Former Red Hot Chili Peppers Guitarist Jack Sherman Has Died

"He was a unique dude and we thank him for all times good, bad and in between. Peace on the boogie platform."

BY Alex HudsonPublished Aug 22, 2020

Jack Sherman, a guitarist who played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the band's early days, has died. He was 64.

The band announced the news on social media. They wrote:

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 joined RHCP in 1983, following the exit of original guitarist Hillel Slovak, and played on their self-titled debut album in 1984. He was part of the band's first tour and co-wrote much of their second album, 1985's Freaky Styley. Sherman was fired before the recording sessions, however, reportedly due to personal and musical differences with frontman Anthony Kiedis.

When the Chili Peppers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, Sherman was not included. The reason cited was that only original and current members of band qualified, plus those who had played on multiple albums; Sherman, however, told Billboard that this 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." The band's lawyer contradicted this claim, saying that it was the Hall's decision.

Sherman's cause of death has not been revealed.
 

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