John Frusciante has quit the Red Hot Chili Peppers
December 14, 2009 by Neil
Filed under Metal News
John Frusciante Quits the band
John Frusciante has finally quit the Red Hot Chili Peppers, according to a reliable source close to the band.
The guitarist had for a long time expressed doubt about returning when the four-piece reunited in October after a two-year break. But drummer Chad Smith said he was confident Frusciante would be back – until recently he told Classic Rock Magazine he was no longer allowed to discuss the situation. He stated: “I’ve been told to star away from John questions.”
Now one of the Chili Peps’ entourage tells Music Radar: “Mentally, John checked out a long time ago. He’s interested in doing his own thing. The whole big rock band machinery just doesn’t appeal to him any more.”
And the band are already working with another guitarist – Josh Klinghoffer, who’s toured with the band in the past and has also worked with Frusciante on his solo projects.
Frusciante, 39, left the band once before, after the Chili Peps’ success with Blood Sugar Sek Magick in 1992. He fought off addiction to heroin and rejoined in 1999 to record return-to-form album Californication. Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction fame had played guitar in the interim.
The band source says: “Josh has been on everybody’s radar for some time. He’s extremely popular within a circle of LA musicians.
“The big thing the band have to consider is, can Josh write great songs? Can he help push them forward? Everybody knows he can play – but the Peppers need somebody who can come up with amazing mataerial and get them moving again.”
I don’t think I speak for myself when I say that not only should the Chili Peppers call it quits because John is the driving force behind the band, but also they are going to lose a massive amount of fans due to the loss of Frusciante. He is the greatest to me. I am not even upset he quit just from learning what kind of a person he is, it doesn’t surprise me. I don’t know which I like best, really, his RHCP work or his solo work. The only downside to him quitting is that it seems that now he will be extremely unaccessible to the regular person to see him live. Also, many will dearly miss the John/Flea duets.
I don’t think that this is true, the fact that it says a ‘reliable source close to the band’ means shit all. If somebody actually heard this they would have said who they had heard it from.
I LOVE John Frusciantes input in the band and would be quite upset if he left. Its not like he’s a member of the band it’s like hes related to the whole band. Hillel was good and many weren’t pleased when Frusciante took over but good things come out of bad things; even though Hillel died we were able to experience the band with John. PLEASE DON’T GO JOHN!
No, no, no!!!!! He can’t leave. Rhcp is only real with John.
btw, it’s blood sugar sex magik.
I still can’t believe this. I am praying to the heavens that this can not be true. John frusciante is mainly the whole reason why the chili peppers are so good. Its his solo work and his work in the chili peppers that really gets me through the day. Please don’t go john I love u . ur music from both worlds makes me feel like I’m not such a pathetic loser
well i for one am heartbroke. John is, in my mind, hands down one of the best guitar players living today. Stadium Arcadium was extremely well written but the beauty of it was the music itself. John and Flea were flawless. John has amazing solo work but a guitar solo like the one in Wet Sand is something that only the PEPPERS could capture. Together and as a whole the peppers are one of the greats. Give it time and Im sure they will get back together but until then my heart stands split in two. Good luck Josh, u r going to need it