John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer best known for his work with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers with whom he released five albums. To date Frusciante has released ten solo albums as well as two with the current Red Hot Chilli Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and Joe Lally under the name of Ataxia. Frusciante has been ranked 18th in the Rolling Stone’s greatest 100 guitarists and was voted the best guitarist of the last 30 years in the 2010 Axe Factor BBC poll.
Frusciante was born in Queens, New York on March 5th 1970 to his pianist father and vocalist mother. His family moved to Tucson, Arizona and later Florida until his parent’s separation whereupon Frusciante moved with his mother first to California and then to Los Angeles where he became involved with the punk-rock scene, teaching himself to play the songs of the band The Germs. Frusciante began to take guitar lessons and was introduced to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers by his teacher. Fascinated by artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa he left school at sixteen and enrolled at the Guitar Institute of Technology which he quickly left.
Frusciante first attended a Red Hot Chilli Peppers concert aged 18 , learning all the songs from their first three albums and becoming friends with late guitarist Hillel Slovak. In 1988 Frusciante was introduced to Flea, the bassist of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, by the Dead Kennedys’ drummer D.H Peligro. In that same year Slovak passed away from a heroin overdose and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ drummer Jack Irons left the band. Flea suggested that Frusciante join the band who, when he was told, is reported to have run through his house screaming with joy. Frusciante joined the band to produce the 1989 album ‘Mother’s Milk’ followed by the phenomenally successful ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ of 1991. Overcome by the band’s popularity Frusciante left in 1992 during which he released his first recordings: ‘Niandra Ladies and Usually Just a T-Shirt’ and ‘Smile from the Streets you Hold’. In 1998 following drug rehabilitation he commenced work with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers to produce their 1999 album ‘Californication’ and his own album ‘To Record Only Water for Ten Day’s released in 2001. 2004 saw Frusciante release no less than six solo albums exploring different techniques and genres. In 2009 he released his tenth solo album ‘The Empyrean’ before leaving the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
Following the release of ‘The Empyrean’ Frusciante contributed to the Mars Volta’s albums ‘The Bedlam in Goliath’ and ‘Octahedron’. He has also formed an electro duo with Aaron Funk called ‘Speed Dealer Moms’ releasing their first album on December 2010. Frusciante has also played for his girlfriend’s band ‘Swahili Blondes’ and has released two albums with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez.
Frusciante’s most popular guitar is his 1962 Fender Stratocaster which he has owned and used since joining the Chilli Peppers although he claims his most prized guitar is his 1957 Gretsch White Falcon. For his acoustic work Frusciante predominately uses a 1950s Martin 0-15. His guitar style is heavily influenced by the guitarists of the 1960s and is characterised by its rhythmic patterns and intense emotion.