Peter Frampton Announces He Has Degenerative Muscle Disease – And Farewell Tour [TICKET INFO]

Legendary Guitarist Peter Frampton revealed dates for his farewell tour and discussed why it would be his last time performing.

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In interviews released Saturday, the 68-year-old rock star said he had been diagnosed with a rare, incurable degenerative muscle disease called inclusion body myositis, also known as I.B.M. The disease causes muscles to progressively weaken over time but generally does not affect life expectancy.

“Going upstairs and downstairs is the hardest thing for me,” Frampton revealed. “I’m going to have to get a cane…and then the other thing I noticed, I can’t put things up over my head.”

Although the disease was first diagnosed three and a half years ago when the artist suffered a fall on stage, he initially kept his diagnosis a secret because he wanted to continue playing and touring while he still could.

As the effects of IBM have accelerated in severity, Frampton decided it was time to go public and tell fans that this was their last shot at seeing him in his peak.

“We decided to do a farewell tour now since I don’t want to go out and not be able to play well,” Frampton said. “If I’m going to do a farewell tour, I want to play good. I want to rock it.” The musician added that he’s one of the lucky ones, having seemingly escaped a 50 percent chance of I.B.M affecting his throat.

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While the disease hasn’t affected his singing voice, it could slow his fingers and his ability to move around. “In a year’s time, I might not be able to play,” Frampton said, adding, “I want to record as much as I can in the shortest space of time.”

The rock guitarist discussed his plans to issue a double album this summer, his first release in three years. He hinted at another mysterious project in the works and will conclude with a North American tour which he is calling the “Peter Frampton Finale — The Farewell Tour.”

“I know that this tour, I will be able to do everything I did last year and the year before. That’s the most important thing to me,” said the “Baby, I Love Your Way” hitmaker. “I want to go out screaming as opposed to, ‘He can’t play anymore.’”

Making the tour even more meaningful, one dollar from every ticket sold will go towards the research fund Frampton created with Johns Hopkins University to research I.B.M.

“Maybe a huge door is closing in my life, but then there’s lots of other doors that open,” he said of his outlook on the disease. “I’ve been playing guitar for 60 years. Started when I was eight, and now I’m 68 — so I’ve had a good run.”

The English-born singer, who is currently based in Nashville, said that his children and his band knew about his diagnosis, but that he did not tell anybody else. “They’ve been phenomenal, everyone. Every one of my ex-wives have been wonderful, I have to say,” he added with a laugh.

He said that there is no traditional medicine to treat I.B.M, but that he is exercising every day and hopes to participate in future drug trials. “Maybe if the drug trial works, there’ll be the miracle tour,” said Frampton, who is being treated experimentally at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. “I wish, but I’m realistic, too, so that’s why… this really is the farewell tour.”

Though this is said to be his last tour, he’s not totally ruling out a European extension next year, health permitting. “We might be able to do the same thing on a limited basis in Europe in the spring of the following year, but I don’t know that yet,” the legendary musician disclosed. “I’m going to be playing as long as I can play, but this will be the last extended tour. I can’t say what I’ll be doing next year.”

Born in the UK, Frampton achieved modest success in Britain in the 1960s with his teenage band The Herd, followed by a number-one single with Humble Pie.

The British star made his mark in America as a solo performer after the release of his 1976 album, Frampton Comes Alive!, one of history’s best-selling live rock albums which topped the charts for an impressive 10 weeks. It features songs like “Baby, I Love Your Way” and “Show Me the Way.”

The Musicians Hall of Fame, which inducted Frampton in 2014, has called him “one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history.”

The farewell tour will begin June 18 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is scheduled to wrap up Oct. 12 in San Francisco. In what is said to be the last time, the legendary guitarist will play in iconic venues including New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sept. 13. Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin tribute band will open the shows.