Dave Navarro Reveals Tragic Reason He Didn't Play Guitar For A Year

Dave Navarro has had a tough few years, emotionally and physically. The Jane's Addiction guitarist was diagnosed with long Covid at the end of 2021, which sidelined him from performing for three years, and just months after the diagnosis his friend NHC bandmate Taylor Hawkins suddenly passed away. In a new interview with Guitar World , Navarro discussed how both tragedies played into him not playing guitar for a year.

“If I'm being perfectly honest, I just completed making a record with Taylor Hawkins and Chris Chaney [NHC]," he revealed. “We mixed and mastered it, and then, we lost Taylor. That was in the middle of Covid, and it was actually very painful for me to pick up the guitar after that.”

“I'll be honest – I didn't pick up the guitar for about a year,” he continued. “And because he [Taylor Hawkins] was such an inspiring artist… Not only was he a phenomenal drummer, but he was also an amazing songwriter and lyricist, and he was just one of those humans that everybody loved. Everybody loved him.”

“For the first year after losing Taylor, I didn't play for a long time," Navarro admitted. "Then, about a year into it, I picked up the guitar, started playing some cover songs, and just kind of got used to the instrument in my hand again.”

The guitarist is back in action with Jane's Addiction, who are heading out on their first tour with the classic lineup since 2010 next month. The band is also gearing up to release "Imminent Redemption," their first single in more than a decade , on July 24.