Early guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers

JACK SHERMAN Jan. 18, 1956 - Aug. 18, 2020

Jack Sherman, an early guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers who was featured on their debut album and cowrote much of their sophomore follow-up, has died. He was 64.

A cause of death was not disclosed.

The news was confirmed by the band on their Instagram account on Friday.

“We of the RHCP family would like to wish Jack Sherman smooth sailing into the worlds beyond, for he has passed,” read the post. “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.”

Mr. Sherman had a short stint in the band, replacing onagain, off-again guitarist and founding member Hillel Slovak on their 1983 self-titled debut. He also co-wrote much of their 1985 follow-up, “Freaky Styley,” but was replaced by Mr. Slovak by the time the album came out.

Mr. Sherman also had lesser credits on two more RHCP albums, 1988’s “The Abbey Road EP” and 1989’s “Mother’s Milk.”

Despite his early contributions to the band, Mr. Sherman was not included when the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 and blamed the band for influencing the decision to leave him and guitarist Dave Navarro out.

“It’s really painful to see all this celebrating going on and be excluded,” he told Billboard at the time. “I’m not claiming that I’ve brought anything other to the band ... but to have soldiered on under arduous conditions to try to make the thing work, and I think that’s what you do in a job, looking back. And that’s been dishonored. I’m being dishonored and it sucks.”

Following his time with the Chili Peppers, Mr. Sherman played on albums by such artists as Bob Dylan, George Clinton and Feargal Sharkey.