Early Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Jack Sherman died at age 64 on August 18th, according to CNN. His passing was noted by his former bandmates, who posted on Instagram, “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.” No cause of death was announced.
Sherman, who was the band's second guitarist, replacing Hillel Slovak, performed on the band's 1984 self-titled debut, and co-wrote material and contributed to the following year's Freaky Styley — with Slovak returning before the album's release. Despite being edged out of the band, Sherman went on to perform backing vocals on such future Chili Peppers projects as 1988's The Abbey Road E.P. and 1989's Mother's Milk album. Over the course of his career, Sherman recorded with the like of Bob Dylan, George Clinton, Feargal Sharkey, and Peter Case.
In Anthony Kiedis' 2004 memoir, Scar Tissue, he said of Sherman: “God bless Jack, he did keep the band afloat for a year, and if he hadn't, the years to follow probably wouldn't have.”