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Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962), known professionally as Flea, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He is a founding member and bassist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Flea was born in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Victoria; his family moved to
Rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is u ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, when he was four. After his parents divorced, Flea spent his childhood in the United States and Australia, before settling in California. At high school, he befriended singer
Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis ( ; born November 1, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He is a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fa ...
, with whom he formed the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1983. Flea is also a member of the supergroups Atoms for Peace, Antemasque, Pigface, and
Rocket Juice & the Moon ''Rocket Juice & the Moon'' is the only album by the supergroup of the same name, formed in 2008. The group consisted of Damon Albarn, Flea, and Tony Allen. Album history The project was announced in mid-2008; however due to various other pr ...
, and has played with acts including the Mars Volta,
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
,
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
,
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...
,
Young MC Marvin Young (born May 10, 1967), better known by his stage name Young M.C., is a British-born American rapper, singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit " Bust a Move". His debut album ''Stone Cold Rhymin found international accla ...
,
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
, What Is This?,
Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
, and
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from t ...
. Flea incorporates elements of funk (including slap bass), psychedelic, punk, and hard rock in his playing. In 2009, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' readers ranked Flea the second-best bassist of all time, behind
John Entwistle John Alec Entwistle (9 October 194427 June 2002) was an English musician who was the bassist for the rock band The Who. Entwistle's music career spanned over four decades. Nicknamed "The Ox" and "Thunderfingers", he was the band's only member ...
. In 2012, he and the other members of Red Hot Chili Peppers were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
. Since 1984, Flea has acted in films and television series such as '' Suburbia'', '' Back to the Future Part II'' and ''
Part III ''Part III'' is the third studio album by American R&B group 112. It was released by Bad Boy Records on March 20, 2001 in the United States. Unlike the previous releases, the album is described as having edgier, techno-flavored jams, resulting in ...
'', '' My Own Private Idaho'', '' The Chase'', '' Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'', '' Dudes'', ''
Son in Law In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity is the kinship relationship created or that exists between two people as a result of someone's marriage. It is the relationship which each party to a marriage has to the relations of the other part ...
'', '' The Big Lebowski'', ''
Low Down ''Low Down'' is a 2014 American biopic directed by Jeff Preiss and based on the memoirs written by Amy-Jo Albany (portrayed by Elle Fanning) about her father, famed jazz pianist Joe Albany (portrayed by John Hawkes), and his struggles with drug ...
'', ''
Baby Driver ''Baby Driver'' is a 2017 action film written and directed by Edgar Wright. It stars Ansel Elgort as a getaway driver seeking freedom from a life of crime with his girlfriend Debora (Lily James). Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Eiza González, Jamie ...
'', '' Boy Erased'', '' The Wild Thornberrys'', and ''
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...
''. Flea is the co-founder of
Silverlake Conservatory of Music Silverlake Conservatory of Music is a nonprofit educational organization formed in California. It was founded in 2001 by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Chili Peppers collaborator Tree to foster music education. Chili Peppers vocalist Anth ...
, a non-profit organization founded in 2001 for underprivileged children. In 2019, he published a memoir of his early life, ''
Acid for the Children ''Acid for the Children'' is the memoir of Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. It was released on November 5, 2019 by Grand Central Publishing, accompanied by audiobook and E-book versions. Background In April 2014, Flea started writing his memo ...
''.


Early life

Michael Peter Balzary was born on October 16, 1962, in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Victoria, Australia. He is of partial Hungarian and Irish descent. His father, Mick Balzary, an avid fisherman, often took him fishing. When Flea was four, his family moved to
Rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is u ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, for his father's career. In 1971, his parents divorced, and his father returned to Australia. Flea returned to Australia to spend time with his father, completing three years of school in the national capital
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
. Flea and his sister Karyn stayed with their mother Patricia, who subsequently married jazz musician Walter Urban (1941–2011).Apter, 2004. p. 19 Flea's stepfather frequently invited musicians to his house for
jam session A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without exte ...
s. The family moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, where Flea became fascinated by the
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
.Apter, 2004. p. 20 He had no interest in rock music at the time; he idolized jazz musicians like
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...
,
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
and
Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
. Flea described his childhood home as violent; his stepfather was an aggressive alcoholic who eventually became involved in shoot-outs with police. Flea said: "I grew up being terrified of my parents, particularly my father figures. It caused ea lot of trouble later in life."Apter, 2004. p. 21 To cope, Flea began smoking
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
at 13, and became a daily user.Apter, 2004. pp. 22–23 He was first called "Flea" as a teenager for his seeming inability to sit still, and the nickname stuck. Nicknamed Mike B. the Flea, he attended Fairfax High School, and was something of an outcast due to his taste in music. However, he soon met
Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis ( ; born November 1, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He is a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fa ...
, and after a brief confrontation, the two became best friends.Apter, 2004. p. 34 Kiedis recalled: "We were drawn to each other by the forces of mischief and love and we became virtually inseparable. We were both social outcasts. We found each other and it turned out to be the longest-lasting friendship of my life."Apter, 2004. p. 35 Flea was introduced to rock music by Hillel Slovak, and particularly punk rock by Kiedis. Flea learned to play bass from Slovak, who shortly after asked him to be a bassist in his band,
Anthym What Is This (known prior to 1980 as Anthym) was an American rock band that originated in Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California. Formed by guitarist Hillel Slovak, drummer Jack Irons, vocalist Alain Johannes, and bassist Todd Strassm ...
. Flea soon developed his own style and joined the group, but quit several months later in order to play for the punk rock outfit
Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
. He then rejoined Slovak to form an intended one-off band: Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem along with Kiedis and Jack Irons, all of them at the time inspired by the
free funk Free-funk is a combination of avant-garde jazz with funk music that developed in the 1970s. Leaders of the genre include Ornette Coleman and his Prime Time group, Ronald Shannon Jackson and his group Decoding Society, Jamaaladeen Tacuma and his gr ...
band
Defunkt Defunkt is an American musical group founded by the trombonist and singer Joseph Bowie in 1978 in New York City. Their music touches on elements of punk rock, funk, and jazz. Career Joseph Bowie is the brother of big band musician Byron Bowi ...
and the hip hop act Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.


