Josh Klinghoffer
Today, we take a look at guitarist, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Josh Klinghoffer.
Many know him from the decade he spent playing with "Red Hot Chili Peppers", but his career began long before that and has taken many directions since. Here are 42 facts about the musician who moved from drums to guitar, from collaborations with John Frusciante to the stages of "Pearl Jam", and found a voice of his own as Pluralone.
(Photo: Emily Ulmer)
1. He was born Josh Adam Klinghoffer on October 3, 1979, in Santa Monica, California, and grew up in the Los Angeles area.
2. He began taking drum lessons at nine. He later taught himself guitar and keyboards, and also plays bass, sings, writes songs, and produces.
3. At 15, he left high school to focus on music. He was already active in the Los Angeles music scene as a teenager.
4. In 1997, at 17, he joined "The Bicycle Thief", the band Bob Forrest formed after his work with "Thelonious Monster".
5. During recording sessions with "The Bicycle Thief", he met John Frusciante, who came in to record a guest guitar solo. The two became friends and musical collaborators long before Josh replaced him in "Red Hot Chili Peppers".
6. In 1999, "The Bicycle Thief" released their only studio album, "You Come and Go Like a Pop Song". Klinghoffer played guitar, keyboards, and drums on it.
7. In late 1999, "The Bicycle Thief" opened for "Red Hot Chili Peppers" on the tour supporting their seventh studio album, "Californication". This was one of his earliest connections with the band.
8. In 2002, he played bass on "Let My Burden Be", the debut album by "Golden Shoulders". He continued collaborating with the group on later albums and live performances.
9. In 2004, he contributed to "Shadows Collide with People", John Frusciante's fourth studio album. He co-wrote "Omission" and "-00Ghost27", and also played instruments and sang on the record.
10. That year, he became a key collaborator during a particularly productive period for John Frusciante, also playing on his fifth solo album, "The Will to Death", and his sixth, "Inside of Emptiness".
11. In 2004, he formed the experimental band "Ataxia" with John Frusciante and "Fugazi" bassist Joe Lally. This time, he took his place behind the drum kit. Their recordings produced the band's two studio albums, "Automatic Writing" and, later, "AW II".
12. In November 2004, he and John Frusciante released their collaborative album, "A Sphere in the Heart of Silence". It combined electronics, synthesizers, and live instruments, with Klinghoffer also singing lead vocals.
13. Throughout the 2000s, he gained experience recording and touring with artists and bands including Beck, PJ Harvey, "Sparks", "Butthole Surfers", and Vincent Gallo. In 2004, he also contributed to "California Clam Chowder", the fifth studio album by "Thelonious Monster".
14. In 2006, he joined the touring lineup of "Gnarls Barkley", the duo of Danger Mouse and CeeLo Green. He later contributed to their second album, "The Odd Couple", released in 2008.
15. In 2007, he joined "Red Hot Chili Peppers" on the tour supporting their ninth studio album, "Stadium Arcadium". He played additional guitar and keyboards and sang backing vocals alongside John Frusciante, who was still the band's full-time guitarist.
16. He also contributed to "Exquisite Corpse", the debut EP by "Warpaint", released in 2008. He played drums on "Billie Holiday" and guitar on "Krimson".
17. In 2008, he formed "Dot Hacker" with guitarist Clint Walsh, drummer Eric Gardner, and bassist Jonathan Hischke. Klinghoffer, Walsh, and Gardner knew each other from their work with "Gnarls Barkley"; in the new band, Josh was also the lead singer and a principal songwriter.
18. In 2009, he also played on "The Empyrean", John Frusciante's eighth solo album, extending their collaboration beyond the series of recordings they made in 2004.
19. In late 2009, he began working with "Red Hot Chili Peppers" as their full-time guitarist, replacing John Frusciante. His new role became public in early 2010, following his earlier work as an additional touring musician.
20. In August 2011, "Red Hot Chili Peppers" released "I'm With You", their tenth studio album and their first with Klinghoffer as their full-time guitarist. Produced by Rick Rubin, it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling approximately 229,000 copies in its first week in the United States, and reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom.
21. The single "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" introduced the new lineup to a wider audience. Other singles from "I'm With You" included "Monarchy of Roses", "Look Around", and "Brendan's Death Song".
