Neal Francis Reveals Message He Received From Peter Frampton On ‘Francis Comes Alive’

Neal Francis released his live album, Francis Comes Alive, last fall. The title is a play on guitarist Peter Frampton’s landmark 1976 live release Frampton Comes Alive, one of the best-selling live LPs of all time, and Neal revealed he received an encouraging message from Frampton in an interview published on the Grammy Awards website.

Keyboardist and singer-songwriter Neal Francis captured Francis Comes Alive straight to tape in his hometown of Chicago on March 25, 2023 — part of a two night run at Thalia Hall — with an expanded 11-piece band. The record arrived in November 2023 along with a concert film, Francis Comes Alive: The Movie.

Neal noted in the Grammy interview that he recieved the message from Frampton the day the band was set to record Francis Comes Alive.

“I guess [Frampton] was tipped off by my friend Tom Cusimano. And the music industry is tiny in that regard. Tom sent Peter this Chicago Sun Times article about the Francis Comes Alive shows, and he sent his blessing. He was like, ‘Congratulations in advance, here’s hoping it goes smoothly for you.’ It was so funny to get that the day we were recording. A real nice nod from him.

Elsewhere in the Grammy interview, Neal talked about how the production for Francis Comes Alive came together. He also addressed the confusion with the group NEIL FRANCES and revealed his doing a collaboration with the pop/dance duo in 2024 as well as working on a new album of his own.

Neal Francis has some shows on the horizon coinciding with the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Check out his itinerary below: