Rock Hall Inductee, 76, Shares a Blunt Update on His Disease
There are not many people who can say they know their own endgame and still call themselves the luckiest person alive. Peter Frampton is one of them.
In a new exclusive interview with Page Six, the legendary guitarist opened up about living with inclusion body myositis (IBM), the rare progressive muscle disease that has permanently altered the way he plays guitar. 'I'm a very positive person,' Frampton, 76, told the outlet. 'I know the endgame, but it doesn't bother me.'
IBM, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is 'characterized by slow, painless muscle weakening and inflammation and primarily damages the fingers, wrists, and quadriceps.' There is no cure, though physical therapy can help slow the progression. For a guitarist who has been playing since age eight, the implications are sobering.
Frampton said he has 'learned' to adapt his daily life, now using a cane and grabber tools around the house. The disease has also forced him to 'change the way' he plays guitar, something he described as 'a challenge,' adding, 'I'm always up for a challenge.' In separate interviews, he has been more specific about what that challenge looks like in practice. At NAMM 2025, he told Guitar Player that mid-solo, he now finds himself thinking, 'That finger is not going to get there in time!' His solution has been to adapt his technique, using one finger for passages that once required three.
His outlook, he said, is simple: 'That's life. I've been so lucky. I've had an up-and-down career, but in the long run, I look at everything. Look at the last 60 years. Wow, I'm the luckiest guy alive!'
The diagnosis has also changed the way he views those around him. Frampton said that IBM made him realize everyone around him is 'fighting a battle' and going through something invisible. 'It just made me realize that kindness is the most important thing,' he said. 'Because when you meet someone that you know or don't know, you have no idea what's going on in their life or in their body or whatever. So I just decided that I'm going to concentrate on kindness.'
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A documentary simply titled Frampton, directed by his longtime bandleader Rob Arthur, premiered at the Tribeca Festival in New York City. The film covers the full arc of his life, including the 1976 blockbuster Frampton Comes Alive!, which Frampton said became overwhelming at its peak. When he learned the album had outsold Carole King's Tapestry, 'things started going wrong for me because that was so scary,' he said, describing how he began 'panicking' over what came next.
Frampton has been off the road since November 2025 and has no tour dates currently scheduled, a fact his documentary director Rob Arthur attributed directly to the physical demands of travel. But creatively, he has not slowed. He released his 19th solo studio album, Carry the Light, on May 15, co-written and produced with his son Julian and featuring guest appearances from Sheryl Crow, H.E.R., Tom Morello and Graham Nash. His doctor has told him that daily guitar playing is likely why he has retained dexterity in his hands as long as he has.
Six decades on, the IBM keeps progressing. Frampton has said plainly, 'I know where it's going. Unfortunately. But I know where it's going. There will be a point over the next few years where I won't be able to play, at least at this level.' He also knows what he'll do when that day comes. 'If it comes to a time when I can't hold a pick or I can't make a chord, I'm so lucky to have had the life I've had,' he has said. 'Who am I to complain of having 60 years of doing what I love the most?'
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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 7:42 AM.