Even if the name Dave Navarro doesn't ring a bell, his signature rock riffs probably do. The often-shirtless guitar legend was an important member of the band Jane's Addiction, had a five-year stint in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, released a solo album, and even served as a judge on the tattoo-themed reality show "Ink Master." Despite his rough exterior and difficult past, Navarro is said to be one of the most likable and charismatic figures in the world of rock. From his charity work to his love of classical music, there's a lot about the rock star that most of the world doesn't know. This is the truth about Dave Navarro.
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00:00As the lead axeman for Jane's Addiction, Dave Navarro is the epitome of the flamboyant
00:0590s guitar god.
00:06But did you know he once wrote Fiona Apple a love letter in his own blood?
00:11What did it say, and how did she respond?
00:14Keep watching to find out.
00:16While Dave Navarro might be known for his time in Jane's Addiction, he was part of another
00:20seminal rock group in the 90s.
00:22Navarro joined Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1993 and left in 1998 after contributing his funkadelic
00:28licks to the album One Hot Minute.
00:30Despite already being a guitar icon when he teamed up with RHCP, he wasn't as universally
00:35beloved as the band's former guitarist, John Fischante.
00:40At the time of Navarro's departure, Warner Bros. released a statement from Chili Peppers
00:44vocalist Anthony Kiedis, stating,
00:46"...this is a completely mutual parting based on creative differences.
00:50We had fun and I love the guy."
00:53Years later, Navarro opened up about the real reason for his departure on his Dark Matter
00:57radio show, admitting that his struggles with addiction impacted him in such a way
01:02that he couldn't even play guitar.
01:04Navarro said on the show,
01:05"...I literally tripped into stacks of speakers and storage gear and whatever, and I was like
01:10pretty clear that I wasn't going to be able to get it together.
01:13So they decided to go in a different direction."
01:15As the axe slinger for Jane's Addiction and a bonafide showman on stage, Dave Navarro
01:25has become one of the most instantly recognizable musicians in rock and roll.
01:29Plus, it helps that he's really good at what he does.
01:32It should come as no surprise, then, that Axl Rose wanted Navarro to head on down to
01:36Paradise City and join Guns N' Roses after the departure of their guitarist Izzy Stradlin.
01:42Appearing on the podcast Appetite for Distortion, Navarro discussed his curious history with
01:47Guns N' Roses.
01:48He revealed that Rose reached out to him, and they spoke about ideas nearly every day.
01:53Unfortunately, due to his drug addiction at the time, Navarro didn't show up for his
01:57audition since he realized he wouldn't have been able to perform at the level required.
02:02In 1999, Navarro finally collaborated with Guns N' Roses as he played guitar on the single
02:07Oh My God, which appeared on the soundtrack for the Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. the Devil
02:12film End of Days.
02:14After that, it was hasta la vista between Navarro and Guns N' Roses.
02:19Dave Navarro is no stranger to rocking out with large crowds.
02:22Whether he was filling up arenas around the globe with Jane's Addiction or playing to
02:26350,000 people at Woodstock 94 with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Navarro lived the dream
02:32and graced some massive stages.
02:34It wasn't always like this, though.
02:36He had to pay his dues in the early days.
02:39Discussing his first gig with Louder Sound, Navarro revealed he was still in high school
02:43when he played at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, saying,
02:46"...there were about 15 people there.
02:48It was amazing, the highlight of my life."
02:51It wasn't only an important day for Navarro.
02:54The drummer for his band was none other than Stephen Perkins, who would go on to play for
02:58Jane's Addiction.
02:59In fact, it was Perkins who would recommend Navarro as a guitarist to the band and encourage
03:04them to bring him into the fold.
03:07Jane's Addiction was a unique-sounding band for their era.
03:10Even though they had one foot firmly planted in the alternative rock camp, they weren't
03:14afraid to wear their different and often eclectic influences on their sleeves.
03:18Dave Navarro admitted to American Songwriter that Jimi Hendrix was his reason for picking
03:22up a guitar when he was a child.
03:24That said, the Jimi Hendrix experience doesn't hold the distinct honor of being Navarro's
03:29all-time favorite band, though.
03:31That accolade belongs to another group that has no need for introduction.