Career


Early Red Hot Chili Peppers albums (1984–1987)

The band changed its name to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, playing several shows at L.A. venues. Their repertoire grew to nine songs as a result of months of playing at local nightclubs and bars.Apter, 2004. p. 62 The Red Hot Chili Peppers entered Bijou Studios to record a demo tape produced by the then-drummer of
Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
and subsequently secured a record deal with
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
. Irons and Slovak, however, decided to leave the Red Hot Chili Peppers in order to pursue a "more serious" future with the rock band What Is This?.Apter, 2004. pp. 70–74 Flea ultimately respected the decision, but felt the band would be lost without them. He and Kiedis hired drummer
Cliff Martinez Cliff Martinez (born February 5, 1954) is an American musician and composer. Early in his career, Martinez was known as a drummer notably with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Captain Beefheart. Since the 1990s, he has worked primarily as a film sc ...
and guitarist Jack Sherman to fill Irons' and Slovak's place, respectively.
Andy Gill Andrew James Dalrymple Gill (1 January 1956 – 1 February 2020) was a British musician and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the rock band Gang of Four, which he co-founded in 1976. Gill was known for his angular, jagged style of gu ...
, formerly of
Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The gang ...
, agreed to produce their first album. Gill and Sherman clashed with Flea and Kiedis; they continuously argued over music style, sound, and the album's production.Apter, 2004. pp. 78–88 Flea himself felt that the album was stiff and "a big mistake", but also admitted, "we
e and Kiedis E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plura ...
were just disrespectful and obnoxious".Page, Scarlet (July 2004). "Red Hot Chili Peppers: The LA Punks Who Defied Death, Grunge And A Burning Crack Den". ''Mojo''. The band's eponymous debut album, ''
The Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...
'', was released on August 10, 1984, to largely poor critical and commercial review. After a relatively unfruitful tour, Sherman was fired in early 1985. Slovak, who had been contemplating a return to the Chili Peppers, rejoined the group after being encouraged by Flea. Funk musician George Clinton was hired to produce the band's second album, ''
Freaky Styley ''Freaky Styley'' is the second studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released August 16, 1985 on EMI America. ''Freaky Styley'' marks founding guitarist Hillel Slovak's studio album debut, following his return to the band ear ...
'' (1985). The strong chemistry between Clinton and the Chili Peppers was felt instantly. Flea later referred to Clinton as "the warmest, kindest man in the world".Apter, 2004. p. 110 ''Freaky Styley'' was released in August 1985. It received only a bit more attention than ''The Red Hot Chili Peppers'' with roughly 75,000 copies sold by year's end. Flea was somewhat indifferent to the poor album sales as he had recently proposed to girlfriend Loesha Zeviar, who was pregnant with their child.Apter, 2004. p. 127 The band hired Michael Beinhorn, their last resort among potential producers, to work on their next album.Apter, 2004. pp 130–141 What Is This? had finally disbanded, and drummer Irons returned to the Chili Peppers in mid-1986 after Martinez was fired. Flea, Slovak and Kiedis especially were involved in heavy drug use and their relationships became strained. Flea recalled that "it began to seem ugly to me and not fun; our communication was not healthy". Kiedis became dependent on heroin, leaving Flea and Slovak to work on much of the album's material by themselves. Kiedis was briefly kicked out of the band and given a month to rehabilitate. Kiedis completed the rehab and returned with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Los Angeles to record their third album '' The Uplift Mofo Party Plan'' (1987). Flea has referred to the album as "the 'rockingest' record" the band has ever made. ''The Uplift Mofo Party Plan'' proved to be far more successful, commercially and critically, than the Chili Peppers' preceding albums, registering at number 148 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Following the ''Uplift'' tour, Slovak's drug use dramatically increased. Flea's relationship with Slovak faded, and Slovak became isolated and depressed. On June 28, 1988, Slovak was found dead of a heroin overdose. Flea reflected: "I didn't really know how to deal with that sadness, and I don't think iedisknew how to deal with it either." Irons, who was taking Slovak's death particularly hard, left the group. Flea and Kiedis took some time to collect themselves, but they kept the band together. Guitarist
DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight DeWayne Stephen "Blackbyrd" McKnight (born April 17, 1954) is an American guitarist. He was a member of The Headhunters, a jazz-funk fusion band from 1975 through 1978 and Parliament-Funkadelic from 1978 through 2008. He served briefly as gui ...
and drummer
D.H. Peligro DH, Dh, dh, or dH may refer to: Places * DH postcode area, in the United Kingdom for the area of Durham and surrounding towns * Diamond Head, Hawaii, a volcanic tuff cone on Oʻahu Organisations * D+H, a Canadian financial services company * Dep ...
were added, and the band entered the studio to record a new album. McKnight soon began to create tension within the group, as his style did not mesh with the rest of the band.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 234 Peligro, the former drummer of the punk rock band
Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk rock, punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, sa ...
, was a friend of John Frusciante, an 18-year-old guitarist and avid Red Hot Chili Peppers fan. Peligro introduced Frusciante to Flea, and the trio jammed together on several occasions.Apter, 2004. pp. 178–190 Flea was impressed with Frusciante's skill, and astonished by his knowledge of the Chili Peppers' repertoire. Flea realized that Frusciante could provide the spark McKnight was lacking.''
Mother's Milk Mother's milk is milk produced by mammary glands located in the breast of a human female to feed a young child. Mother's Milk may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Mother's Milk'' (album)'', an album by Red Hot Chili Peppers ** Mother's Milk Tou ...
'' 2003 reissue liner notes
McKnight was fired, and Frusciante accepted an invitation to join the band. Peligro was fired shortly thereafter; the Chili Peppers brought in drummer
Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the h ...
as his replacement.


