3 Pairs of Classic Rock Stars Who Grew up as Friends

Sometimes, something is just in the water. It’s impossible to predict, and it can be even harder to tell in the moment, but there are occasions throughout history when some of the biggest names in classic rock music history were close childhood friends. Sometimes that leads to the formation of bands, and other times it just seems like a great sonic coincidence.

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But when did that type of coincidence actually happen? That’s what we wanted to look into here. Indeed, these are three pairs of classic rock stars who grew up as childhood friends.

David Bowie and Peter Frampton

In his 2020 biography Do You Feel Like I Do?, the British-born guitarist and classic rock star Peter Frampton detailed his long friendship with another classic rock icon, David Bowie. The two grew up together, both attending Bromley Technical School, and though Bowie was a few years older than Frampton, they would spend their lunches at school playing music, like Buddy Holly tunes. They stayed in touch over the years, even as the two became some of the biggest draws in music. It’s a friendship few knew about in detail until Frampton started to talk more about it more recently, like in the above interview with radio host Howard Stern.

Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart

The two rugged and rough rockers Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart first met at Antelope Valley High School in Los Angeles. The two became good pals, talking music and sharing records. Their passion for songwriting and music helped to inspire one another, and it went on to influence their careers. As young friends, the two collaborated on Zappa’s scripts for what he called “teenage operettas,” one of which was called Captain Beefheart & The Grunt People. Around 1958, the two even recorded the song “Lost In A Whirlpool” and that track was later included on the 1996 posthumous Zappa LP, The Lost Episodes.

Les Claypool and Kirk Hammet

In an interview from a while back, iconic Primus bassist Les Claypool discussed his time growing up with future Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett. It was a friendship that began in algebra class in high school. It was then, Claypool remembered, that Hammett would thumb through rock magazines and say, “Claypool, check it out. This is the guitar I’m going to get, man!” Later, Claypool would try out for Metallica, but it wasn’t a musical fit. Nevertheless, their relationship is now classic rock lore in the best of ways.

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