The “Baby, I Love Your Way” singer, 76, opens up in his new documentary Frampton about his frustration with being seen first as a teen idol and then as a pretty face, as he felt it took away from his musical talent<\/a>.<\/p>\n Frampton first caught the attention of female fans as a member of the short-lived group The Herd, and said in the film that he was “not thrilled” by the hysteria that followed.<\/p>\n Things only got worse with the 1976 release of Frampton Comes Alive!, with the star saying in the doc that “instead of playing down the cutesy image, it got played up” in the media.<\/p>\n Peter Frampton “I couldn’t go to a magazine store without seeing a picture of me on the front cover of a magazine with my shirt off,” he recalled. “I was on the cover of every magazine known to man at that point. That really didn’t help the situation.”<\/p>\n He continued, “When somebody comes out from after a concert at that time and says, \u2018Wow, I didn’t know you played guitar,’ things have gone too far.”<\/p>\n The documentary includes an image of Frampton’s PEOPLE cover from June 1977, which features him shirtless and sparkle-eyed.<\/p>\n In the accompanying interview, a then-27-year-old Frampton expressed his uncertainty when it came to getting to know new people, as he was unsure how to tell if they wanted him for “the way I am or for the poster on her bedroom wall.”<\/p>\n Peter Frampton in Rohnert Park, Calif. in June 2025. Elsewhere in the documentary, Frampton opened up about the fear he felt<\/a> amid his early success, and the terror that such heights would not be sustainable.<\/p>\n “You don’t realize what the onslaught is like until you get there, until you’re the No. 1 in the world. I did feel as if everything sped up,” he said. “That’s when the s\u2014 hit the fan. I felt like something was missing\u2026 New success is always the most exciting. Now maintain it. That’s not so exciting. It was very scary. Every day I woke up going [jumps in fright]. I’ve got to equal this and it was like an insurmountable wall to climb.”<\/p>\n Despite setbacks, Frampton has endured for a six-decade-long career. His latest album Carry the Light<\/a> came out on May 15, marking his first record of all-new material in 16 years.<\/p>\n The album was co-written and produced with his son Julian Frampton, who also appears in the documentary.<\/p>\n The doc premiered at Tribeca Festival<\/a> on June 4, and features interviews with stars like Sheryl Crow<\/a>, Kate Hudson<\/a>, Ringo Starr<\/a>, Bill Wyman<\/a>, Roger Daltrey<\/a> and more. It’s directed by Rob Arthur, who’s served as Frampton’s bandleader for many years.<\/p>\n “I’m obviously a little cautious because the good, the bad and the ugly’s in there,” he tells PEOPLE of the film. “I didn’t want it any other way, really, because otherwise I’d be lying.”<\/p>\n He also praises his “dearest friend” Arthur, saying he “trusted him implicitly to tell the story correctly.”<\/p>\n![\"Peter](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0cd51a092cfb32a69918c78575766707.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Neal Preston\/Courtesy of 10 Lives Studios<\/p>\n![\"Peter](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4462663bcb8cf1cf949c67e23d7eacd2.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Steve Jennings\/Getty<\/p>\n