[5] Navarro is also a host and judge on Ink Master, an American tattoo competition reality series that aired on Paramount Network (formerly called Spike) from 2012 to 2020 and Paramount+ since 2022.

[11] To this day, his tastes range from eccentric virtuosos like Steve Vai and Al Di Meola, to experimenters like Kevin Shields and old school blues players like Junior Kimbrough.

[9] He attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, where he was a member of the marching band with future Jane's Addiction bandmate Stephen Perkins.

[12] Navarro joined the band Jane's Addiction in 1986 as the lead guitarist after he was recommended to vocalist Perry Farrell by Perkins.

In 1993, Navarro formed Deconstruction with Jane's Addiction's Eric Avery on vocals and bass and Michael Murphy on drums.

Rick Rubin was involved in the production and Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes makes a guest appearance.

After two years of touring on and off with Red Hot Chili Peppers, and his subsequent heroin relapse, Navarro was fired in 1998 over "creative differences".

Navarro would later explain the main reasons for departing as being a result of not being given "the same latitude" with regards to his drug usage and recovery as Anthony Kiedis who was also undergoing a similar issue, and his musical sensibilities never really matching with the rest of the band.

In 1999, Navarro also appeared in a guest role as an escaped prison convict on an episode of Martial Law titled "Friendly Skies", alongside fellow rockers Bret Michaels, Rick Springfield and David Silveria.

The band assembled for the accompanying US tour consisted of Navarro, guitarist Dave Kushner (who would go on to form Velvet Revolver), bassist Miiko Watanabe and drummer Angel Roché, Jr..

In 2002, Michael Jackson performed at the Apollo Theater for the Democratic National Convention, and Navarro was set to play guitar for his hit song "Black or White".

In 2003, he and his fiancée, Carmen Electra, agreed to have their wedding preparations filmed for an MTV show titled Til Death Do Us Part; Camp Freddy played at the reception.

Navarro's book, Don't Try This at Home, was published on October 5, 2004, by ReganBooks, and quickly became a Los Angeles Times bestseller.

He soon broadened his creativity with an internet talk show called: Dave Navarro's SPREAD TV, which was streamed on ManiaTV.com and was made available for download on iTunes.

[23] In 2008, he recorded additional riffs for the version of "Black Cat" performed on Janet Jackson's Rock Witchu Tour, appearing on screens during the rendition.

Soon after performing together for the first time in 17 years at the NME Award ceremony in Los Angeles, the band was contacted by Trent Reznor.

Reznor began working with Jane's Addiction in his studio; they recorded and released two songs ("Chip Away" and "Whores") online on the NINJA 2009 Tour Sampler.

[26] In 2011, Navarro appeared as the "Director" of a Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp, playing a complicated passage for a "camper" to emulate, in a commercial for Citibank.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers were named 2012 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Navarro was not included among the band's members inducted.

When the announcement was made of the induction, Navarro said he was happy for the band but later said he had no plans to attend the ceremony, which was held in April 2012.

[37] The band would perform a number of shows that featured guest musicians such as Barbara Gruska of The Belle Brigade, Pat Smear,[38] Chad Smith, and Matt Cameron.

John Frusciante, who replaced Navarro in the band back in 1998, performed briefly with Jane's Addiction marking the first time the two Chili Peppers guitarists have shared a stage together.

[43] Navarro was again absent from Jane's Addiction on their 2023 tour while still battling the effects of long COVID, and Josh Klinghoffer played guitar in his place.

[44] Jane's Addiction returned to the studio in 2023 to record new material and announced that Navarro hadn't participated due to his ongoing struggle with long COVID.

On September 13, their show at Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston was cut short after Farrell shoved and punched Navarro, and was restrained by crew members.

[54] In 2015, Navarro released the documentary Mourning Son, which details his abuse at the hands of Riccardi, his mother's murder and his spiral into drug addiction, as well as the pain he has had to overcome in the years since her death.

According to an interview with Navarro on Gibson.com, the new guitar is based upon the classic Gibson (and Epiphone) "Hummingbird" design, and has already been played by the guitarist in the studio while recording with Jane's Addiction.

[81] On September 18, 2024, Navarro announced a collaboration between himself, Supreme, and Jim Dunlop to release a limited edition Wah-wah Pedal.