Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith reached out to former bandmate John Frusciante for his 49th birthday on Tuesday. He tweeted a photo and wrote, “Happy birthday John! One of my favorite pics!”
Reclusive former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante recently announced a 10-year anniversary vinyl reissue of The Empyrean.
The release is described as, “Recut by John Frusciante and Bernie Grundman from the original analog tapes. This double disc LP includes a download card of the album plus bonus tracks in hi-resolution.
Preorders will ship the week of March 25th. Official release date is March 29th.”
Happy birthday John! One of my favorite pics! pic.twitter.com/Hk11FC8RYU
— Chad Smith (@RHCPchad) March 5, 2019
Last July, For the first time since 2007, John Frusciante reunited with his former Red Hot Chili Peppers bandmate Flea to attend a boxing fight in Los Angeles at Staples Center. Frusciante has not been photographed with any RHCP members since his departure from the band a decade ago. He even declined to attend the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2012.
Frusciante officially left the Red Hot Chili Peppers for the second time in 2009, with his friend and collaborator Josh Klinghoffer replacing him. Frusciante reportedly told a fan in December 2017 that he could maybe one day return to the Chili Peppers.
“He said that destiny made him fall in love with other things that made him distance himself from a rock band, but in the end he completed that one day he might come back, he just thinks it’s still far from happening but it’s a possibility for one day maybe. That was the first question.”
Frusciante has not performed live with Red Hot Chili Peppers since August 26, 2007 at the Leeds Festival, and he has not toured solo since his exit. Could this public reunion with Flea be the first sign of a return to RHCP? We’ll have to wait and see!
