John Frusciante

John Anthony Frusciante (born March 5, 1970) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the former guitarist of the rock/funk band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he recorded five studio albums. Frusciante has an active solo career, having released ten albums under his own name, as well as two with now-Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and Joe Lally, as Ataxia. His solo recordings include elements ranging from experimental rock and ambient music to New Wave and electronica. Influenced by guitarists of various genres, Frusciante emphasizes melody and emotion in his guitar playing, and favors vintage guitars and analog recording techniques.

Frusciante joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers at eighteen, first appearing on the band's 1989 album Mother's Milk. The group's 1991 follow-up album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, was a breakthrough success. However, he was overwhelmed by the band's new popularity and quit in 1992. He became a recluse and entered a long period of drug and heroin addiction, during which he released his first recordings: Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt (1994) and then Smile from the Streets You Hold (1997). In 1998, he successfully completed drug rehabilitation and rejoined the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which resulted in the critically acclaimed 1999 album Californication. The album To Record Only Water for Ten Days was compiled in 2001, followed by the 2002 release of By the Way. On a creative spree, Frusciante released six solo albums in 2004; each album exploring different recording techniques and genres. These albums range from 60's esque rock to Cat Stevens like soft acoustics. In 2006, the Red Hot Chili Peppers released Stadium Arcadium. Afterwards in 2009, Frusciante released The Empyrean and again parted ways with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, stating to his fans he wanted to remain true to the artist within him and continue exploring other works in his life. Frusciante has produced and/or recorded with the Wu-Tang Clan, The Mars Volta, George Clinton, and others. Frusciante has received critical recognition for his guitar playing, ranking eighteenth on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" in 2003. and he was voted the best guitarist of the last 30 years in a 2010 BBC poll called "The Axe Factor".

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