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List of Red Hot Chili Peppers band members

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List of Red Hot Chili Peppers band members

Red Hot Chili Peppers (originally Tony Flow and the Miraculous Masters of Mayhem)[1] is an alternative rock band formed by vocalist Anthony Kiedis, guitarist Hillel Slovak, bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary, and drummer Jack Irons after they met while attending Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California, in 1983.[2] Since its inception, Red Hot Chili Peppers has maintained a four member lineup, with fifteen members overall.

Two weeks before signing with EMI, Slovak and Irons had obtained a record deal with MCA Records with their other band, What Is This?, and left Red Hot Chili Peppers.[3] Rather than dissolving the band, Kiedis and Flea decided to recruit new members Cliff Martinez and Jack Sherman on drums and guitar respectively,[4] and released their eponymous debut album on August 10, 1984. During the ensuing tour, continuing musical and lifestyle tension between Kiedis and Sherman complicated the transition between concert and daily band life.[5][6] Sherman was fired soon after, with Slovak returning to the Chili Peppers in 1985 after growing tired of What Is This?.[7] The band then dismissed Cliff Martinez from the group in the summer of 1986 and replaced him with founding member Jack Irons, who was out of work and finally separated from other commitments.[8] During this period, however, Kiedis and Slovak had both developed serious drug addictions, which resulted in Kiedis' brief departure.[9][10] On June 25, 1988, Slovak died of a heroin overdose shortly after the completion of The Uplift Mofo Party Plan tour. Irons subsequently left the group, saying that he did not want to be part of a band where his friends were dying.[2]

Attempting to cope with the death of Slovak and the departure of Irons, Kiedis and Flea temporarily employed Dead Kennedys drummer D. H. Peligro and former P-Funk guitarist DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight.[11] Neither sparked any notable chemistry and they were each replaced rapidly.[12] However, Peligro's brief tenure did have one vital, long-term consequence for the Red Hot Chili Peppers; his association with the band led John Frusciante, an acquaintance of Peligro, to audition for the band's empty guitarist role. Following a constructive jam, there was a unanimous decision to accept Frusciante into the band.[13] Despite several open auditions, the band remained without a drummer. Eventually, a friend of the band told them about a drummer she knew, Chad Smith, who was so proficient on the drums he "ate [them] for breakfast".[14] After another successful jam session, Kiedis, Frusciante and Flea admitted Smith into the band.[15]

During the Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour, Frusciante, overwhelmed by the band's newfound success and his drug addiction, abruptly quit the band in May 1992.[2] Guitarist Zander Schloss was hired as the replacement for Frusciante, but after four days, Kiedis, Flea, and Smith decided that Schloss did not fit with their future plans, and they fired him.[16] Arik Marshall replaced Schloss, but during pre-production of their sixth studio album, tensions grew between the band and Marshall, and they dismissed him from the band.[17] Jesse Tobias was recruited afterward; however, his tenure with the band did not last very long, as the band stated that "The chemistry wasn't right."[18] They eventually settled on former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro on September 5, 1993.[18][19]

In April 1998 it was announced that Navarro had left the band due to creative differences; Kiedis stated that the decision was "mutual".[20] That same month, Flea visited Frusciante and invited him to rejoin the band. An emotional and now sober Frusciante readily accepted the invitation.[21] In late 2007, Red Hot Chili Peppers went on a hiatus, with Kiedis citing exhaustion as the main reason.[22] In December 2009, Frusciante posted a message on his official website announcing his departure from the band. He stated that he left Red Hot Chili Peppers during the hiatus to focus on a solo career.[23] On February 8, 2010, after much speculation, Chad Smith confirmed that former touring guitarist Josh Klinghoffer was the official replacement for Frusciante.[24][25]

Members

Current

The current lineup of Red Hot Chili Peppers includes one vocalist, one bassist, a drummer, and one guitarist.

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis 1983–1986 1986 onward vocals All Red Hot Chili Peppers releases
Michael "Flea" Balzary Michael "Flea" Balzary 1983 onward bass, backing vocals All Red Hot Chili Peppers releases
Chad Smith Chad Smith 1988 onward drums, percussion All Red Hot Chili Peppers releases from Mother's Milk (1989)
Josh Klinghoffer Josh Klinghoffer 2010 onward guitar, backing vocals none as of yet

Former

The former members of Red Hot Chili Peppers consist of eight guitarists and three drummers.

