Do you feel like he does?
image: source
The ancient philosophy of the Wheel of Fortune is said to symbolize the volatile nature of fate. Sometimes, fortune finds us at the top of the wheel, high and mighty, and others, it finds us on the bottom, engulfed in misfortune. For some, the rotation of this wheel is slow and steady, for others, it spins quicker than a blink of an eye. Between 1976 and 1978, Peter Frampton embodied this idea, going from the king of the world to hanging on for dear life.
Frampton was born on April 22, 1950, in Beckenham, England. Before he had reached the age of ten, Frampton’s musical excellence seemed unrelenting. At just seven years old, he taught himself to play the guitar, obsessing over the instrument until he perfected his skill. He was the definition of a musical prodigy.
Frampton spent the next few years mastering complex riffs and forming multiple bands, including one with his classmate, David Bowie. When Frampton was sixteen, he nabbed his first taste of commercial success as the lead guitarist and singer for The Herd, a pop group. He left The Herd two years later to form Humble Pie, a blues-based rock band, with Steve Marriott of The Small Faces. Despite their warm reception and impending success, Frampton left Humble Pie in favor of pursuing a solo career. By 1975, he had released three solo albums, but what solidified his title as the new reigning king of rock were his electrifying live performances. Frampton’s prowess as a musician was indisputable, but his ability to dominate a stage and captivate an audience was almost other-worldly. Frampton fed off the energy of the crowd while his fingers danced across the neck of his guitar, the notes melting seamlessly into one another. With his boyish grin and charismatic charm, Frampton connected with his audience, making them a part of the show. He was silly and endearing and undoubtedly one of the most talented musicians to come out of the 70s.
Overnight, Frampton was catapulted into fame, named Rolling Stone’s Rock Star of the Year while simultaneously breaking world records with his album Frampton Comes Alive!, at one point becoming the top-selling artist on the globe. Nevertheless, the Wheel had begun to spin.
In 1978, Frampton’s crown started to slip. He starred in Robert Stigwood’s film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, based on The Beatles’ album of the same name. Anticipated to be “This generation’s Gone With The Wind,” the film was a complete catastrophe, an ugly stain on the careers of everyone involved (which included the likes of the Bee Gees, Tina Turner, Billy Preston, Aerosmith, and Steve Martin). While a Peter Frampton Steven Tyler fight scene makes for an interesting watch, the film was nominated for Worst Picture at the 1978 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards. In the words of Alice Cooper (who was also in the movie), it was “Blasphemous to the Beatles.” The film signaled the beginning of a fallow period in Frampton’s career, causing substantial destruction to his image, which had already been marred by his appearance on the cover of a 1977 issue of Rolling Stone. When asked about those involved in making the film, George Harrison said, “I think it’s damaged their images, their careers, and they didn’t need to do that.”
The Bee Gees star alongside Peter Frampton in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band : source
Shortly after its release, however, the disastrous film would become the least of Frampton’s worries. This part of the tale, however, is better told through the lens of John Georges.
A light rain drizzled from the sky in the early hours of the Bahamian morning. It might’ve been tranquil if not for the sickening sound of shrieking tires and shattering glass. 17-year-old John and a friend raced outside to see what had happened, where they found a car, or what remained of one, crushed against a tree, pouring smoke. They sprinted towards the car, praying whoever was inside was okay. But from the outside looking in, whoever had been driving that car should be dead.
John stepped over glittering shards of broken glass and ripped the car door open. Slumped over the wheel was a man, face concealed by a mass of delicate blonde curls. While his friend rushed inside to call an ambulance, John pulled the man out of the car. He was barely alert and rapidly entering a state of shock. John spoke to the man, reassuring him and calming him down until the EMS arrived, placing him on a stretcher before speeding away.
John was bewildered, hoping that whoever the driver was, he would be okay. Hoping to identify the man and contact his family, John returned to the scene and slipped his hand inside the glove box. He felt around before he pulled out a British Passport and flipped it open - Peter Frampton.
Frampton was flown from Nassau to New York City to be treated for his injuries at Lenox Hill Hospital, where he remained for over a week. He’d sustained cracked ribs, a concussion, multiple bruises, and had nearly lost his entire arm, if not his life.
Frampton had been up all night on the plane into Nassau. He touched down in the wee hours of the morning and rented a car. As he drove along the Bahamian coast, his eyelids drooped as he slipped in and out of consciousness before falling asleep at the wheel. The car slammed into a wall before skidding on the wet road and hurtling into a tree. It could have killed him - it should have killed him, if not for the miraculous intervention of a teenage boy.
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