The Les Paul Foundation, whose mission is to honour and share the life, spirit and legacy of Les Paul through generations has announced the annual Les Paul Spirit Award in partnership with Gibson Gives, the philanthropic division of Gibson. The prestigious award will be presented to legendary musical artist and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Peter Frampton on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 6:30 PM, CT at a private event held at the Gibson Garage Nashville located at 209 10th Ave S, Suite 209 in downtown Nashville, TN. The event will take place on what would have been Les Paul’s 109th birthday, and marks the third anniversary of the Gibson Garage Nashville.
The annual award is presented to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the late, great Les Paul through innovation, engineering, technology and/or music. In addition to the award, a grant from the Les Paul Foundation will be made in the honourees name to the charity of his choice. Like Les Paul, Peter Frampton personifies the spirit of excellence through musicianship and industry recognition. Frampton has also experimented with new technologies and music trends, apparent in his early recordings on albums Frampton and Frampton Comes Alive! and particularly his hit singles “Do You Feel Like We Do” and “Show Me the Way,” synonymous with the use of the talk box.
Above (L-R): Les Paul and Peter Frampton
“I cannot think of anyone more fitting to be honoured with this year’s Les Paul Spirit Award than Peter Frampton. Not only is he an extraordinary talent who has given us an amazing array of extraordinary music, but he is an innovator who understands music, technologies, and the spirit of Les Paul,” says Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of The Les Paul Foundation. “If Les were still alive today, I have absolutely no doubt that he and Peter would be experimenting together at Les’ house. I am personally thrilled to be able to present Peter with this award because I know he exemplifies everything Les was about and wanted to accomplish. I want to also thank the Gibson Gives Foundation for partnering with us on this exciting annual award and for everything they do to keep Les’ name alive.”
“At Gibson Gives, we are thrilled to celebrate the incredible contributions of Les Paul and partner with the Les Paul Foundation to bring awareness to Les Paul’s legacy as he continues to inspire musicians across generations and genres.” - Beth Heidt, Chief Marketing Officer at Gibson
“Peter Frampton personifies the spirit of excellence through his musicianship and industry recognition. Gibson Gives is proud to partner with the Les Paul Foundation to present the prestigious Les Paul Spirit Award to this legendary artist who embodies the innovative spirit of Les Paul himself and his landmark contributions to music.” - Erica Krusen, Global Executive Director at Gibson Gives
Peter Frampton is a rock star. Frampton grew up in England and joined a band when he was only 16. Two years later he joined the supergroup Humble Pie and achieved massive success across the United Kingdom. In 1971, Frampton left Humble Pie and released his first solo debut Winds of Change. Then in 1976 he recorded one of the greatest live albums of all time Frampton Comes Alive! Frampton’s use of the talk box to create a human and guitar hybrid sound was and is unprecedented in the music industry.
Other chart-topping hits showcased on the album included “Show Me the Way,” “Baby, I Love Your Way,” and “Do You Feel Like We Do.” All of them reached the Top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Frampton continues to write and perform despite sharing his diagnosis of inclusion body myositis in 2019. He is a true symbol of perseverance, hope and support. He is a Grammy Award, JUNO Award and People’s Choice Award winner and has been named a 2024 Inductee into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
The exclusive, physical Les Paul Spirit Award for Peter Frampton is made from actual hand-carved acoustic boards built by Les Paul that he used in his home studio. Les Paul designed and created this now historical memorabilia during his life. The acoustic wood piece is a unique presentation and supported by Les’ personal story. No two Les Paul Spirit Awards are exactly the same, given the unique nature of the studio pieces which are being used to create them and their intrinsic value as authentic Les Paul memorabilia.
