The Real Reason Dave Navarro Was ‘Horribly’ Fired From Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rock bands are usually rife with stories about members’ tumultuous exits, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are no exception. The group fired guitar player Dave Navarro in the 1990s, and even the remaining members admit it “went horribly.”
Jane’s Addiction guitar player Dave Navarro joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers after guitarist John Frusciante left the group
Navarro started his music career with Jane’s Addiction in 1986, serving as the lead guitarist. The band became a fixture on the alt-rock scene. But by 1991, tensions ran so high in Jane’s Addiction that the group decided to call it quits.
In 1993, Navarro joined up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers after John Frusciante left the group. Frusciante struggled with both addiction and the band’s sudden rise to fame and quit abruptly after a show in Tokyo.
Personal differences, an underperforming album, and substance abuse issues led to Dave Navarro’s split with the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Navarro seemed like a perfect fit for the group. And the Red Hot Chili Peppers were excited to see how his different musical style could shake up the band’s sound. However, Ultimate Classic Rock reported that certain differences, such as Navarro’s dislike of funk and jamming, made things tense.
Adding to the difficult situation was the underperformance of 1994’s One Hot Minute, the only album Navarro appeared on with the band. The album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard charts and the single “My Friends” hit No. 1 on the alternative charts. But One Hot Minute was largely regarded as a letdown among fans.
Making things even worse, both Navarro and Anthony Kiedis relapsed and started abusing drugs and alcohol again. The situation was a powder keg just waiting to explode and something had to give, which led to Navarro’s exit from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Anthony Kiedis said firing Dave Navarro from the Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘went horribly’ and he was ‘really upset’
“We had to fire Dave,” Kiedis wrote in his autobiography, Scar Tissue. He explained that Flea, the group’s bass player, talked to him about leaving the group. But Navarro was “really upset,” so Kiedis did a “follow-up” talk.
“It went horribly because he was totally loaded, and even though he knew there was no way this band could work, the verbalization of the reality pissed him off to no end,” Kiedis concluded.
The explanation the Red Hot Chili Peppers gave to the rest of the world was very different. Navarro said that, while he “love[d] those guys to death” and called being a Chili Pepper “one of the best experiences of my life,” he wanted to work on his solo career. Kiedis also commented publicly on Navarro’s exit, saying that it was “a completely mutual parting based on creative differences” and that he still “love[d] the guy.”
Following his departure from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Navarro rejoined Jane’s Addiction
After Navarro’s split with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Frusciante rejoined the group, while Navarro continued making music as a solo artist. In 2002, Jane’s Addiction reformed, with all the original members reuniting by 2008.
He continued to tour with Jane’s Addiction until 2022 when the effects of long COVID made performing difficult. Navarro will also be sitting out a 2023 tour with the group for the same reasons [per Billboard].
Despite his dramatic exit from the band, there are no hard feelings between Navarro and the rest of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They remain friendly and have even performed together at various shows over the years.
