Peter Frampton tells how David Bowie carried him from smoking plane

Rocker Peter Frampton has revealed pal David Bowie once saved his life by carrying him from a smoking plane.

The Heroes singer lived up to the title of one of his most famous tracks when he rescued his childhood pal Frampton while the pair were touring together.

Bowie reacted when the airplane cabin they were on filled with smoke just before take-off on his Glass Spider world tour in 1987.

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Speaking to The Mirror, Frampton said of the incident: “On that tour we had private planes, and on one flight smoke started coming out of the vents.

“Dave stands up and goes, ‘Smoke! Smoke!’ So the pilot stops and the flight attendant pulls the back stairway down.

"I’m in my seat and Dave literally lifts me out of my seat and carries me down the chute. I’ll never forget that.

“He coulda run out, but he wanted to make sure I was OK. That was the kind of guy he was with me, and in general. He was a lovely man.”

Bowie and Frampton were childhood friends and attended the same school in Bromley. Though Bowie was three years older, they played songs together and their respective bands performed on the same bills at school concerts.

Frampton became something of a child star in the 1960s, fronting The Herd as a 16-year-old.

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He later formed Humble Pie with Steve Marriott before breaking out and going solo to become a bonafide rock star with albums such as Wind of Change and Frampton Comes Alive.

Frampton credits Bowie with helping reignite his career when it when off-track in the 1980s by inviting him on tour and to play guitar on his albums.

The 70-year-old star is set to release his memoir in October, revealing his life and exploits throughout the height of his fame on the 1960s, 70s and 80s.