Mainstream success and side projects (1989–1998)

Flea and his wife Loesha started to grow apart, and he began trying to recreate the memories of his adolescence by smoking marijuana on a daily basis. The Chili Peppers entered the studio, and completed recording of their fourth album, ''
Mother's Milk Mother's milk is milk produced by mammary glands located in the breast of a human female to feed a young child. Mother's Milk may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Mother's Milk'' (album)'', an album by Red Hot Chili Peppers ** Mother's Milk Tou ...
'', in early 1989. Upon release, the album was met with mixed reactions from critics, but received far more commercial attention, peaking at number 52 on the ''Billboard'' 200. After this, Flea made appearances playing the trumpet on Jane's Addiction's 1988 album '' Nothing's Shocking'',''Nothing's Shocking'' liner notes and bass on the critically acclaimed 1989
Young MC Marvin Young (born May 10, 1967), better known by his stage name Young M.C., is a British-born American rapper, singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit " Bust a Move". His debut album ''Stone Cold Rhymin found international accla ...
album ''
Stone Cold Rhymin' ''Stone Cold Rhymin is the debut album by the American rapper Young MC. It was released in 1989 on Delicious Vinyl and was later re-issued by Rhino Records. The album reached No. 9 on the ''Billboard'' Top Pop Albums chart. The third track, " Bu ...
''. He would also appear in the video for " Bust a Move", the hit single from the same album. The ensuing ''
Mother's Milk Tour The Mother's Milk Tour (also known as the Suckle Up to the Breast of Mother Earth Tour, Positive Mental Octopus Tour, The Lazy Cowgirls Tour and The Great Expectorations Tour) was a worldwide concert tour by Red Hot Chili Peppers to support thei ...
'' put even further strain on Flea's marriage. In order to make money, he needed to tour, and therefore spent time away from his family.Apter, 2004. pp. 205–212 Furthermore, he and Smith were arrested on charges of battery and sexual harassment after a performance on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's coverage of spring break; charges were eventually dropped. The band was, however, attracting over three thousand people per show; ''Mother's Milk'' had been
certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
as a
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
record in early 1990. By the time Red Hot Chili Peppers returned to Los Angeles, Flea and Loesha agreed to a separation. He tried to put the separation out of his mind by smoking marijuana and having sex with random groupies, when the band was on tour for ''Mother's Milk''. When the successful Mother's Milk tour was over, the Red Hot Chili Peppers severed ties with EMI and signed instead with
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 261–262 Rick Rubin, who had rejected an opportunity to produce ''The Uplift Mofo Party Plan'', agreed to produce their next album.Apter, 2004. pp. 220–236 Flea had largely used the principal slap bass technique on the band's preceding four albums, and decided to downplay this style in favor of more conventional, melodic bass lines.''Funky Monks'', 1991. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. To record the album, Rubin suggested they use a mansion that once belonged to magician
Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...
. Flea felt it was "a creatively fertile situation", and decided to bring his daughter Clara with him. He and the rest of the band, excluding Smith, remained inside the house for the entire recording process. When not writing or recording the album, Flea spent a large portion of his time with Frusciante smoking large quantities of marijuana. The emotions Flea felt during the album's recording were like nothing he had ever experienced: When '' Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' was released on September 24, 1991, it received an extremely positive critical response. The album peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 200, and went on to sell over 7,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone. The album's ensuing tour was critically acclaimed—the Chili Peppers commonly performed shows with over 20,000 in attendance.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 282
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
-based
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
band
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
also toured with them during the West Coast leg of their United States tour. The massive attention the Chili Peppers started receiving, however, caused Frusciante to feel extremely uncomfortable, and he abruptly quit the band during the Japanese leg of the album's tour, replaced temporarily by Arik Marshall. Following the tour in 1993, Flea was diagnosed with
chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS, is a complex, debilitating, long-term medical condition. The causes and mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood. Distinguishing core symptoms are ...
and was ordered to rest for a year. Flea and Kiedis felt it best to fire Marshall due to lack of chemistry and briefly replaced him with Jesse Tobias, although his tenure was very short and he was quickly replaced by
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from t ...
guitarist
Dave Navarro David Michael Navarro (born June 7, 1967) is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of the Red Hot Ch ...
, who was once recruited in 1992 to replace Frusciante. The band was ready now to record their next album although Kiedis was in the middle of a heroin relapse, which forced Flea to assume the role of lyricist, something he had not yet done. He wrote most of the song "Transcending", and the intro to "Deep Kick". Flea also wrote the entire lyric to a song, "Pea", in which he both played bass and sang.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 341–344 These three songs appeared on the Chili Peppers' sixth record '' One Hot Minute'', which was released on September 12, 1995. The album received mixed reviews and was significantly less commercially successful than ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik''. The '' One Hot Minute Tour'' was ultimately cut short due to various injuries Kiedis and Smith received, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers decided to go on hiatus. Flea was so miserable that at one point during the tour he discussed quitting the band.Apter, 2004. pp. 290–302 Flea began to practice
Transcendental Meditation Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation advocated by the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created the technique in India in the mid-1950s. Advocates of TM claim that the technique promotes a ...
and
yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
, and slowly decreased his marijuana consumption. Due to the Chili Peppers' inactivity, Flea joined Navarro in a Jane's Addiction reunion tour in 1997, filling in for ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery. Rumors spread, that the band was breaking up until Navarro stated otherwise: "I want to clarify that the Chili Peppers are not breaking up ... Flea and I are more than happy to do both projects, time permitting." Flea also had plans to record a solo album. He asked Chili Peppers manager
Lindy Goetz Lindy David Goetz (born December 5, 1947) is notable as the longtime manager of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. History Lindy Goetz was a promotion person for record companies, who later became a talent manager in the Los Angeles area. In 1972, Goetz, ...
to help him promote the record and his future solo career. Flea eventually abandoned the idea in favor of offering his bass services to other artists. He performed on over forty records from 1995 to 1998, ranging from
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...
's ''
Jagged Little Pill ''Jagged Little Pill'' is the third studio album by Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, released on June 13, 1995, through Maverick. It was her first album to be released worldwide. It marked a stylistic departure from the dance-pop sound of her ...
'' (with Navarro) to former
Minutemen Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Mi ...
bassist
Mike Watt Michael David Watt (born December 20, 1957) is an American bassist, vocalist and songwriter. Watt co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen (1980–1985), Dos (1985–present), and Firehose (1986–1994). He began a solo ...
's debut solo album ''
Ball-Hog or Tugboat? ''Ball-Hog or Tugboat?'' is the 1995 debut solo album by American musician Mike Watt, previously known for his work as the bass guitarist and songwriter for the punk rock groups Minutemen and fIREHOSE. The title references the difference betw ...
''. He also worked with
Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
and Michael Stipe on a track for the soundtrack to the 1995
Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
film '' Don Juan DeMarco''. Navarro was fired from the Chili Peppers in 1998, and Flea questioned whether or not the Red Hot Chili Peppers would stay together: "... the only way I could imagine carrying on is if we got John ruscianteback in the band."Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. pp. 390–395 Frusciante had completed drug rehabilitation in 1997 after a severe addiction to heroin and
crack cocaine Crack cocaine, commonly known simply as crack, and also known as rock, is a free base form of the stimulant cocaine that can be smoked. Crack offers a short, intense high to smokers. The ''Manual of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment'' calls ...
left him on the brink of death. Flea visited Frusciante in early 1998, inviting him back to the Chili Peppers; an emotional Frusciante readily accepted.


