NEW YORK -- At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony last year, Sheryl Crow was about to sing her hit “Everyday Is a Winding Road” when she invited a rock icon up on stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have to bring out one of my heroes — Peter Frampton,” she said as he appeared to enthusiastic cheers, picked up a Gibson electric guitar and immediately created musical sparks from the instrument.

Frampton was still playing when he received hugs from Crow and then Stevie Nicks. When he launched into a blazing solo, there was a wide smile on his face. “That's how you do it, Peter Frampton!” Crow exclaimed.

Call that electrifying performance a dress rehearsal. This year, Frampton will finally be inducted into the rock hall, a recognition his fans believe is long overdue. The ceremony is Oct. 19 in Cleveland.

He expresses gratitude to Crow for her support. “I don’t think I would have been nominated had it not been for Sheryl pushing me out there,” he tells The Associated Press from his home in Nashville. “I will always be indebted to her for a wonderful opportunity she gave me.”

Frampton's induction into the hall is largely due to his 1976 live double album “Frampton Comes Alive!” — featuring the hit songs “Show Me the Way” and ″Baby, I Love Your Way” — that Rolling Stone magazine listed among the 50 greatest live albums of all time.

The multi-talented musician, known for his guitar skills, songwriting, and singing, has been eligible for the hall since 1998. “I thought it just wasn’t going to happen and I got on with my life,” he says. “I never expect awards. Whatever comes my way, I’m honored and thrilled about.”

Frampton's induction coincided with changes in leadership at the Hall of Fame in 2023, which resulted in prominent legacy acts receiving invitations, including Foreigner and Cher.

They'll join Mary J. Blige, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, the late Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick, Alexis Korner, John Mayall and Big Mama Thornton in the class of '24.

“I’m absolutely thrilled for Peter. He’s dedicated his entire life to music and he deserves this recognition as much as anyone,” said bassist Rick Wills, who is also being inducted into the hall with Foreigner. Wills played with Frampton for many years, and even co-wrote the hit song “Do You Feel Like I Do?”

In her acceptance speech, Crow revealed that in 1976, when she was 14, she and six teenage friends attended a Frampton concert in Memphis, Tennessee. “I got to sing along with thousands of others to ‘Do You Feel Like I Do?’” She described it as a pivotal moment in her life.

Perhaps more than any other musician, Frampton is known for his use of the talk box, a guitar effect that involves a tube connecting the amplifier to the mouth, producing a sound that is both psychedelic and robotic. This technique has been adopted by a wide range of artists, from Mötley Crüe to Pink Floyd.

“I’ve never been about seeking fame or being a star. I’ve never seen myself that way. I'm a musician at heart and just want to keep playing for as long as I can," he says.

“I think I express myself more through my guitar than with words. I believe my music conveys more emotion and soul than anything I could ever say.”

Major awards had eluded Frampton until recently, despite his music appearing in films like “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Dazed and Confused” and “The Banger Sisters.” His redemption arrived in 2007 when Frampton's instrumental album “Fingerprints” earned him a Grammy Award, his first.

“There were two things I always dreamed of: One was winning a Grammy, which I achieved with my instrumental album, something I’m incredibly proud of because I didn’t sing a single note. It was all about my guitar playing, so that was exhilarating. And then, you know, the other dream was maybe one day I’d be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But I never felt entitled to it, like I deserved it more than anyone else.”

He disclosed in 2019 that he has a degenerative muscle disease called inclusion body myositis, but he's planning a tour leading up to his induction — The Positively Thankful Tour, which includes stops in South Carolina, New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Washington, D.C. — and is also working on songs for others and a new album.

“I can’t give a firm release date because I’m a perfectionist. I want every track to be the best I’ve ever written,” he explains with a laugh.

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Mark Kennedy can be found on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits