Peter Frampton, Foreigner, Alexis Korner, and John Mayall became classmates during the 39th Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, held October 19 in Cleveland.

Frampton, who is battling the degenerative muscle disease inclusion body myositis, was inducted by The Who vocalist Roger Daltrey. Frampton performed “Baby (Somethin’s Happening)” before Keith Urban came out to join him for a rousing “Do You Feel Like We Do.”

“I really am a lucky guy to have had this amazing career, and it’s always been driven by my passion for guitar playing, and that is, as Roger said, that’s my comfy chair,” said Frampton during his induction speech. He also credited school friend David Bowie.

“In ’86, he asked me to play on his [Never Let Me Down] album, and then with him on the Glass Spider Tour. It was absolutely amazing. We never really spoke about it, but he saw how I had lost my credibility… I had no idea what a huge gift David was giving me. I went back on the road and started the journey that I’ve been on ever since.”

After his performance and induction speech, Vintage Guitar asked Frampton about the importance he placed on focusing his guitar skills in his music throughout all phases of his career.

“I think that because I’m a songwriter too, and I was writing songs inspired by Led Zeppelin and Joni Mitchell, I’ve always covered a broad sphere of different types of music,” he said. “So, if I wrote a song like ‘Baby, I Love Your Way,’ that had a keyboard solo on it because it was fitting, live. But, ‘Do You Feel Like We Do,’ obviously, is very guitar-based, and a lot of the heavier stuff is.

“I’ve concentrated on guitar ever since I first heard Hank Marvin of The Shadows – Cliff Richard’s guitar player – and my father brought me Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli to listen to. That’s what my parents listened to during the war. I’ve always been inspired by sound because Hank’s sound was always pure, and even if it was distorted it was still a pure sound – and Django Reinhardt’s technique. It’s always good to have someone to listen to that you know you will never be as good as, because hopefully you’ll make yourself better along the way. So, yes, I’ve always listened to players that are better than me.”

Foreigner was inducted by Sammy Hagar, though founder/lead guitarist Mick Jones was unable to attend due to the effects of Parkinson’s. The condition led to his retirement from touring a few years ago, and the current lineup performed with Hagar, Slash, and others. Jones’ daughter, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, spoke on his behalf.

After the ceremony, VG spoke with Jones via e-mail, discussing the role his guitar work played in Foreigner’s songs and recording.

“I think my playing had a distinctive sound,” he said. “I spent seven years in Paris, recording, playing with, and writing songs for Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan. That experience helped me as a songwriter. Having played with Spooky Tooth and Leslie West, I was immersed in different styles of music, which really helped me develop my own style. I was very much into playing melodically, seeking interesting riffs, chord progressions, and colorful guitar solos. I’ve always believed that you don’t have to play fast, but just play the right notes in the right place that sounds appealing to the ear. I think all of it contributed to the success of Foreigner.”

Jones wrote many Foreigner songs himself, while numerous others were collaborations with vocalist Lou Gramm, who cited their magical partnership during his induction speech.

“Right from the start, Mick and I hit it off in our first songwriting session,” he said. “The chemistry for many of our biggest hits was the Jones/Gramm collaboration.”

The late pioneering British bandleaders Korner and Mayall were inducted in the Musical Influence category. They were honored with short films covering their careers.

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards praised Korner during the latter’s film.

“What he would do (to take a break when performing), he would invite anybody up to fill in the gap for 10 or 15 minutes. One night, he invited Mick (Jagger) and me, which is the first time we played with Charlie Watts. You see, this is why we’re connected, Alexis and the Stones. I stole half his band!” Richards said, laughing. “He was a bluesman, but he is the father of British rock and roll.”

In the Mayall film, Eric Clapton honored his former mentor’s decades-long position at the helm.

“I think the important thing about John is that he loved the role of being a sponsor,” said Clapton. “He could bring people into the band and help them to bloom.”

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.