He was a teenage phenomenon, Face of the Year in England with The Heard as an eighteen year old guitarist and soon to form Humble Pie with Steve Marriott, formerly of The Small Faces. (On occasion, you will hear the prelude of “Tin Soldier“, strummed by Peter between tunes, the flipside of Itchycoo Park, written by his friend Steve & Ronnie Lane of legendary Small Faces) His effortless, flawless style morphed from his early influences like Eddie Cochran, Django Reinhardt, Buddy Holly and of course, The Beatles.

The tandem of Frampton & Marriott would produce several albums and a cache of hits as Humble Pie would ascend the top of the charts with their live "Rockin" The Fillmore. Unfortunately Peter had already separated himself from the band and worked sporadically with other icons of the day, i.e., John Entwistle, Billy Preston and had also formed Frampton’s Camel prior to his solo efforts in the mid-seventies. Winds of change were on the horizon and Frampton Comes Alive in 1976 would forever etch his name in the pantheons of music immortality. Unprecedented success is always mirrored by impossible expectations and his career would henceforth be measured by the 14 million copies sold from this endeavor. The consummate player, following releases paled by comparison and a near fatal accident in 1978 kept him from his acquired skill and personal muse as an entertainer. Peter would regain notoriety by touring with long time friend David Bowie and then subsequent tours with Ringo’s All-Stars and former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings .

A natural performer, Frampton’s ebullient demeanor and nascent ability for English “blues“ and power chords have made him a staple for festivals and Blues venues across the globe. Perhaps now a bit weathered, the piercing eyes of a former “Golden Boy“ are still in search of the perfect performance and the mass appeal of three decades ago still abounds when confirmation of an impending date is announced. The shoulder length locks of yore have long dissipated into seventies folklore but the cherubic smile seems tp perpetuate from decade to decade. It’s always a mystery to me how the skills of Peter Frampton have him numbered as 83rd on the list of 100 greatest players in the annals of contemporary music when others of obvious inferior ability have been placed before him. For that fleeting moment in the pantheons of rock n' roll hierarchy, Peter Frampton ruled supreme and scrolled his name into the fabled anecdotes of the genre. When in discussion with those of various opinions in reference to impact, I suppose it’s better to be looked over than over looked as some of those listed would have difficulty getting arrested much less sell to the masses. The impending date at Harrah’s in Elizabeth , Indiana is on the horizon and one of the Royalty of Rock is on the way.

It's not a long way from suburban Cincinnati to metropolitan Louisville but it is quite the sojourn from Beckenham, England to the rolling hills of southern Indiana. Some things are definitely worth the wait.

Cheers
Don Aters - Haight Street Music News - 2008