10 Musicians Who Left Major Bands
3. John Frusciante - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Red Hot Chili Peppers never really aspired to be the biggest band in the world. Their brand of funk rock and punk seemed destined for cult status throughout the 80's. Once the band released Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the band's rapid ascent in popularity had a major impact on guitarist John Frusciante.
Always the mild-mannered genius of the Peppers, Frusciante never planned to become a rockstar and found the sudden slew of attention very unappealing. Frusciante turned to heroin to help him cope with his nerves, which prompted bad blood between him and singer Anthony Kiedis. This led to live shows where the band would be giving it their all while Fruscianted quietly sulked at the corner of the stage.
The ongoing friction between the members ultimately led to a disasterous gig in Japan, where Frusciante quit the band minutes before they were about to go onstage. While Frusciante agreed to finish the gig, his departure shortly led him down a dark path of drug addiction and animosity towards frontman Anthony Kiedis. As the years went by, Frusciante returned the Peppers only to leave again in the 2000's due to creative differences. With Frusciante set to return yet again this year, hopefully the third time will be the charm.