John Frusciante’s longtime guitar tech, Dave Lee, recently shared insights into the guitarist’s departure from the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2009, revealing that Frusciante had been contemplating a break from the band as early as 2007.
Frusciante’s on-and-off relationship with the Chili Peppers has been a source of both heartache and celebration for fans. After helping the band redefine its sound with Mother’s Milk in 1989, following the tragic loss of guitarist Hillel Slovak, Frusciante left abruptly in 1992. His return in 1998 launched a second golden era, marked by the release of Californication in 1999. However, he departed again in 2009, only to reunite with the band a decade later, solidifying the lineup once more.
In an interview with Boss, Lee explained that Frusciante’s 2009 departure didn’t come as a surprise to those close to him:
“Everything shut down when he officially left in 2009, but the writing was already on the wall. I remember John and I were sitting in the dressing room at either the Reading or Leeds Festival in 2007, and he told me he was going to take two years off. He said, ‘After that, I’ll know if I want to be in the band.’ It was a bummer, but I understood: he had to do what he had to do.”
Lee acknowledged that many fans struggle to understand Frusciante’s decision:
“A lot of people don’t understand it. They’re like, ‘How can you quit the Red Hot Chili Peppers?’ For a lot of musicians, being in a band like the Chili Peppers would be the pinnacle. One in a million musicians get that kind of success. The chances are so slim, even for really talented people.”
Discussing Frusciante’s unique approach to his craft, Lee credited the guitarist’s artistic authenticity as the key to his success:
“It sounds cliched, but it really is accurate: John was true to himself and his art. He refuses to let success, or the hope of success, guide his creative world. That’s the only way I can explain it. When John wrote ‘Under the Bridge,’ for example, he wasn’t trying to make a hit song; he wrote it because that’s what he felt like doing.”
Lee also dispelled any notion that commercial success influenced Frusciante’s choices:
“They had released Stadium Arcadium to gigantic success, and he appreciated that. But he really does not make any music because he hopes it’ll make him money. And that is absolutely true. I’m a natural skeptic, and when I hear people say things like, ‘I don’t want to be a musician for fame and fortune,’ I think, ‘That’s bullshit.’ But this is a case where I literally witnessed it. For real. The dude walked away from the Chili Peppers after Stadium Arcadium. Now, what does that tell you? One thing’s for sure: he’s not there for the success.”
Frusciante’s journey with the Red Hot Chili Peppers remains a testament to his commitment to staying true to his artistic vision, even when it meant stepping away from one of the most successful bands in music history.
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