RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS UPDATE

We managed to snare Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith to talk about MusiCares, donating drums to the Hard Rock and the latest Chili info.

Even though the Red Hot Chili Peppers weren’t nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008, having not released any new material, drummer Chad Smith was still partaking in music related festivities. On Thursday, February 8, Smith paid a visit to the Hard Rock in Los Angeles, and donated his drum set. Later that day, he was seen at the MusiCares Person Of The Year event honoring Aretha Franklin.

We pulled Smith aside to talk about his experience with MusiCares.

“We played here with Brian Wilson, what was that? Two years ago? Three years ago? We were really excited. It’s great. It’s a good night of music. I was happy, happy to be part of the industry.”

We also asked him about his visit to the Hard Rock earlier in the day.

“Oh, I just donated one of my kits at the Hard Rock today, in Universal City – the kit that we used on our last Stadium Arcadium tour, and I used it at the Grammys at this time a year ago. I’m honored to be part of that whole thing. I used to walk around and see all that stuff, Elvis Presley’s shoes, and Jimi Hendrix’s jacket and all that, and I’m very flattered that they would ask to have my kit there, so…”

Lastly, we checked in on where the Red Hot Chili Peppers were at these days.

“We’re just taking a little hiatus, just relaxing. We toured a lot in the last year and a half, so it’s family time, and then we’ll recharge and get together sometime this year and make some more music.”

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have scored three Grammy Awards, the first one coming in 1992 in the Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal category for “Give It Away.”