03:35Speaking to Los Angeles Magazine, Navarro discussed his love for a certain English psychedelic
03:40band that drove the establishment up the wall.
03:43Navarro told the magazine,
03:46"...Pink Floyd is my all-time favorite band, and David Gilmour is my favorite guitar player
03:50of all time."
03:52Even though Navarro doesn't play the same genre of music as Pink Floyd, there's no doubt
03:56that Gilmour's desire to explore the sonic soundscapes of the sixth string encouraged
04:00him to do the same.
04:03Dave Navarro doesn't have much time for critics and their many opinions, especially when it
04:06comes to entertainment.
04:08In an interview with Gothamist, Navarro revealed that he doesn't care what critics have to
04:12say about his tours or albums.
04:14"...If things fail, which they can and do all the time, there's always the next thing."
04:19It seems Navarro is only concerned with the opinion of his fans.
04:23It doesn't stop at music, though.
04:25Navarro shrugs off film reviews and criticism as well, choosing to watch what he wants and
04:30on his terms.
04:32Internet rumors are pesky little things.
04:34Quite often, they pop out of nowhere, and people end up believing them as gospel, even
04:39if there's no factual evidence to back them up.
04:42Case in point.
04:43Dave Navarro being Nicky Nightmare's father.
04:45Nightmare, a TikTok creator, rose to prominence for his imitations of famous rock songs and
04:50his claim that his parents are celebrities.
04:53Since Nightmare also plays shirtless and utilizes the surname Navarro, his fans didn't even
04:58need to call Mystery, Inc. to form the hypothesis that Jane's Addiction's guitar god must be
05:03his father.
05:04Insider reached out to Navarro for comment, and his representative responded, saying,
05:09Dave is not familiar with this lad, and not his father.
05:12In 2013, Navarro confirmed to LA Weekly that he doesn't have children, nor does he want
05:17any.
05:18Gone are the days when rock stars looked like they'd smell like a nose-pinching combination
05:22of stale beer and a public urinal.
05:25Health is wealth, and it's become the norm for musicians to treat themselves to some
05:28tender loving care.
05:30As was revealed by Dave Navarro's ex-wife Carmen Electra to People magazine, Navarro
05:35had a bigger closet than her and took his sweet time to get himself looking good.
05:39Electra told the outlet,
05:41He had hair and makeup, and he would get into the vibe.
05:44Yes, he loved it.
05:46She added how Navarro had a specific appearance at the time with his leather pants, eyeliner,
05:51and shirtless look, but she couldn't deny it worked for him, saying Navarro looked amazing.
05:58All's fair in love, war, and rock and roll, right?
06:01When it came down to Jane's Addiction, the tumultuous nature of the band proved to be
06:04one of its greatest drivers, as they channeled that explosive energy into their music.
06:10As described by Spin, there was already an unspoken standoff between vocalist Perry Farrell
06:15and bassist Eric Avery during the recording sessions for their now-legendary album Nothing
06:20Shocking.
06:21In 1991, during a Lollapalooza show, Dave Navarro and Farrell got into it in the middle
06:26of their concert.
06:28While Navarro doesn't look back on the incident fondly, he can't even remember what led to
06:32the pair coming to blows.
06:34In an interview with Vanity Fair, Navarro recalled,
06:37"...we were kids and we were volatile.
06:39We had different forms of expression than we do now.
06:42I'm sure that some of those altercations were chemically induced in one way or another."
06:46Ironically, the whole purpose of the first Lollapalooza was meant to serve as the band's
06:52farewell tour, so of course, they had to go out with a big swing.
06:56"...Jane's Addiction, one of the classic great groups from Los Angeles."
07:02Even though Dave Navarro's highest-profile relationship was his marriage to Carmen Electra,
07:06he decided that he needed to go above and beyond to make a striking first impression
07:11on singer-songwriter Fiona Apple.
07:13The two musicians were announced to appear at the K-Rock Almost Acoustic Christmas gig
07:17in 1997.
07:19Upon finding out that Apple was performing at the same show, Navarro penned her a love
07:24letter on the wall in his own blood.
07:26The crimson note read,
07:28"...Dear Fiona, have fun.
