Red Hot Chili Peppers Announce John Frusciante Is Rejoining The Band

American funk-rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced that former guitarist John Frusciante has rejoined the band, replacing Josh Klinghoffer in the line-up.

Having previously enjoyed two stints in the LA-formed quartet, Frusciante hasn't been in the band for more than a decade and news of his return has delighted fans across the world.

The band wrote on Instagram: "The Red Hot Chili Peppers announce that we are parting ways with our guitarist of the past ten years, Josh Klinghoffer.

"Josh is a beautiful musician who we respect and love. We are deeply grateful for our time with him, and the countless gifts he shared with us.

"We also announce, with great excitement and full hearts, that John Frusciante is rejoining our group."

Having joined the band in 1988, as they rose from underground stardom to mainstream fame, Frusciante famously quit the Red Hot Chili Peppers just before they were supposed to go on stage in Japan in May 1992.

He was overwhelmed by how famous the band had become and had secretly developed a drug addiction.

However, the guitarist returned to the band in 1998 and helped create the hugely successful Californication and By The Way albums, which have collectively sold more than 24 million copies.

PA

The guitarist quit again in 2009 while the band was on hiatus, however they decided to reform without Frusciante and started working on their tenth studio album.

Frusciante said about his departure in 2009: "When I quit the band, over a year ago, we were on an indefinite hiatus. There was no drama or anger involved, and the other guys were very understanding.

"They are supportive of me doing whatever makes me happy and that goes both ways. To put it simply, my musical interests have led me in a different direction."

The band are now working on their twelfth studio album, which is slated for release early next year. It's not known how much influence Frusciante will have on the record and how much has already been recorded with Klinghoffer.

Topics: Entertainment, Music

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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