John Frusciante (born 1970) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he has recorded five studio albums. Frusciante also maintains an active solo career, having released ten albums under his own name, as well as two collaborations with Josh Klinghoffer and Joe Lally, under the name Ataxia. His solo recordings incorporate a variety of elements ranging from experimental rock and ambient music to New Wave and electronica. Drawing influence from guitarists of various genres, Frusciante emphasizes melody and emotion in his guitar playing, and favors vintage guitars and analog recording techniques. Frusciante joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the age of eighteen, first appearing on the band's 1989 album Mother's Milk. The group's follow-up album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, was a breakthrough success. However, he was overwhelmed by the band's newfound popularity and as a result quit in 1992. He became a recluse and entered a long period of heroin addiction, during which he released his first recordings: Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt (1994) and Smile from the Streets You Hold (1997). In 1998, Frusciante successfully completed drug rehabilitation and rejoined the Chili Peppers for their 1999 album Californication. Since then he has continued to record with the band and has received critical recognition for his guitar playing, ranking eighteenth on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" in 2003.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Frusciante

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1808:

Beginning of the Peninsular War: The people of Madrid rebelled against French occupation of the city. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dos_de_Mayo_Uprising

1829:

Captain Charles Fremantle of the Royal Navy established the Swan River Colony, the first British settlement on the west coast of Australia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_River_Colony

1945:

World War II: General Helmuth Weidling, commander of the German troops in Berlin, surrendered the city to Soviet forces led by General Georgy Zhukov, ending the Battle of Berlin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berlin

1982:

Falklands War: HMS Conqueror launched three torpedoes and sank ARA General Belgrano , the only ship ever to have been sunk by a nuclear-powered submarine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARA_General_Belgrano

1986:

Henri Toivonen was killed in an accident while leading the Tour de Corse rally, resulting in FISA, the sport governing body for motor racing events, banning the powerful and popular Group B rally cars for the following season. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Toivonen

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

alacrity (n): 1. Eagerness; liveliness; enthusiasm.

2. Promptness; speed http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alacrity

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Philosophy can bake no bread; but she can procure for us God, Freedom, Immortality. --Novalis http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Novalis