LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-APR 22, 2019…HAPPY 69TH BIRTHDAY TO PETER FRAMPTON. FRAMPTON IS CURRENTLY ON HIS FAREWELL TOUR AND HIS SHOW AT THE CONCORD PAVILION ON OCTOBER 12TH WILL BE HIS FINAL SHOW. FRAMPTON ANNOUNCED ON FEBRUARY 22ND OF THIS YEAR HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH IBM (INCLUSION BODY MYOSITIS). IBM IS A RARE AND INCURABLE INFLAMMATORY CONDITION WHICH CAUSES MUSCLES TO WEAKEN SLOWLY. ACCORDING TO FRAMPTON:
“In a year’s time, I might not be able to play, I want to go out screaming”
FRAMPTON REVEALED THE 8 YEARS AGO, HE STARTED TO NOTICE HIS ANKLES FELT A LITTLE TIGHT IN THE MORNING AND INITIALLY DISMISSED IT AS A SIGN HE WAS GETTING OLDER. THEN HIS LEGS STARTED GETTING WEAKER. HE TRIED TO IGNORE THE SIGNS THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG UNTIL 4 YEARS AGO WHEN A FAN KICKED A BEACH BALL ONTO THE STAGE AT A CONCERT AND HE FELL OVER IT TRYING TO PICK IT UP. RUH ROH ! HE JOKED:
“He’s fallen and he can’t get up.But I was embarrassed.”
TWO WEEKS AFTER THE BEACH BALL INCIDENT, HE TRIPPED OVER A GUITAR
CORD ONSTAGE AND COLLAPSED AGAIN. HE ALSO NOTICED HIS ARMS WERE GETTING SO WEAK THAT LOADING HEAVY OBJECTS ONTO THE OVERHEAD COMPARTMENTS ON PLANES WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. AN APPOINTMENT WITH A NEUROLOGIST REVEALED THE DIAGNOSIS OF IBM. HIS CURRENT TOUR IS A WAY FOR FRAMPTON TO GO OUT WHILE HE IS STILL ABLE TO PLAY UP TO HIS STANDARDS.
FRAMPTON OF COURSE RECORDED ONE OF THE GREATEST LIVE ALBUMS IN THE HISTORY OF ROCK HERE IN SAN FRANCISCO AT WINTERLAND.
‘FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE’ IS THE BEST SELLING LIVE ALBUM AND HAS SOLD OVER 16 MILLION COPIES.
LET’S TURN BACK THE CLOCK TO 1975 TO CATCH FRAMPTON ON “THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL.”
BTW, I’VE MADE AN OBSERVATION AFTER WATCHING OLD FOOTAGE OF FRAMPTON….NONE OF HIS SHIRTS HAD BUTTONS !!!