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Jack Sherman Jack Sherman 1984–1985 guitar The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
—
 Cliff Martinez 1984–1986 drums, percussion The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984), Freaky Styley (1985)
—
 Hillel Slovak 1983–1984, 1985–1988 guitar Freaky Styley (1985), The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987), The Abbey Road E.P. (1988)
Jack Irons Jack Irons 1983–1984, 1986–1988 drums, percussion The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987), The Abbey Road E.P. (1988)
DeWayne McKnight DeWayne McKnight 1988 guitar none
—
 D.H. Peligro 1988 drums, percussion none
—
 Zander Schloss 1992 guitar none
Arik Marshall Arik Marshall 1992–1993 guitar none
—
 Jesse Tobias 1993 guitar none
Dave Navarro Dave Navarro 1993–1998 guitar One Hot Minute (1995)
John Frusciante John Frusciante 1988–1992, 1998–2008 guitar, backing vocals Mother's Milk (1989), Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), Californication (1999), By the Way (2002), Stadium Arcadium (2006)

Former touring musicians

Red Hot Chili Peppers has employed numerous touring musicians throughout its career. A touring musician is an unofficial member who only performs live with the band and does not contribute to studio releases.

Image Name Years active Instruments Reference(s)
Josh Klinghoffer Josh Klinghoffer 2007 guitar, keyboards, acoustic guitar, percussion [26]
Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez 2006–2007 keyboards, clavinet, percussion [26]
—
 Rob Rule 1995–1996 rhythm guitar, backing vocals
—
 Rain Phoenix 1995–1996 backing vocals [27]
—
 Acacia Ludwig 1995–1996 backing vocals
—
 Vicky Calhoun 1989–1990 backing vocals [28]
Philip Fisher Philip Fisher 1988 drums, percussion [28]
—
 Keith Barry 1987–1990 saxophone [29]

Timeline


References

General
  • "Red Hot Chili Peppers". Allmusic. Retrieved June 14, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  • Kiedis, Anthony; Sloman, Larry (2004). Scar Tissue. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 1-4013-0101-0. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
Specific
  1. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 105
  2. ^ a b c Prato, Greg. "Red Hot Chili Peppers > Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved June 5, 2007. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 126
  4. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 127
  5. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 133
  6. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 134
  7. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 162–163
  8. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 188
  9. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 191
  10. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 219–25
  11. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 224
  12. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 229, 233
  13. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 229
  14. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 233
  15. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 234
  16. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 297-298
  17. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 311
  18. ^ a b Foege, Alec (October 19, 1995). "The Red Hot Chili Peppers (Page 1)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 31, 2007.
  19. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 312
  20. ^ Rosenthal, Joe (April 6, 1998). "Pepper Guitar Mill Grinds On". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 31, 2007.
  21. ^ Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 398
  22. ^ Anderson, Kyle (May 19, 2008). "Q&A: Anthony Kiedis: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
  23. ^ Cashmere, Paul (December 17, 2009). "John Frusciante Explains His Departure from Red Hot Chili Peppers". Undercover.com.au. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
  24. ^ Arnold, Nick (February 8, 2010). "GRAMMY Camper Nick Arnold Interview with Red Hot Chili Peppers' Drummer Chad Smith". GrammyCampBlog, Blogspot.com. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
  25. ^ Bosso, Joe (May 6, 2010). "Chad Smith talks new Chickenfoot, Red Hot Chili Peppers albums". MusicRadar.com. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  26. ^ a b Kaufman, Gil; Yago, Gideon (May 2, 2006). "Red Hot Chili Peppers Reveal Stadium Arcadium Tour Dates". MTV. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
  27. ^ "Mini Biography - Rain Phoenix". IMDB. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  28. ^ a b Mother's Milk (2003 Remastered edition) (Media notes). Hollywood, California, USA: EMI. 1989, 2003. p. 8. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |year= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |albumlink= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |notestitle= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |publisherid= ignored (help)
  29. ^ "Mini Biography - Michael "Flea" Balzary". IMDB. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
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