'Nothing's gonna keep me from playing': Peter Frampton on preparing for his farewell tour

Originally published on April 29, 2019

If you were to look through any vinyl collection, chances are you would find the 1976 mega-hit Frampton Comes Alive!

Peter Frampton has always been a respected musician, but Frampton Comes Alive! is the album that turned him into an international superstar, known for the energy of his live shows. 

About eight years ago, Frampton started to notice that he was losing power in his legs, but didn't give it much thought. After falling twice on stage, he was diagnosed with inclusion-body myositis (IBM), a degenerative muscle disease, which typically affects legs, arms and hands. 

In the face of his diagnosis, and as touring and performing become more difficult, the musician has said that he wants to "go out screaming." Now he's preparing for his final tour.

"It's affecting me very, very little now in my hands, but this time next year I can't tell you," Frampton told q's Tom Power. "There's going to be a time when I won't be able to play, which is why we're in the studio every day right now." 

Frampton's new album, which will be released on June 7, is called All Blues, and its composed entirely of blues covers performed by the Peter Frampton Band.

In his conversation with Power, Frampton reflects on the highlights of his career, his latest album of blues covers and how it feels to head out on his final tour.

"I'm gonna battle it and nothing's gonna keep me from playing."

Click 'listen' near the top of this page to hear the full interview.

— Produced by Ben Jamieson