Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced the death of their second guitarist Jack Sherman. He was 64, and no cause of death is known at this time. RHCP posted on Twitter, “We of the RHCP family would like to wish Jack Sherman smooth sailing into the worlds beyond, for he has passed. Jack played on our debut album as well as our first tour of the USA.
He was a unique dude and we thank him for all times good, bad and in between. Peace on the boogie platform.”
Sherman briefly replaced original guitarist Hillel Slovak in December 1983, playing on the Chili Peppers’ self-titled debut album and the supporting tour. Slovak later returned and replaced Sherman in early 1985, remaining with the band until his June 1988 death. John Frusciante later joined and became RHCP’s most known guitarist, playing on their biggest hits albums.
Sherman was snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when RHCP were inducted in 2012, even reaching out to his bandmates to attempt to help him get in, but it was to no avail. He was told you had to be an original member, a current member, or have played on multiple albums. Sherman told Billboard that his exclusion was a “politically correct way of omitting Dave Navarro and I for whatever reasons they have that are probably the band’s and not the Hall’s.”
Gang of Four’s Andy Gill, who produced the band’s record and died earlier this year, disagreed with Sherman not being inducted into the Hall of Fame. “I do find him to be significant to the band’s history, very much part of getting the funk guitar in there. They just really rubbed each other up the wrong way.”
We of the RHCP family would like to wish Jack Sherman smooth sailing into the worlds beyond, for he has passed. Jack played on our debut album as well as our first tour of the USA. pic.twitter.com/2vpZ3wrYRN
— Red Hot ChiliPeppers (@ChiliPeppers) August 22, 2020
