John Frusciante

He became a recluse and entered a long period of drug addiction, during which he released his first solo recordings: Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt (1994) and Smile from the Streets You Hold (1997). In 1998, he successfully completed drug rehabilitation and rejoined the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their next album, Californication (1999) would eventually go on to sell 16 million copies. His album To Record Only Water for Ten Days was made in 2001. A fourth album with the Chili Peppers, By the Way was released in 2002. On a creative spree, Frusciante released six solo albums in 2004; each album explored different recording techniques and genres. In 2006, Stadium Arcadium, Frusciante's fifth and final album with the Chili Peppers was released. In 2009, Frusciante released The Empyrean, which features Flea and Josh Klinghoffer, but announced he had again parted ways with the Chili Peppers during their hiatus. Frusciante has produced and/or recorded with the Wu-Tang Clan, The Mars Volta, Swahili Blonde, The Bicycle Thief, Glenn Hughes, Ziggy Marley, Johnny Cash, George Clinton, and others.

Frusciante has received critical recognition for his guitar playing, ranking at number 18 on Rolling Stones list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" in 2003; and again in a second list penned in 2011, where he ranked at number 72. He ranks the #43 among the 50 Best Guitarist of All Time according to the website of the manufacturer of Gibson guitars and was also voted "The Best Guitarist of The Last 30 Years" in a 2010 BBC poll called "The Axe Factor". Read Less