22. In April 2012, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of "Red Hot Chili Peppers". At 32, he was the youngest musician inducted at the time. It was a record he held then, rather than one he retained indefinitely.
23. In 2012, "Dot Hacker" released their debut album, "Inhibition". The band gave him an outlet for more experimental music, with lead vocals alongside his guitar and keyboard work.
24. In 2013, "I'm Beside You" collected 17 tracks recorded during the "I'm With You" sessions that had not appeared on the album. It is a compilation drawn from those sessions, rather than another "Red Hot Chili Peppers" studio album.
25. In 2014, "Dot Hacker" released two complementary albums: their second, "How's Your Process? (Work)", and their third, "How's Your Process? (Play)". The title came from a question Klinghoffer overheard and found compelling because of its many possible meanings.
26. In June 2016, "Red Hot Chili Peppers" released "The Getaway", their eleventh studio album and their second with Klinghoffer. This time, Danger Mouse produced the record, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with approximately 118,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
27. On "The Getaway", he helped create "Dark Necessities", "Go Robot", and "Sick Love". Elton John played piano on the latter, years before Klinghoffer contributed to his collaborative album with Brandi Carlile.
28. In January 2017, "Dot Hacker" released "Nº3". Despite its title, it is their fourth studio album when the two "How's Your Process?" records are counted separately.
29. In November 2019, he released "To Be One with You", his first solo album under the name Pluralone. He played most of the instruments, with contributions from musicians including Flea, Jack Irons, and Eric Avery.
30. In December 2019, "Red Hot Chili Peppers" announced their parting with Klinghoffer and John Frusciante's return. Josh had spent approximately a decade as the band's full-time guitarist, in addition to his earlier years as a touring musician.
31. In October 2020, he released "I Don't Feel Well", his second album as Pluralone. It was made during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Klinghoffer again playing most of the instruments alongside guests including Jack Irons.
32. In September 2021, he began performing with "Pearl Jam" as an additional touring musician. He contributed guitar, keyboards, percussion, and backing vocals, a role distinct from membership in the band's core five-piece lineup.
33. In February 2022, he contributed to "Earthling", Eddie Vedder's third solo album. He played several instruments and also joined the touring band "The Earthlings", alongside Chad Smith, Andrew Watt, Glen Hansard, and Chris Chaney.
34. In March 2022, he released "This Is the Show", his third album as Pluralone. Clint Walsh produced it after scheduling conflicts changed plans for another collaboration involving "Dot Hacker".
35. In January 2023, he contributed to "Every Loser", Iggy Pop's nineteenth solo album, produced by Andrew Watt. His contributions included guitars, keyboards, piano, and other instruments. He also performed with Iggy's backing band, "The Losers".
36. In 2023, he filled in for Dave Navarro at "Jane's Addiction" shows after Navarro was forced to step away because of long COVID symptoms. This was also a role in the band's touring lineup.
37. In March 2024, he was involved in a traffic collision in Alhambra, California, in which his vehicle struck pedestrian Israel Sanchez, who died from his injuries. The incident led to criminal proceedings and a civil lawsuit.
38. In April 2024, he contributed to "Dark Matter", the twelfth studio album by "Pearl Jam". Beyond his onstage work with the band, he played guitar, piano, and keyboards on the recordings and also received songwriting credits.
39. In April 2025, he contributed to "Who Believes in Angels?", the first collaborative album by Elton John and Brandi Carlile. Other musicians on the Andrew Watt-produced record included Chad Smith and Pino Palladino.
40. On May 28, 2025, he entered a no-contest plea to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence as part of a plea agreement. He was sentenced to one year of informal probation and 60 days of community labor, and was required to complete a driver safety course and pay restitution. He received no jail sentence.
41. On June 12, 2026, he released "A Drop in the Ocean", his fourth album as Pluralone, produced by Eric Palmquist. Acoustic guitar is central to the record, and writer Chelsea Hodson contributes backing vocals to three tracks.
42. "A Drop in the Ocean" includes "I Hope You Knew", initially released in March 2026 in memory of Taylor Hawkins. The closing track, "Sadly", retains a piano recording made on his phone that captured the song as he was writing it.
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