''Californication'', ''By the Way'' and ''Stadium Arcadium'' (1998–2007)

With Frusciante back on guitar, the band began writing new songs during the summer of 1998 in Flea's garage. He and Kiedis were less confident in writing the album after the disappointing results of ''One Hot Minute''. Flea had also recently broken up with his girlfriend of two years, Marissa Pouw, causing him to enter a state of depressionApter, 2004. pp. 304–311 which was only lifted when his daughter, Clara, comforted him after several weeks of crying. Flea was heavily influenced by
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
during the writing and recording of '' Californication'' (1999) and he attempted to emulate this when writing bass lines for the album. ''Californication'' took less than two weeks to record; by contrast, ''One Hot Minute'' took over a year. When ''Californication'' was released on June 8, 1999, it received overwhelmingly positive critical reviews and sold fifteen million copies worldwide—more than ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik''. The Chili Peppers played
Woodstock 1999 Woodstock '99 (also called Woodstock 1999) was a music festival held from July 22 to July 25, 1999, in Rome, New York. After Woodstock '94, it was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original 1969 Woodstock fes ...
, with Flea playing completely naked—something he would do again at the
Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
the same year as well as several other ''Californication'' tour concerts. Red Hot Chili Peppers spent most of 2001 writing their eighth studio album, ''
By the Way ''By the Way'' is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released July 9, 2002, on Warner Bros. Records. It sold more than 286,000 copies in its first week, and peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. Si ...
'' (2002). The band began listening to more melodic, textured music, that would reflect heavily on the album. Frusciante became the driving force behind ''By the Way'', causing initial strife between him and Flea. If he introduced a funk rhythm into his bass lines Frusciante would consequently disapprove to the point where Flea almost quit the band because he felt his role was no longer important. ''By the Way'' was released on July 9, 2002, to positive reviews, and went on to sell over nine million copies worldwide. The ensuing tour was extremely profitable; the Chili Peppers performed three concerts in London's
Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...
to over 250,000 attendees and a total gross accumulation of US$17.1 million. It became the highest-grossing concert at a single venue in history. After another two-year world tour, the Chili Peppers wrote their ninth studio album, ''
Stadium Arcadium ''Stadium Arcadium'' is the ninth studio album by American rock music, rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was a double-album released on May 5, 2006, on Warner Bros. Records. It produced five singles: "Dani California", "Tell Me Baby", "Snow (He ...
'' (2006).Red Hot Chili Peppers.
iTunes Originals ''iTunes Originals'' is a series of digital releases that were only made available through Apple's iTunes Store. It was developed by iTunes executive Alex Luke who also developed Apple's "Live From" and "Single of the Week" programs. Each release ...
. iTunes. September 8, 2006
Unlike ''By the Way'', both Flea and Frusciante were more musically conjoined, when writing the record. They found inspiration in
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
,
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
, and
Eddie Van Halen Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he co-founded along ...
among others. The double album was ultimately released on May 9, 2006, to generally positive reviews, selling over seven million copies in less than two years. In November 2007, Flea's $4.8 million Corral Canyon home in Malibu was burnt down by a wildfire. The location was not, however, his primary residence and at the time of its destruction was being rented to musician and producer Butch Walker.


