Vitals :
Real Name: John Anthony Frusciante (Froo-shon-tay)
Date of Birth: March 5, 1970
Birthplace: New York, NY USA
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Musical Influences :
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, the Germs, Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, KISS, Captain Beefheart, David Bowie, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Depeche Mode, Ornette Coleman, Joy Division, The Clash, the list goes on ...
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Miscellaneous :
He grew up "masturbating and playing his guitar" to the likes of Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix for up to 15 hours a day.
While growing up, his guitar became his best friend
Came very close to being in Frank Zappa's band in the late 1980's. He stood in line for the audition for hours, but then "chickened out" as he put it.
At the age of 16, Frusciante left home to find a job and an apartment.
John first saw the Peppers playing at the Variety Arts Center, in LA, at the age of 15, which changed his life forever. "From that point on, their music meant everything to me."
Just before Hillel Slovak died, John was asked by Hillel while at a RHCP concert in LA, "Would you still like the Chilis if they got so popular that they played the L.A. forum?" John replied, "No. It would ruin the whole thing, that's what's great about the band." When popularity finally did strike the band in 1991, John thought about what him and Hillel talked about, and it bothered him.
John is not only a brilliant guitar player, but a painter as well. A few of his paintings (3 to be exact) are featured in a book called, "Musicians as Artists". The book is now out of print, but can be found with some searching & a few reliable resources.
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RHCP / John :
The Red Hot Chili Peppers was the first & only recording studio band John ever joined. John has played live shows with band members of Fishbone, Thelonious Monster etc. Flea (RHCP), Steven Perkins (Jane's Addiction/Porno for Pyros) and John formed a side project called the Three Amoebas. Even after consulting several different record labels, they have yet to release an official recording.
When John first joined the Chili Peppers, he was a chain smoking 18 year old.
Bob Forrest's band, Thelonious Monster, was looking for a guitarist at the same time the Peppers introduced John to them. John was the Thelonious Monsters first choice, but John didn't like the idea. Bob Forrest recruited him 5 minutes too late, as Anthony signed Frusciante to become a Pepper.
"They were my favorite band in the world. I knew every lyric, every guitar part, every solo, and bass part, and had always felt their music to be a source of peace and beauty in my life. I always felt very spiritually and philosophically connected with the band's ideals and way of life. The moment I joined the band was probably the most intense rush of pure happiness I will ever experience in my life."
During the Christmas season of 88', the Peppers debuted Frusciante as their new guitarist one the lamely named MTV festival "2hip4U" replacing the brief Duane "Blackbird" McKnight.
"John was an absolute Hillel clone", recalls Alain Johannes, a long time friend of the Chili's. "Not only did he play like him, but he stood and moved like him as well."
On May 7,1992, right in the middle of the "bloodsugarsexmagik" tour in Japan, John announced to his bandmates that he was going to leave the band. "I can no longer stay in the band any longer.I've reached a state where I cannot do justice to what we've created. I can't give what it takes to be in this band anymore."
When Gotez (a reporter) asked Frusciante what he should tell the public about his departure, he said, "Just tell them I went crazy."
The VERY expensive ($60+) book entitled "Musicians as Artists" features three of John's paintings, one in which was done by him and Flea's daughter, Clara.
Rejoined the Band (after Dave Navarro left) in May of 1998.
Played his first show with the Peppers since his 1992 departure, in Washington D.C. at the 9:30 Club which was a warm up for their Tibetan Freedom Concert gig the next.
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Solo Career :
John's decision for a possible solo career was taken seriously after friends such as, Perry Farrell (Jane's/P4P/Gobbalee), Steven Perkins (Jane's/P4P/Gobbalee), Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), Flea (RHCP), River Phoenix (Deceased actor & musician) convinced him to do it when they told him very bluntly, "There's no good music anymore"
Debut solo album, "Niandra LaDes and Usually Just A T-shirt" was released in 1994.
"Niandra LaDes" was recorded on a Lo-Fi 4-track & 8-track recording system throughout his RHCP career, and a considerate amount of it done after he left the band during their BSSM tour in 1992.
American Recordings, the record company that released "Niandra" discontinued the production of both versions (cassette & CD) as of April 1997.
The "Niandra LaDes" cassette version has one more track "Ants" and a beautifully longer version of "Usually just A T-shirt".
The track "Ants" was John's first public display of his solo work & can be found on the Jane's Addiction video, "The Gift"
"Smile From the Streets You Hold", the follow up to "Niandra" was released August 28th, 1997.
"Smile From the Streets You Hold", the title track of this CD, was actually supposed to be on "Niandra LaDes", but was taken off while "trimming off the fat".
"A Fall through the Ground" from "Smiles" was written and recorded when John was only 17.
"Niandra LaDes & Usually Just A T-shirt" was re-released in 1999 through American Recordings/Sony Music.
John took "Smiles" off of the market, as he didn't feel comfortable with it being on record shelves.
Source: http://www.johnfrusciante.com/frameset.php |
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