Peter Frampton is one of the artists who was been nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year — his first nomination, even though he's been eligible since 1997. And while many feel it's been a long time coming, he tells Vulture the recognition was quite a surprise.

“Throughout my life, I never really expected anything,” he says. “I know a lot of other people have expected this on my behalf, and I appreciate them, but if it wasn’t going to happen, it wasn’t going to happen.”

Frampton says he never expected a nomination "because I'm a realist," explaining, "I've had a storied career. I've been up and down and up and down more times than a yo-yo. The Rock Hall has never been something where I've said to myself, I deserve this. I expect this. I'm not that kind of a person."

He adds, “I have nothing to complain about. If you don’t expect it, it’s all the nicer when it happens.”

Frampton says in the past he has criticized the Rock Hall for who has been nominated and suggests Jann Wenner's ouster from the board should improve things. "It's for the better. Things will be more realistic," he says.

And Frampton feels his nomination may not have happened had Sheryl Crow not invited him to perform with her at the 2023 ceremony.

"I'll continue to thank her for stirring the pot. She was saying, Look, this guy isn't in, what do you think about that?" he says. "That was her goal, I think."

The Hall of Fame fan vote is open until April 26; fans can vote for up to seven artists daily. Inductees will be announced in April, and the 2024 induction ceremony will take place in Cleveland in the fall.

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