Rock Hall Comes Alive with Peter Frampton Induction
Peter Frampton, much like Foreigner, is an artist who was long overlooked by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Finally, as part of the 2024 class, another major wrong was made right.
Doing the honors of inducting Frampton into the Rock Hall was Roger Daltrey. He wasted no time in recognizing the fact that Frampton was overlooked by the Rock Hall by saying, “I was astonished this guy wasn’t inducted 35 years ago.”
Daltrey added, “Peter has had the greatest career of all time. It would be easier to list the people he hasn’t worked with than who he has worked with.”
Understandably, Daltrey highlighted the landmark live album Frampton Comes Alive. Around the time that album took off, Daltrey noted how he was often mistaken for Frampton. He mentioned a story about being chased in an airport by girls who were screaming, “Peter! Peter!”
Daltrey was with Pete Townshend at the time. Eventually, the two made it to their gate and onto the plane unscathed. Daltrey recalled Townshend saying to him, “Roger, you’re really lucky. They think you’re Peter Frampton. You’re really, really lucky, because they think I’m Tiny Tim.”
Frampton’s video tribute featured a number of big names, including Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready.
Morello said, “Peter Frampton certainly belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame if only for these three words: ‘Frampton Comes Alive.’ It’s a record that absolutely concured the world.”
McCready added, “He’s a smoking guitar player and should be mentioned with Clapton and Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. He should be in that pantheon of guitar players.”
During Frampton’s set, he performed “Something’s Happening” and “Do You Feel Like I Do.” During the latter, he was joined by Keith Urban, and the two exchanged some blistering guitar licks.
Frampton delivered a heartfelt and poignant speech, during which he called for Humble Pie to be recognized by the Rock Hall.
He also shared how very early in his career, he was on the road with The Who. One evening, he was hanging out with Keith Moon and John Entwistle. They noticed a group of fans on the street, and whenever Frampton stuck his head out of the third-story window, they would scream. Next thing Frampton knew, Moon and Entwistle were dangling him by his ankles out of that window three stories above the fans.
“I was 17,” said Frampton. “Welcome to rock and roll!”
While noting his major success with Frampton Comes Alive, he also talked about his “fall from grace.” However, he said of the time when his popularity faded, “There was a gift in all of this. I had time to realize what was most important to me: My family, my friends, and my reinventing passion with my guitar always.”
He thanked the late David Bowie for bringing him out on tour in the ’80s and helping him jumpstart his career again. Frampton said, “I was absolutely over the moon to play guitar with David on stage at the same time … At the time, I didn’t know what a huge gift David was giving me.”
He cheekily ended his speech by saying of being inducted into the Rock Hall, “It’s something beyond all of my dreams, even my pipe dreams. Did I say that?”