Return to school, Atoms for Peace, and Rocket Juice & the Moon (2008–2011)

After the Chili Peppers announced a long hiatus due to exhaustion, Flea enrolled in music classes at the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
, where he studied
music theory Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory". The first is the "rudiments", that are needed to understand music notation (ke ...
, composition and jazz trumpet. Flea attributed his interest to a newfound desire to widen his appreciation and understanding of music: "It's so much fun to learn this stuff because I never knew anything. I played trumpet in the school bands. I learned things I liked to play on my trumpet but I didn't learn why this note goes with this note and why it produces that sound. Or how to create tension in the composition ..Knowing the structure is really fun." Flea said he planned to release a mainly instrumental solo record, recorded in his home; guest musicians would include Patti Smith and a choir from the Silverlake Conservatory. In 2009, Flea joined Atoms for Peace, a supergroup formed by the
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
singer
Thom Yorke Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been describe ...
to perform songs from Yorke's debut solo album, '' The Eraser'' (2006). Flea and the band recreated Yorke's electronic music with live instrumentation. They toured the United States in 2010, and released an album, ''Amok'', in 2013. ''Amok'' was followed that year by a tour of Europe, the US and Japan. The Chili Peppers ended their hiatus in October 2009 without Frusciante, who quit the band to pursue other musical interests. He was replaced by Josh Klinghoffer. The Red Hot Chili Peppers released their tenth studio album, '' I'm with You'', on August 29, 2011. Also that year, Flea played bass on two songs on
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
' album ''
Bad as Me ''Bad as Me'' is the seventeenth and most recent studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released on October 21, 2011 by Anti- Records. The album is known to have been recorded as early as February 2011 and was officially announced ...
'', released on October 21. On October 27, 2011, it was announced that Flea's project with
Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (; born 23 March 1968) is an English-Icelandic musician, singer-songwriter and composer, best known as the frontman and primary lyricist of the rock band Blur and as the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual ...
and afrobeat drummer Tony Allen would be called
Rocket Juice & the Moon ''Rocket Juice & the Moon'' is the only album by the supergroup of the same name, formed in 2008. The group consisted of Damon Albarn, Flea, and Tony Allen. Album history The project was announced in mid-2008; however due to various other pr ...
. The band made their live debut on October 29, 2011, in London, and released an album on March 12, 2012.


Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, ''Helen Burns'', ''The Getaway'' and ''Unlimited Love'' (2012–present)

