How Taylor Hawkins’ Death Made Dave Navarro’s Health Battle Worse

Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro – who only recently returned to the band after a three-year battle with long Covid – discussed how the death of Taylor Hawkins made his condition more difficult to deal with.

The pair, along with touring AC/DC bassist Chris Chaney, had just completed work on their band’s debut album when Hawkins died in March 2022, four months after Navarro had been diagnosed with the long-term version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

“I’d just completed making a record with Taylor Hawkins and Chris Chaney,” Navarro told Guitar World in an upcoming interview, referring to the album by NHC that remains unreleased, although two tracks from the project were issued in 2021.

READ MORE: Dave Navarro’s ‘Strange’ Guns N’ Roses Recording Session

“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 didn’t pick up the guitar for about a year.”

He described Hawkins as “such an inspiring artist,” adding, “Not only was he a phenomenal drummer, but he was also an amazing songwriter and lyricist … he was just one of those humans that everybody loved. Everybody loved him.”

How Dave Navarro Got Back to Playing Guitar

Touching on how his grief compounded his viral infection, Navarro added, “For the first year after losing Taylor, I didn’t play. …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 finally returned to action with Jane’s Addiction earlier this year; they’ll release new single “Imminent Redemption” – the first recording by the original lineup since 1990 – on July 24.