Who is Dave Navarro? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: David Michael Navarro

Age: 56 Years, 56 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Carmen Electra (m. 2003–2007), Rhian Gittins (m. 1994–1994), Tania Goddard (m. 1990–1993)

father: James Raul Navarro

mother: Constance Colleen Hopkins

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Height: 5'9" (175 cm), 5'9" Males

Ancestry: Mexican American

Notable Alumni: Notre Dame High School

U.S. State: California

City: Santa Monica, California

More Facts

education: Notre Dame High School

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Childhood & Early Life

Dave Navarro was born David Michael Navarro on 7th June 1967 in Santa Monica, California, to father James Raul Navarro and mother Constance Colleen Hopkins. His mother was a model who had played a part in the comedy game show ‘Let’s Make a Deal’.

His lineage is part Mexican, as his paternal grandparents were Mexican immigrants to America. As a child, he went to the ‘Notre Dame High School’ in California.

His parents divorced when he was seven years old, and he stayed with his mother Constance, in Bel Air. He started playing the piano as a child, but soon switched to playing the guitar after his father bought him one.

He was influenced by great rock artists like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, but his main influence as a teenager was Jimi Hendrix. He started the playing the electric guitar, and took lessons from various guitarists in every genre.

His mother was murdered by her ex-boyfriend John Riccardi in March 1983. After this tragic incident, the grief-stricken Dave started taking drugs, and eventually became an addict. He was unable to get over the agony of his mother’s demise for a long time. He was also expelled from school as he was struggling with his academics and social conduct.

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Career

Dave Navarro joined the band ‘Jane’s Addiction’ in 1986 as band members Perry Farrell and Stephen Perkins were looking out for a new full-time lead guitar player. They were called by an English alternative rock band ‘Love and Rockets’ to open for them soon after Navarro’s joining.

The opening act earned the band much audience popularity, and they soon released their album, ‘Jane’s Addiction’ (1987). This album created the requisite buzz for the band, after which they signed with a renowned American Record Label ‘Warner Bros. Records’, and released their second album, ‘Nothing’s Shocking’ in 1988 which became a successful album.

The third album, ‘Ritual de lo Habitual’, was released after two years, in 1990. But by that time the band was already falling apart due to clashes and drug issues. The ‘Lollapalooza’ festival was conceived by ‘Jane’s Addiction’ band member Perry Farrell as a farewell tour, and it featured various musical bands like ‘Living Color’, ‘Nine Inch Nails’, and ‘Ice T’.

The band broke up after playing their last show in the month of September 1991. After ‘Jane’s Addiction’ disbanded, Dave Navarro played alongside various musicians and bands like ‘Nine Inch Nails’, Alanis Morissette, and others.

In 1991, American hard rock band ‘Guns N’ Roses’ witnessed the exit of their rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, and Dave Navarro was the first choice of the lead vocalist Axl Rose to replace him. However Navarro failed to join ‘Guns N’ Roses’. He later played on one of their songs ‘Oh My God’, which was listed in the ‘End of Days’ soundtrack.

Navarro formed a band called ‘Deconstruction’ with former ‘Jane’s Addiction’ member Eric Avery and Michael Murphy. While working on their album, he joined the American funk rock band, ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers’ in September 1993.‘Deconstruction’ released their first alternative rock album, ‘Deconstruction’ in 1994, with 15 tracks on the album.

Dave Navarro played with ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers’ at ‘Woodstock’ in 1994, and contributed to their album ‘One Hot Minute’ in 1995. The same year, he played the guitar for Alanis Morissette’s hit track ‘You Oughta Know’ from the album, ‘Jagged Little Pill.’

He toured with the band ‘Jane’s Addiction’ for their ‘Relapse’ tour in 1997, and also worked on a new album ‘Kettle Whistle’ with the band. He left ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers’ in 1998 due to his drug addiction problems and personal differences.

In 2001, he released his first solo album, ‘Trust No One’ with Capitol Records, and toured the US with his fellow musicians Miiko Watanabe, Dave Kushner, and Angel Roché, Jr.

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Dave Navarro joined Chris Chaney in 2002 to rebuild the band ‘Jane’s Addiction.’ During this time he played guitar for Michael Jackson’s song ‘Black or White’ at the Apollo Theater, and gave a cameo performance in the song ‘Bringin on the Heartbreak’ by Mariah Carey.

’Jane’s Addiction’ released their fifth studio album ‘Strays’ in 2003, and the band toured for the Lollapalooza festival to promote their album. Navarro also began working on a reality show ‘Til Death Do Us Part’, with his wife Carmen Electra to document their wedding in real-life.

Dave Navarro released a book on his life, ‘Don’t Try This At Home’ on 5th October 2004 with Neil Strauss. Instantly successful, it became a ‘Los Angeles Times’ Bestseller.

Three more albums were released by Jane’s Addiction in subsequent years, including ‘Up from the Catacombs’ (2006), ‘A Cabinet of Curiosities’ (2009), and ‘The Great Escape Artist’ (2011).

Dave Navarro has also appeared in TV shows like ‘Sons of Anarchy’ and ‘Talking Dead’. He played the character of a sound engineer in the TV series ‘Law and Order: SVU’.

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Major Works

Dave Navarro has been a prominent figure for the band ‘Jane’s Addiction’ from the beginning. He has released four studio albums with the band, including ‘Nothing's Shocking’ (1988), ‘Ritual de lo habitual’ (1990), ‘Strays’ (2003), and ‘The Great Escape Artist’ (2011). He has collaborated with various musical celebrities like Marilyn Manson, Christiana Aguilera, Tommy Lee, and Janet Jackson, as well.

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Awards & Achievements

Dave Navarro’s bands ‘Jane’s Addiction’ and ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers’ have been awarded stars on the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’.

He was nominated for the Best ‘TV Guide Award’ in 2007 and for the ‘AVN Award’, for the best director in a non-feature film for ‘Broken’ in 2008. He was also felicitated as the first male honoree at the annual event of ‘Investigation Discovery’, an American crime and justice television network.

Personal Life

Dave Navarro married Tania Goddard-Saylor in June 1990, but the couple divorced in 1992. He got married the second time to Rhian Gittins on 15th October 1994, but the coupled annulled the marriage within five days of their marriage.

After being single for a period of time, he tied the knot with Carmen Electra, a Hollywood model and actress. The couple got divorced in 2007.

Trivia

He has tattoos all over his body, and often uses ‘PRS Guitars’ for his albums and shows.

Dave Navarro Biography