07:30Love, D.N."
07:32The story sounded so outrageous that even K-Rock's DJs couldn't believe it.
07:37Deciding to put the rumors to rest, Navarro phoned in and confirmed it was true, adding,
07:42"...the love letter to Apple was a little note that comes from the beauty and pain that
07:45flows from within my heart.
07:48Literally."
07:49Apple never responded to the bloody love letter, probably thinking it best to never be discussed
07:54again.
07:55Many people turn to heavy music as catharsis after a long, hard day at work.
08:00Yet despite all the rage, there's also comfort in looking to the composers of the past for
08:04relief, particularly in the classical music genre.
08:08In an interview with Revolver, Navarro unpacked the songs he listens to when he has a dark
08:12day.
08:13While Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie's tunes all made it onto his list, Navarro
08:19showcased his diverse taste by tipping his hat to Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, which he
08:24described as a heavy track.
08:27Navarro told the outlet,
08:28"...that's one piece that's so dark, moving, cinematic and beautiful.
08:32If you're going about your day at your house and that's playing, it makes everything heavy."
08:38For a lot of guitarists, losing their six-string would be like losing a limb.
08:42It isn't just a musical instrument, it's an extension of their creativity.
08:46In fact, some guitars hold personal meaning to musicians, reminding them of key and inspirational
08:52moments in their journey.
08:53Dave Navarro felt exactly the same way about his custom Ibanez guitar, which accompanied
08:58him to the recording sessions of some of Jane's Addiction's most iconic tracks.
09:03Navarro told Guitar Center,
09:04"...when Ibanez signed me, it was a big deal unto itself, because I was a kid, self-taught
09:09listening to Hendrix and Page, and now I've got a sponsorship with the same guitar company
09:13as Steve Vai?"
09:16During the first Lollapalooza festival, and at the height of his addiction, Navarro pawned
09:20his guitar for some quick cash.
09:22In 2018, Guitar Center Hollywood's Eric Bradley recognized the legendary guitar when it was
09:27brought into the store.
09:29He bought it, and through several connections, it made contact with its original owner.
09:34Navarro was over the moon to be reunited with his guitar 28 years later, saying,
09:38"...an instrument like this is not unlike a relationship with a human being.
09:42It's something you connect to, that hears you, understands you."
09:47Music Cares is a humanitarian foundation that was started in 1989 to assist musicians who
09:52are struggling with issues such as mental health and addiction.
09:55It's also an organization that holds a personal connection to Dave Navarro, as he revealed
10:00to Inked.
10:01After Navarro got clean, he partnered with writer Neil Strauss to publish a book titled
10:05Don't Try This at Home, A Year in the Life of Dave Navarro, an honest memoir about his
10:11trials and tribulations as an addict.
10:13However, there was something that made Navarro uneasy about the release of the book.
10:18Navarro told Inked,
10:19Before the book came out, I began to feel it wasn't right to be making money off the
10:23stories revolving around the darkest times in my life, and other people's misery.
10:27So the one solution I had was all the proceeds from that book went to a greater good, and
10:32that was Music Cares.
10:34Since then, Navarro has been actively involved with the foundation as he tries to assist
10:39other musicians and normalize asking for help when one is struggling.
10:44Through his association and work with Music Cares, Dave Navarro wants to raise awareness
10:48not only for addiction struggles, but also mental health and suicide prevention.
10:53Depression is the loneliest, saddest, most isolating thing.
10:57It's an important cause, with the World Health Organization reporting over 700,000 people
11:02take their lives every single year.
11:05Navarro admitted to Yahoo!
11:07Entertainment that he considered taking his own life in the past.
11:10In the same discussion, Navarro detailed how the deaths of Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington
11:15were harrowing reminders of the importance of mental health and reaching out to others.
11:20Navarro told the outlet,
11:21"...I would say that going to Chris Cornell's funeral and seeing Chester Bennington sing
11:25a beautiful song for his friend, and then Chester taking his life a month later, really
11:29had a massive impact on me."
11:32Navarro and fellow musician Billy Morrison started a Music Cares benefit concert series
11:36called Above Ground as a way to show that there is help and hope for those who are suffering.
11:42If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide
11:47Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK 8255.