasn't that good because it was so naked," he said.

MargaritavilleJimmy Buffett

"Margaritaville" is a state of mind, but it's most associated with Key West, Florida, where Jimmy Buffett moved when he was 24.

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On MeElton John

Recording "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me," Elton John was frustrated and sang the line "don't discard me" with an exaggerated American accent, which is why is sounds strange.

Cult of PersonalityLiving Colour

"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour incorporates speeches by John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Street HassleLou Reed

Lou Reed's 11-minute "Street Hassle" features a spoken part by Bruce Springsteen.

Editor's Picks

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Art Alexakis of EverclearSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.