Peter Frampton, 2024 Nominee, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

In 2003, I met Peter Frampton briefly in the most unlikely place, my late mother's favorite library. He was living in Cincinnati at the time and paused his schedule to visit the Green Township Library in Cincinnati's Westside to promote the gift of libraries and to share his love of reading. His daughter, Mia was with him and he shared with all of us in attendance that their 'go-to' book was "The Learning Tree" by Shel Silverstein. In recent days, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio announced its nominees for induction this year. It is poignant for a number of reasons that Peter is finally being recognized.

He has been an active musician and singer-songwriter since the late 1960s with notable bands including The Herd and Humble Pie. His 1976 double live LP, "Frampton Comes Alive" broke all sales records for a live recording, as it shot through the stratosphere with the hits: "Show Me The Way", "Do You Feel Like We Do" and "Baby I Love Your Way". He has been an international superstar ever since and none of it came easily with triumphs and setbacks.

Peter began taking classical music lessons at the age of 8 and by age 11, he and classmate David Bowie were already members of local bands in England. By age 18, in 1969, Peter joined Steve Marriott of the Small Faces to form Humble Pie while also performing as a session musician. Session recordings partnered him with friends that included: former Beatle George Harrison, John Entwistle of The Who and Jerry Lee Lewis. Fate intervened when Pete Drake introduced Peter to the "Talk Box" that would become a trademark of his solo live shows in the mid-1970s. A prolific musician who never once rested on his laurels, Peter began suffering sales slumps in record sales, but remained relentlessly active. Along with touring, his film projects included serving as technical advisor for Cameron Crowe's film "Almost Famous". In 2006, his 13th album and first instrumental recording project, "Fingertips" won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album of 2007. He was inducted into Nashville's Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016.

In February 2019, Peter shocked fans when he revealed that he had been diagnosed with inclusion body myositis (IBM), a progessive muscle disorder currently without a cure. The announcement that he would be retiring from touring led him to assemble "Peter Frampton Finale—The Farewell Tour". I attended the concert stop in Phoenix on crutches from a sports injury. I was not going to miss this show for the world. A dollar of every ticket sold for the tour was donated to benefit Frampton's myositis research fund established at Johns Hopkins, where he was treated.

Although challenged by the disease, Peter resumed touring. In January 2023, he played guitar with Sheryl Crow, for her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He is currently performing this year on his "Never Say Never Tour". An indefatiguable recording and media artist, Peter has long been overlooked by the Rock Hall. A brilliant guitarist, it is fitting that Peter receives the Rock Hall induction in 2024. Fans can vote for Peter Frampton at vote.rockhall.com and often!