Episode #282 | 8.4.26
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante and the Death of River Phoenix
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In this episode
Someone handed River Phoenix a deadly drink containing a liquid speedball. Some claim Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante handed it to him. This is the story of how River Phoenix really died.
Sources
Running With Monsters: A Memoir, by Bob Forrest
Scar Tissue, by Anthony Kiedis
Acid for the Children: A Memoir, by Flea
Funky Monks (1991, dir. Gavin Bowden)
Stuff (1992, dir. Johnny Depp and Gibby Haynes)
Behind the Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers (VH1)
The Curious Death of River Phoenix (Medium)
William Richert’s River Phoenix Documentary excerpt
Blood on the Tracks (Phoenix New Times)
Translation of the “Il Mucchio Selvaggio” Interview with John Frusciante
John Frusciante (Paper Magazine)
23 Years Ago: John Frusciante Quits The Red Hot Chili Peppers (For The First Time) (Diffuser)
Inside The Tragic Death Of River Phoenix-And the Downward Spiral That Preceded It (All That’s Interesting)
River Phoenix’s final hours (NY Post)
The Time John Frusciane Sabotaged The Red Hot Chili Peppers on Live TV (Medium)
John Frusciante Quits Red Hot Chili Peppers With “No Drama” (Rolling Stone)
The tragic coincidence that occurred during the death of River Phoenix (Far Out)
Credits
Hosted by Jake Brennan.
Written by Jake Brennan.
Copy edited by James Sullivan.
Mixed by Sean Cahalin.
Produced in partnership with the Exactly Right Network and iHeartPodcasts.
DISGRACELAND theme song, “Crenshaw Space Boogie,” written and produced by Jake Brennan. Performed by Jake Brennan, Bryce Kanzer, Jay Cannava, and Evan Kenney. Mixed and engineered by Adam Taylor.
*illustrations by Avi Spivak @avispivak