Red Hot Chili Peppers have become the guard of rock and roll. The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith are winding down, and the mantle is being passed on to bands who got their start in the 1980s. Namely, U2 and the Chili Peppers. Both bands have classic albums and songs under their belt, and been able to maintain a consistent lineup.
Well, for the most part, John Frusciante joined Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1988. The guitarist came in to replace the late Hillel Slovak, and proved to be the perfect man for the job. Frusciante's prowess with the ax coincided with the band's commercial breakthrough in 1991.
Blood Sugar Sex Magik was both a critical and commercial success, and solidified the classic lineup of the band. Anthony Kiedis as lead singer, Chad White as drummer, Flea as bassist and Frusciante as guitarist. It seemed poised to stay that way, given how huge the Chili Peppers were at the turn of the decade.
John Frusciante initially left the band in 1992
It did not, however. Frusciante quickly grew uncomfortable with the level of fame the band had, and decided to quit in the middle of their 1992 tour. The guitarist eventually told Paper Mag that he was addicted to heroin at the time, which became even more debilitating in the solo years that followed.
Frusciante released multiple albums during this dark period, many of which are beloved by guitar heads and hardcore fans, but it wasn't until he entered rehab in 1998 that he was able to get back on track. He got clean, and rejoined Red Hot Chili Peppers just in time to work on their 1999 masterpiece Californication.
The album remains, to many, the band's finest release, and it's partially due to Frusciante's excellent playing throughout. The guitarist remained a fixture of the Red Hot Chili Peppers well into the 2000s, where they maintained their commercial success with songs like "Dani California."
Frusciante departed a second time in 2009
Frusciante decided to up and leave a second time, however, in 2009. Josh Klinghoffer stepped in as the band's guitarist, and Frusciante went down another self-described rabbit hole. Not drug related, but occult related, as he later told NME.
"I became quite off-balance mentally those last couple of years we toured," Frusciante admitted. "As the tour went on, I got deep into the occult, which became a way of escaping the mindset of tour life." The guitarist was able to regain his balance, however, and rejoin the Chili Peppers in 2019.
John Frusciante has been with the band ever since, playing on their last two albums. It's anybody's guess as to what the future holds for him, but Chili Pepper fans can rest assured, as he always seems to find his way back.