Dave Navarro
A guitarist known for his searing, atmospheric riffs and dark aesthetic, shaping the sound of alternative rock with Jane's Addiction and beyond.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American guitarist·Birthday: June 7·Generation X
Biography
Dave Navarro's guitar playing is a study in controlled chaos—lyrical, effects-laden, and dripping with a sensual, gothic tension. Emerging from the Los Angeles club scene, he found his perfect match in Jane's Addiction, a band that defied genre. His work on albums like 'Nothing's Shocking' and 'Ritual de lo Habitual' provided the sonic architecture for their psychedelic punk-metal, blending flamenco-inspired passages with walls of distortion. His high-profile stint with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on 'One Hot Minute' introduced his darker, more complex textures to a funk-rock foundation, creating a unique and polarizing chapter in that band's history. Navarro's life, marked by well-documented personal struggles and tragedies, has always been intertwined with his art, giving his performances a raw, cathartic edge. Beyond music, he's been a television host, an author, and a visual artist, maintaining his status as a compelling and enigmatic figure in alternative culture.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Dave was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- As lead guitarist for Jane's Addiction, he co-wrote and performed on their landmark albums 'Nothing's Shocking' and 'Ritual de lo Habitual.'
- Joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers for their 1995 album 'One Hot Minute,' contributing its distinct, heavy guitar sound.
- Co-hosted the popular celebrity tattoo competition show 'Ink Master' for multiple seasons.
- Released a collaborative album with Jane's Addiction bandmates under the side project name Deconstruction.
Did You Know?
He is a great-grandnephew of famed actor and comedian Jerry Lewis.
He is an avid photographer and has had his work exhibited in galleries.
He has numerous tattoos, including a large portrait of his mother, who was tragically murdered when he was a teenager.
He was briefly married to actress Carmen Electra in 2003.
“Music is the place where I go to when I don't know where else to go.”