The Red Hot Chili Peppers were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
in April 2012. Flea commented on the induction by saying, "It's always been easy for me to pooh-pooh these awards—the ockHall of Fame too. But I inducted
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
a couple of years ago, and it was really a beautiful thing to see as all these people were being inducted. It made me love it. I love halls of fame anyway—the
Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
, the
Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
. So I feel grateful for the recognition of what we have done and for the hope and potential of what we'll continue to do." On July 19, 2012, Flea released a solo EP, ''
Helen Burns Helen Burns (22 December 1916 – 23 July 2018) was a British actress mostly known for playing comedic roles. Burns is known for her performance in the 1993 production of ''The Last Yankee'' at the Duke of York's Theatre, for which she won a La ...
'', composed mainly of instrumental tracks, except the title track (which Patti Smith sang on) and "Lovelovelove", which features the
Silverlake Conservatory of Music Silverlake Conservatory of Music is a nonprofit educational organization formed in California. It was founded in 2001 by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Chili Peppers collaborator Tree to foster music education. Chili Peppers vocalist Anth ...
's kids and adults choir. It is Flea's first solo release, who has only released solo songs previously on soundtracks and other projects. Flea said of the EP "I am putting it out to raise money for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a community-based non-profit music school that I am an integral part of." The download of the EP is available at " a name your own price" on the Silverlake Conservatory website and was made available through all major digital outlets on August 9, 2012. On October 16, 2012, his 50th birthday, Flea gave an interview with
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
discussing the Chili Peppers and was asked if he plans to continue with them. Flea responded by saying "I love the Chili Peppers, and I would love to. If there's anything I know, it's every time you start making plans, you don't know what's going to come up next. Anything can happen. So I love being in the Chili Peppers and it's my home, and I've been doing it for more than half my life. Of course, during the course of doing it, there's been all kinds of ups and downs, and moments of extreme (positivity), floating on clouds of greatness, and times of just groveling, and misery, and uncertainty, and anger, and love and all those things. Like being in a family. I really can't predict. But I love being in it for now, and right now, about as far as I'm thinking is getting through this tour that we're doing, performing at the highest level possible, then hunkering down and writing another record." On April 9, 2014, it was revealed that Flea was working on a new musical project, the band Antemasque, with former Mars Volta members Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Omar Rodríguez-López, and Dave Elitch. Two songs were released in early April though Flea has confirmed that he is not a member of the band and just recorded a few songs with them. Antemasque released their self-titled debut album on July 15, 2014. Flea occasionally performs a bass rendition of ''
The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...
'' before games of the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly called ''Staples Center''), in a similar manner as
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
. His most famous rendition was before NBA superstar
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
's final game against the Utah Jazz, on April 13, 2016. The Chili Peppers released their eleventh studio album, '' The Getaway,'' on June 17, 2016. The band embarked on a 151-date world tour which concluded in October 2017. In December 2019, the Red Hot Chili Peppers announced that guitarist John Frusciante would be returning to replace Josh Klinghoffer. The band will focus on making a new album, which they hope to have released in 2020, along with performing on a few festival dates. Since the summer of 2020, the Chili Peppers have been working on their twelfth studio album however due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, there have been delays in the writing and recording along with their 2020 tour dates being postponed until 2021. In January 2021 it was announced that Flea and John Frusciante contributed a cover of "Not Great Men" to the upcoming tribute album to
Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The gang ...
titled ''The Problem of Leisure: A Celebration of Andy Gill and Gang of Four''. The double album was released on June 4, 2021. In October 2021, the Chili Peppers announced the dates for their 2022 world tour which will begin in June and conclude in September. The tour includes the band's first-ever headlining stadium shows in the United States in support of their twelfth and thirteenth studio albums, '' Unlimited Love'' and ''
Return of the Dream Canteen ''Return of the Dream Canteen'' is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on October 14, 2022, through Warner Records as a double LP and single CD. Produced by Rick Rubin, it was recorded during ...
'', which were respectively released on April 1 and October 14, 2022. Flea along with Josh Klinghoffer and
Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the h ...
collaborated with
Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...
on his upcoming album ''
Bonfire of Teenagers ''Bonfire of Teenagers'' is an unreleased studio album by English singer Morrissey. Described by the singer as "the best album of islife", ''Bonfire of Teenagers'' was produced by Andrew Watt in 2020 and 2021, and features a number of guest ap ...
,'' which was supposed to be released in February 2023, but in December 2022 it was announced that it's future is in limbo, as
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
has decided not to release it.


