Bankrate: You didn't set out to be a front man, much less one of rock music's most recognizable faces, right?

Peter Frampton: I never really thought about being a singer. Years and years ago in England, I'd been in The Herd and been pushed out from being the background singer to being the lead singer because of the way I looked. I realized that really wasn't what I wanted at that particular moment in time. That's why I left that band. Then, Steve Marriott left the Small Faces and we formed Humble Pie, where he was more the singer. I sang, but we all knew he had a one-of-a-kind voice and we all wanted to just play behind him. That was my dream. That's why I enjoyed playing with Ringo and also David Bowie -- because for most of the night I got to be just the guitar player, the gunslinger. That's the position I enjoy the most.

Bankrate: Many were surprised to find you backing Bowie on his Glass Spider tour.

Frampton: Playing with David was very special because we had gone to the same school and been friends since I was 12, so he must have been 14. We had sort of similar but very different careers inasmuch as we started very young. It was always a dream of mine to be on the same stage at the same time. We had played at the same gigs but he would go on before or after depending on where the careers were at the time and with various bands that I was in. I had always looked up to David. He was ahead of me. It was a thrill to do that tour and the album.

Bankrate: What kind of kid were you growing up in Beckenham?

Frampton: Pretty one-track-minded. My father was a teacher and my mother was just at home looking after us. Basically, it was suburban Pete. I would come home from school everyday and just go straight upstairs to my room and listen to music or play music. As soon as I got my first musical instrument, which was a banjolele, I knew that I had found something that I could be creative with. From very early on, it was something that was ink; I didn't pencil anything in. I went straight to ink.

Bankrate: Did you have a plan B if music didn't work out?

Frampton: No, I never did. I now realize that, throughout my life, the thing that I enjoy doing other than music is any form of photography, be it movie or stills. I wouldn't say that I'm at a professional level in any way but I enjoy it as much as my music. That's probably what I would have been, and when I did get to be on a movie set, I've always hung out with the cinematographer. I'd wonder, why are they using that lens and why is that light there? I've always been very curious as to what makes what look good. I knew what made things sound good; it was all about the sound. It's the same with photography.

Bankrate: With an art teacher as a father, it seems you may have had more encouragement toward the arts than other kids.

Frampton: Both parents were very encouraging. I think what I learned from my father was his work ethic. They never pushed me in any direction and they never held me back; they would just generically congratulate me when I did something good. The encouragement was there.

Bankrate: Most of your contemporaries were hearing, "Turn that down!" or "Get a real job!"

Frampton: Well, I heard my share of "turn that damn thing down," too, but that was when I was in my sixth straight hour, driving them all crazy. But no, my parents were both from musical families, so I was set up pretty good.