{"id":411333,"date":"2026-05-04T13:34:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T13:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/411333\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T13:34:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T13:34:10","slug":"peter-frampton-recalls-the-moment-he-knew-something-was-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/411333\/","title":{"rendered":"Peter Frampton recalls the moment he knew something was wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"

Peter Frampton\u2019s career has produced only one Grammy for the classic-rock guitarist. It\u2019s not for Frampton Comes Alive!<\/a>, the 1976 smash hit that made him a global superstar, but for Fingerprints, his 2007 instrumental album.<\/p>\n

Now, as the 76-year-old guitarist prepares to release his new album, Carry the Light, on May 15, he\u2019s measuring success on his own scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my mind, I\u2019m more successful than I\u2019ve ever been \u2014 because I like myself, I like what I do,\u201d Frampton tells The New York Times<\/a> in a new interview. \u201cI\u2019ve always been someone who didn\u2019t think I was good enough, but I\u2019ve reached the point where I don\u2019t care what anybody else thinks. I should have felt that way a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Peter\n<\/p>\n

Frampton and his son Julian perform at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles during his 35th Anniversary tour, July 20, 2011. The two became closer starting around 2009. (Image credit: Richard E. Aaron\/Redferns)<\/p>\n

Frampton\u2019s regret is poignant. In recent interviews he\u2019s said the success of Frampton Comes Alive! overwhelmed him \u2014 and that its hastily recorded follow-up, I’m in You (1977), was a mistake. Suddenly he was everywhere \u2014 on the radio, TV and posters on fans\u2019 walls, with his famed Fenix<\/a> Les Paul electric guitar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In my mind, I\u2019m more successful than I\u2019ve ever been \u2014 because I like myself, I like what I do,\u201d <\/p>\n

\u2014 Peter Frampton<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pressure was so great<\/a>,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was absolutely no need to do I\u2019m in You then and there. The biggest mistake was just not shutting down at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n

His career slowed afterward as musical tastes shifted. Years later, speaking at The Art of Music <\/a>event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City last year, Frampton said it was then that he began planning for the next phase of his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when I sort of stopped working and basically just started writing on my own and getting ready for something that was to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n

His evolution since then has resulted in what may be his most personal \u2014 and political \u2014 record. Carry the Light finds the guitarist reflecting on life, family and the current political climate, with assistance from friends that include Graham Nash, Sheryl Crow and Tom Morello.<\/p>\n

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\"Peter\n<\/p>\n

Onstage circa 1977, when he achieved global fame following the success of his live album Frampton Comes Alive! (Image credit: Images Press\/IMAGES\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The album developed over the past three years, as he and his son, Julian, reconnected following the COVID-19 pandemic. Just before then, Frampton became a grandfather for the first time.<\/p>\n

But the joy of that milestone was tempered by the effects of Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM), a progressive muscle-wasting disease that weakens the arms and legs. Frampton learned he had IBM around 2014 after suffering several falls at home and onstage, but he didn\u2019t publicly reveal<\/a> the diagnosis until 2019.<\/p>\n

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Julian said, \u2018Let\u2019s run up this hill.\u2019 Normally I would beat him, and I didn\u2019t.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u2014 Peter Frampton<\/p>\n

He recalls the first time he sensed something might be wrong. It was 2009, when he was 59. He and Julian were on a rare road trip to Big Sur to reconnect and write songs together.<\/p>\n

\u201cJulian said, \u2018Let\u2019s run up this hill.\u2019 Normally I would beat him, and I didn\u2019t,\u201d Frampton says from his home studio in Nashville. \u201cIt felt like there were insects in my legs, like they were vibrating.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Rock\n<\/p>\n

At the Yaamava\u2019 Resort & Casino in Highland, California, June 23, 2025. Though he continues to perform, Frampton is unsure if he\u2019ll ever tour again. (Image credit: Scott Dudelson\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Since revealing his diagnosis, Frampton has made fewer appearances. He surprised attendees<\/a> at the 2025 NAMM music show with an appearance at the Martin Guitar<\/a> booth, where he first hinted he was recording Carry the Light. But standing \u2014 and even playing guitar \u2014 has become more difficult, forcing him to adjust how he frets chords and notes.<\/p>\n

While he\u2019s unsure whether he\u2019ll tour again, he remains hopeful. And he\u2019s keeping positive.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople say, \u2018Oh, you must be so upset,\u2019 and, yeah, I am. But you can fix the little things,\u201d Frampton says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut big things never worried me, because they\u2019re the things you can\u2019t do anything about. If I don\u2019t accept what I have, I\u2019m going to be mad for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Peter Frampton\u2019s career has produced only one Grammy for the classic-rock guitarist. It\u2019s not for Frampton Comes Alive!,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411334,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[156,157,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-411333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-music","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}