Peter Frampton rocks on despite potentially crippling disease: 'I'm a fighter,' says the 74-year-old guitar great

'A beacon of hope'

"Peter is a beacon of hope for so many," said Dr. Christopher-Stine.

"He has such a great, positive attitude and is still enjoying being a master of his craft and sharing it with others. He's not unrealistic; he's very aware of some of the physical decline that has occurred to him over the years. But he hasn't let it discourage him. He has done a great job of galvanizing people to have empathy for his condition without ever feeling sorry for himself.

"He has increased his odds of functionality longer because he's so attentive to his physical health, and exercise is nonnegotiable for him. He provides a message for people, with and without this disease, that he will continue to play his guitar as long as he can. I'm so glad he had it in his heart and mind to create a research fund at Johns Hopkins. Everyone is on 'Team Frampton.' I think he's amazing," Christopher-Stine said.

Frampton will turn 74 on April 22. This is the first year he has made the ballot as a candidate for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, even though he has been eligible since the 1990s.

He spoke to The San Diego Union-Tribune on April 1 for more than an hour. His interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: When we spoke in 2014, you told me you never concentrated so much on your guitar technique as much as your choice of notes. Is that even more the case now that you have inclusion body myositis?

A: I think it's the same. I've never really changed my MO. But what I have to do now is I create new ways (to play) because I'm a fighter and I'm not giving up. I have weakness in my fingers, yes, but I have created different paths to get to the end point of what I want to play. And I am inspired by all the musicians I've read about that don't have full use of their left hand on the guitar, or any instrument, and how they have altered their way of playing and fingering and stuff like that.

Q: You were diagnosed with IBM in 2015. Does music mean something more or different to you now than it did before then?

A: Yes. I savor every note now. For the things I think of that I can't play, I quickly work out what I can do at that point, and it's different and I like it. So, there's an upside and I'm always looking for an upside. I think: "Wow, I wouldn't have played it that way (before)." And if the end result I want is not there, it's very sad. But right now, I'm basically having the time of my life. I can't believe the audiences and I can't believe where I am at in my career at this point. I never thought I'd be back playing at this level. So, every day is a great day for me.

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