Film and television

Flea has pursued a minor acting career since the mid-1980s. His first role was as young punk Razzle in the Penelope Spheeris film '' Suburbia'' (1984). Shortly thereafter he starred alongside the Chili Peppers, who played themselves, in the skate drama ''
Thrashin' ''Thrashin (released in the Philippines as ''Challenge to Win: Thrashin) is a 1986 American skater drama film directed by David Winters and starring Josh Brolin, Robert Rusler, and Pamela Gidley. The film features appearances from many famous ...
'' (1986). He played the ill-fated punker Milo in another Penelope Spheeris film, '' Dudes'' (1987). He also made an appearance in the Bruce Weber documentary film about the life and career of jazz trumpeter
Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...
entitled '' Let's Get Lost'' (1988). He portrayed the character Douglas J. Needles in '' Back to the Future Part II'' (1989) and ''
Back to the Future Part III ''Back to the Future Part III'' is a 1990 American science fiction Western film and the final installment of the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, and stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Stee ...
'' (1990), though in an interview he referred to ''Part II'' as "a multi-million-dollar piece of trash", saying that he was happy neither with the film nor his performance in it. Flea played a minor role in the 1991
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
'' My Own Private Idaho'' as the character Budd. He played a number of minor roles in films throughout the 1990s, including ''
Son in Law In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity is the kinship relationship created or that exists between two people as a result of someone's marriage. It is the relationship which each party to a marriage has to the relations of the other part ...
'' (1993) as a tattoo artist, '' The Chase'' (1994) as a monster truck driver alongside Kiedis, '' Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' (1998) as a "
Hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
", in '' The Big Lebowski'' (1998) as a German nihilist, and the 1998 remake of '' Psycho''. He has also lent his voice to the Nickelodeon animated series '' The Wild Thornberrys'' as the character Donnie. In 1992, Flea and the other Red Hot Chili Peppers appeared as themselves in the animated comedy ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' on the episode "
Krusty Gets Kancelled "Krusty Gets Kancelled" is the twenty-second and final episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 13, 1993. In the episode, a new show fea ...
". In 2011, Flea appeared in the documentary, ''
Bob and the Monster ''Bob and the Monster'' is a 2011 documentary film by Keirda Bahruth which profiles musician and drug counselor Bob Forrest. Synopsis This documentary film follows outspoken indie-rock hero Bob Forrest, through his life-threatening struggle with ...
''. The film details the life of musician and drug counselor
Bob Forrest Robert O'Neil "Bob" Forrest (born February 15, 1961) is an American musician who is best known for his work with the Los Angeles bands Thelonious Monster and The Bicycle Thief. Forrest, a recovering drug addict, has worked for years as a recovery ...
. Flea appears in the documentary ''
The Other F Word ''The Other F Word'' is a 2011 American documentary film directed by independent filmmaker Andrea Blaugrund Nevins. The film explores the world of aging punk rock musicians, as they transition into parents and try to maintain the contrast between ...
'', which aired on
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
and was released through
Oscilloscope Laboratories Oscilloscope Laboratories is an independent film company and distributor founded by Adam Yauch and former TH!NKFilm executive David Fenkel. It also has a recording studio and film production facilities. Fenkel returned to the company on May 4, 20 ...
(a company founded by Adam Yauch). The documentary, which was directed by
Andrea Blaugrund Nevins Andrea Blaugrund Nevins is a writer, director, and producer living in Los Angeles. Biography Nevins was born in New York City, where she attended the Chapin School. Her father is Dr. Stanley Blaugrund, the former Director of Otolaryngology and ...
, focused on a generation of punk rockers, how they have handled fatherhood, and how they went from public rebel to domestic authority figure.
Mark Hoppus Mark Allan Hoppus (born March 15, 1972) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist for the rock band Blink-182, being the only constant member and the only one to appear on every album. ...
, Jim Lindberg,
Art Alexakis Arthur Paul "Art" Alexakis (born April 12, 1962) is an American musician best known as the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the rock band Everclear. He has been a member of several notable bands, in addition to his own work as a songwriter f ...
, and Mark Mothersbaugh were also featured. Flea made his return to acting and co-starred in the 2014 film ''
Low Down ''Low Down'' is a 2014 American biopic directed by Jeff Preiss and based on the memoirs written by Amy-Jo Albany (portrayed by Elle Fanning) about her father, famed jazz pianist Joe Albany (portrayed by John Hawkes), and his struggles with drug ...
'', which is based on the life of jazz pianist
Joe Albany Joe Albany (born Joseph Albani; January 24, 1924 – January 12, 1988) was an American modern jazz pianist who played bebop with Charlie Parker as well as being a leader on his own recordings. Life and career Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, ...
. Flea along with Anthony Kiedis executive-produced the film, which stars John Hawkes, Elle Fanning,
Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...
, and Peter Dinklage. The film had a successful debut at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
in January 2014 and opened in limited release in October 2014. It was released in March 2015 on DVD. This marked his first acting role in 14 years. The film was directed by Jeff Preiss, who previously worked with Flea on the 1988 documentary '' Let's Get Lost''. In 2015, he provided the voice of the "mind cop" Jake in the Pixar film ''
Inside Out Inside Out may refer to: *Backwards (disambiguation) or inverse Books * '' Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd'', by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason * ''Inside Out'', Christian book by Larry Crabb * ''Inside Out'', novel by Barry Eisler ...
''. In 2015, Flea appeared as himself in the
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
series ''Highston''. It was announced in 2017 that Amazon Prime had cancelled plans for a full series of the show. Flea plays Eddie No-Nose in
Edgar Wright Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is an English filmmaker. He is known for his fast-paced and kinetic, satirical genre films, which feature extensive utilisation of expressive popular music, Steadicam tracking shots, dolly zooms and a ...
's action feature film ''
Baby Driver ''Baby Driver'' is a 2017 action film written and directed by Edgar Wright. It stars Ansel Elgort as a getaway driver seeking freedom from a life of crime with his girlfriend Debora (Lily James). Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Eiza González, Jamie ...
'' (2017). That same year he had a cameo appearance during the fifteenth season of the
FOX Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
animated television series ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'' in an episode titled "
Peter's Def Jam The fifteenth season of ''Family Guy'' aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox in the United States from September 25, 2016, to May 21, 2017. The series follows the dysfunctional Griffin family, consisting of father Peter Griffin, Peter, mother L ...
". In a scene where
Stewie Griffin Stewart "Stewie" Gilligan Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series ''Family Guy''. He was born in 1998 and is voiced by the series creator Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the Gr ...
said to his dog
Brian Griffin H. Brian Griffinas shown in Brian Griffin's House of Payne is a fictional character from the American animated television series ''Family Guy''. An anthropomorphic white labrador retriever voiced by Seth MacFarlane, he is one of the show's mai ...
that thanks to him, there's a recurring flea problem in Stewie's room, Flea enters and drops a bass line on his guitar. He asks Brian if he wants to hang out, but Stewie kicks Flea out of the room. Flea co-stars with Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and
Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...
in the 2018 film '' Boy Erased''. On February 16, 2018, Flea took part in the 2018 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on a team led by Canadian musician
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
. In August 2020, Flea was featured playing bass on multiple tracks on the new Bright Eyes studio album ''Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was.'' On June 2, 2021, it was announced that Flea will star alongside
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
, Margot Robbie and Samara Weaving in the upcoming film, ''Babylon'', which will be directed by
Damien Chazelle Damien Sayre Chazelle (; born January 19, 1985) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is known for his films ''Whiplash'' (2014), ''La La Land'' (2016), and '' First Man'' (2018). For ''Whiplash'', he was nominated for the ...
. This film will be set in the late 1920s during the movie industry’s transition from silent films to talkies and explores the rise and fall of multiple characters. The movie has been described as “ The Great Gatsby on
steroids A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and a ...
.” The movie will be in limited release on December 25, 2022, before a wide release on January 6, 2023. Flea appears in the
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
''
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...
'' series, aired on May 27, 2022. The series is directed by Deborah Chow who directed the 2022 music video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers single, "
Black Summer ''Black Summer'' is a comic book limited series written by Warren Ellis, illustrated by Juan Jose Ryp, and published by Avatar Press starting in June 2007. The plot revolves around the consequences of a superhero, John Horus, who kills the Presi ...
".


