Legendary guitarist Peter Frampton has revealed he was recently diagnosed with a rare degenerative muscular disorder and that his next tour will be his last.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, the English rock star said: “In a year’s time, I might not be able to play. I want to go out screaming.”
Frampton told the magazine that about eight years ago he began noticing that his ankles felt tight. Over time, his legs began to feel weak as well. Four years ago, Frampton said a fan kicked a beach ball onto a stage and he fell over when he tried to kick it back.
“My legs just gave out,” he said. “We all joked, ‘He’s fallen and he can’t get up.’ But I was embarrassed.”
Frampton said he visited a neurologist when the tour wrapped up and was diagnosed with Inclusion-Body Myositis (IBM), an inflammatory and degenerative muscle disease that causes painless weakening of muscle.
Frampton told CBS News he’s been recording as much as he can before it’s too late and produced about 33 new tracks since October.
“What will happen, unfortunately, is that it affects the finger flexors,” he said. “That’s the first telltale sign is the flexors, you know. So for a guitar player, it’s not very good.”
Frampton said he’s fortunate to still be able to swallow, as many people who have the disease have their swallowing affected.
“There’s no specific treatment for IBM, Frampton said. “They have traditional medicine that is working. They are coming out with some drug trials. I’m hoping to be involved with those. That is something that is in the future. Right now, the only thing that works for me is exercise. I work out like a maniac all the time. It’s strengthening the muscle that I have. It seems to be the best possible thing for IBM is to work out every day.”
Frampton’s farewell tour kicks off in July.
