On May 8, fans at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena witnessed rock history as Pearl Jam invited the legendary guitarist Frampton on stage to perform a rendition of their classic song “Black.” The collaboration, part of Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter tour, blended the band’s roots with Frampton’s iconic guitar artistry, marking an unforgettable experience for the audience. 

Frampton, battling Body Myositis, took the stage along with the help of a cane and was seated alongside Mike McCready, Pearl Jam’s guitarist. Despite his health challenges, Frampton delivered an unforgettable performance, showcasing his talent and passion for music despite the years that have passed. Along with “Black,” they also performed a segment of Frampton’s 1973 song “Do You Feel Like We Do,” which beautifully merged the artist’s styles and eras. 

“He was right up there,” Eddie Vedder said when introducing Frampton. “It was one of the reasons that you loved live records. And later, we decided to release bootlegs because of his influence. He’s such an incredible human being on top of it,” stated Loudwire. 

Along with making special appearances, Frampton is currently working on an album he is co-producing with his son. 

“To be able to write with your own DNA is something spectacular, it really is,” he recently told WIVB (via Yahoo Entertainment.) “Sometimes when we’re texting backwards and forwards — we have this great app called Sessionwire, so we see each other’s recording set-up and the mixer and also it’s like built-in Zoom, so it’s phenomenal.”

Photo Credit: Stephen Hoffmeister