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Just more than three weeks after former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Jack Sherman died at the age of 64, Flea has opened up about what he describes as his “fraught” relationship with his former bandmate.

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It has taken me a couple of weeks to process the death of Jack Sherman. Our relationship was complicated, we stopped playing music together in 1985 and things were often fraught in the rare times we communicated since. I found him to be unreasonable sometimes, and I’m sure I behaved like an obnoxious asshole with him sometimes. This morning, in pondering him, a wave of appreciation washed over me, which is really the only truth of the matter. When I first went to his house he had a ONE NATION UNDER A GROOVE flag on his bedroom wall, and he played me funk I had never heard, like March To the Witches Castle. He was beaming with glee when he played it, and we were enrapt in the mythology of the funk like a couple of little kids. He played the most wicked guitar part on our song Mommy Where’s Daddy, a thing that influenced the way I heard rhythm forever. He taught me about diet, to eat clean and be conscious of my body. But more than anything, he was my friend. We came from very different backgrounds, had different world views, and it was hard for us to relate to one another often. But the excitement we shared over music, and the joy that bubbled up between us will last forever. Rest In Peace Sherm I love you.

A post shared by Flea (@flea333) on Sep 8, 2020 at 9:31am PDT

In a message posted Thursday on Instagram, the bassist writes, “It has taken me a couple of weeks to process the death of Jack Sherman. Our relationship was complicated; we stopped playing music together in 1985 and things were often fraught in the rare times we communicated since. I found him to be unreasonable sometimes, and I’m sure I behaved like an obnoxious a**hole with him sometimes. This morning, in pondering him, a wave of appreciation washed over me, which is really the only truth of the matter.”

Sherman, who became the band’s second guitarist when he replaced Hillel Slovak in 1983, passed away on August 18th. His cause of death has not been revealed.

Did the Chili Peppers’ sound change after Sherman was booted from the band? Which of the band’s guitarists was the best?