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David Michael Navarro was born in
His mother was Constance Colleen Hopkins and his father is "Mike"
(James Raul) Navarro. His father's father came to
Dave was the only child for many years until around October 1994 when Dave's
father had a son and named him Gabriel James. (Another
addition of a sister around late 1998.) Baby Gabe
can be heard crying on the Red Hot Chili Pepper's album One Hot Minute (One Big
Mob). Dave used to carry a small tape recorder with him and one day recorded
his baby brother crying. This may seem crude as far as recording techniques go,
but it fits perfectly.
When Dave was about 11 or 1 When Dave was about 11 or 12 his father bought him
an acoustic guitar at a garage sale. Dave's cousin Dan
(you know, of Lowen & Navarro) played guitar and
showed Dave a few things.
Dave's parents' marriage wasn't going very well and they got divorced when Dave
was 7. Dave lived with his mother until March 1983 when he was 15 because
sadly, his mother and aunt were killed by
Around this time Dave was still new to the guitar and while at a skateboard
park and could hear what he thinks was either Jimi
Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile" or "Purple Haze" over the intercom
system. The moment that he heard that song, it changed his life. It was then
that he decided he wanted to could create those kind
of sounds. It wasn't long before Dave started playing electric guitar.
This is when he began to practice constantly, to the point where he became
isolated from the rest of the world. Shortly after Dave
played in his first band, South Dakota Railroad. They mainly did covers
of Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin. Also in
this time period it can be noted that Dave went to John Thomas Dye elementary
school with Eric Avery and dated his sister Rebecca in junior high.
Dave attended the private
He then enrolled in public school and well, he never really attended. Thus, his
clasmates were the class of 1985,
he was the one who didn't graduate. Th. Dave didn't do well in school--he and
Stephen were well known for their drug use. Eventually Dave was kicked out for
bad grades, long hair, and questionable ties to the LA drug community during
11th grade. He then enrolled in public school and well, he never really
attended. Thus, his clasmates were the class of 1985, he was the one who didn't graduate. Though, later Dave
did get his G.E.D. (Dave eventually moved into his own apartment in Westwood. He
lived there the entire length of his membership in Jane's Addiction.)
I think Dave was known as a musician with superb skills, for example; the main
influence to him was Jimi Hendrix, for skills, he
learned it from Van Halen. For speed problems, Dave
listens to Iron Maiden and some punk bands (he and Stephen Perkins were in a
speed metal band called Dizastre) then he moved on to
intellectual English music (for the sound). He learned from guitarists like
Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Tones On Tail, Love and Rockets,
and solo work) and Robert Smith (The Cure, Siouxsie
and the Banshees, The Glove) thatguitar playing
didn't have to focus on skill or the technical side, but rather on simplicity
of sound. Without a lot of technique Daniel Ash can play all sorts of
hauntingly beautiful melodies.
He is quite skilled at using an EBow and he is most
likely the one to have influenced Dave on developing his own EBow skills. (Luckily for Dave all of the members of Love
and Rockets live in
In marching band he met Stephen Perkins and together
they formed a short lived speed metal band called Dizastre.
Dave didn't do well in school--he and Steph. Without
a lot of technique Daniel Ash can play all sorts of hauntingly beautiful melodies.
He is quite skilled at using an EBow and he is most
likely the one to have influenced Dave on developing his own EBow skills. (Luckily for Dave all of the members of Love
and Rockets live in
In addition, all members of Love and Rockets contributed to Porno For Pyro's "Porpoise
Head". Dave attended the private
Dave introduced Stephen to Eric's sister and Stephen began to date her. Eric
met Perry Farrell through the now legendary "Jane" and he joined
Perry's dwindling band Psi Com for one hot minute. They
then decided to play under the name of Jane's Addiction. Their drummer was a good
friend of Eric's and was in another band at the same time. He decided to leave
Jane's for the other. In need of a bassist, Eric's sister kept raving about her
boyfriend and thus Eric brought along Stephen. They did have a guitarist but he
left.
So much has been written on Jane's Addiction that I feel there is nothing I can
say. Simply, their first gig was in 1986 and their last gig was in 1991.Things
seemed to go well for Jane's Addiction, drawing a large following in Los
Angeles and eventually other major cities.Eric So
much has been written on Jane's Addiction that I feel there is nothing I can
say. Simply, their first gig was in 1986 and their last gig was in 1991.
Things seemed to go well for Jane's Addiction, drawing a large following in
Dave had been asked to consider joining the Red Hot Chili Peppers to help them
with their 1992 Lollapalooza tour, but he declined because he wanted to be part
of a writing process and not just play old songs, he had just toured
Lollapalooza the previous year, and he was committed to the Deconstruction project.
Dave was sought by other bands, including Guns 'N' Roses.
Finally, though, the timing was right when the Red Hot Chili Peppers asked
again and Dave became an official member on
Music evolves as the people who create it evolve. We can only wait to see what
their next album will bring. Unfortunately this will not happen as Dave
officially left the Chili Peppers on
As you may know, Dave's current musical experience started as a side project
between him and Chad Smith.
It was known as Swallow at first (but there already is a group by that name)
and then changed to Spread. This side project has now become Dave's full time
endeavor as
