Chris Shiflett

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Shiflett's path to the Foo Fighters started when a friend told him Guns N' Roses were auditioning for a guitarist; instead, Shiflett asked for an audition with the Foo Fighters, who were looking for a second guitarist after recording *There Is Nothing Left to Lose* as a trio. Offered the job, he quickly parted ways with No Use for a Name, leaving just as they were about to tour *More Betterness!*. Dave Grohl later said part of his motivation to hire Shiflett was his history in the underground punk scene, including opening for Grohl's former band Scream as bassist of Rat Pack. Shiflett has said he was afraid of being fired even before he started playing, as previous guitarist Pat Smear had asked to return. Smear did rejoin as a touring rhythm guitarist in 2005 and became a full fifth member in 2010. Shiflett has noted that one of his favorite songs to play with the band is "All My Life" from *One by One*.

In Their Own Story

In 1999, Shiflett was playing with No Use for a Name when a friend mentioned Guns N' Roses auditions. Instead, Shiflett asked the friend to get him an audition with the Foo Fighters, who had just finished *There Is Nothing Left to Lose* as a trio and needed a second guitarist. He got the job, left his band abruptly—they were about to head out on tour—and joined the Foo Fighters for the tour supporting that album. He has since played on every subsequent studio album starting with *One by One* (2002). In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Foo Fighters.

Reader's Guide

Chris Shiflett is the lead guitarist for the Foo Fighters, joining in 1999 after the band's third album. He previously played in No Use for a Name (1995–1999) and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (1995–2019). He has fronted Jackson United and Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants, and released solo albums: *Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants* (2010), *All Hat and No Cattle* (2013), *West Coast Town* (2017), *Hard Lessons* (2019), and *Lost at Sea* (2023). He also hosted the podcast *Walking the Floor with Chris Shiflett* from October 2013 to December 2022 (215 episodes) and launched *Shred with Shifty* in June 2023. His equipment includes Fender Telecasters, Telecaster Deluxes, and Thinlines, with a signature Fender Telecaster Deluxe now his main guitar.

Did You Know?

• Shiflett was born in Santa Barbara, California, and has two older brothers, Mike and Scott—Scott is best known as the bassist of Face to Face.
• He started learning guitar at age 11 and played soccer with AYSO from 1982–1984 under coach Noemi Vazquez.
• Shiflett is a supporter of Arsenal F.C., having discovered the club while reading John Lydon's autobiography in the early 1990s.
• He performed at the 2011 Wisconsin protests and at an Anti War rally for the A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition in March 2011.
• Shiflett's nickname 'Shifty' appears on the headstock of his Warmoth Telecasters, replacing the Fender logo.