Personal life

Flea has been married two times and has three children. From 1988 to 1990, Flea was married to Loesha Zeviar (Loesha's name remains tattooed on Flea's chest). Their daughter, Clara Balzary, was born in 1988. Clara was featured in the band's ''
Funky Monks ''Funky Monks'' is a 1991 documentary (also the title of a song from the 1991 album ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'') about the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and the recording of their highly successful 1991 Warner Bros. debut ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' ...
'' documentary. She also has appeared at many shows and, as a child, provided artwork for the band's T-shirts and promotional material. She has also documented the band's ''I'm With You'' tour through photographs and videos. As an adult, Clara was most recently in the short-lived band the Tints and is also an aspiring artist and photographer, taking the promotional photographs for The Getaway. In 2005, Flea was engaged to model
Frankie Rayder Francesca "Frankie" Rayder (born Heidi A. Rayder; January 26, 1975) is an American model. She has a portfolio of covergirl appearances for high fashion magazines and was once a VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards for Model of the Year nominee. She has perfor ...
, who was once named '' GQ'' magazine's sexiest woman in the world. The couple never married however they had a child together, Sunny Bebop Balzary, who was born on October 26, 2005. The song "Hard to Concentrate" on the Chili Peppers' 2006 album, ''
Stadium Arcadium ''Stadium Arcadium'' is the ninth studio album by American rock music, rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was a double-album released on May 5, 2006, on Warner Bros. Records. It produced five singles: "Dani California", "Tell Me Baby", "Snow (He ...
'', was written by Kiedis as a wedding proposal to Flea and Rayder. Flea and Rayder since split up. In 2019, Flea got married for a second time when he married
fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
Melody Ehsani Melody Ehsani (born March 27, 1980) is an American fashion designer based in Los Angeles. She is notably Foot Locker's first women's creative director and has collaborated with the likes of Nike and Reebok. Career Melody Ehsani was born in Los ...
. Flea said of Ehsani, "My life has changed forever and I am eternally humble and grateful. The person who sees all of me and knows who I am. My wife @melodyehsani." On July 31, 2022, Ehsani announced on her
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
page that she was pregnant. On December 12, 2022, Ehsani gave birth to their first child together. On October 30, 1993, Flea was playing at The Viper Room with the band P when his close friend River Phoenix was outside the venue having seizures as the result of an overdose. When this news filtered through the club, Flea rushed outside and accompanied Phoenix in the ambulance that took him to Cedars-Sinai Hospital. In August 2020, Flea appeared on two unreleased songs from Phoenix's band
Aleka's Attic Aleka's Attic were an alternative folk/rock band from Gainesville, Florida, Gainesville, Florida, formed by River Phoenix and Josh Greenbaum in April 1987. History The original line up of Aleka's Attic included River as lead singer and played gu ...
to mark what would have been his 50th birthday. As an adult, Flea became a U.S. citizen. In a 2000 interview, he stated his intention to eventually retire to his native Australia. Flea appeared in the 2011 documentary ''The Other F Word'', where he discussed the joys of being a father. "It's funny how you always hear people saying that classic parent attitude of, 'I brought you into this world, I gave you life!' You know, it's just, I think, completely the opposite. My kids gave me life. They gave me a reason." In a June 23, 2011, interview, Flea discussed the band's return and how he almost quit the Chili Peppers during their hiatus. Flea said that he wanted to take two years away to see if the band was "something we should still be doing. . . . Things had gotten dysfunctional and not fun, even though I thought we were making great records, doing great shows and were a really powerful, mighty thing as a band. I was proud of what we did. . . . For me, the biggest thing during the time off, and what really made me want to continue doing the band, specifically after decided he didn't want to continue in the band anymore, asI just realized, Anthony, man, he's my brother, I love him so much, and we started this band when we were kids. I wanted to keep that going, I never want to let that go. Playing with him is something, even though I can do other things that are exciting and beautiful and I always will do those things and I'll always want to grow and do music outside of the band, the thing that we have is special to us and something that is blood." In February 2015, Flea posted photos to his
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
page showing that he had broken his arm during a skiing trip. His injury delayed the recording of the Chili Peppers eleventh studio album for six months with production expected to resume in mid-August according to Flea, who said on August 3, he was now healed enough to play bass again and continue recording. In February 2018, Flea released a passionate and revealing
op-ed An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. O ...
through ''Time'' magazine about the opioid crisis as well as his own personal history of drug addiction about which for most of his career he had been very private. Flea hoped that by exposing his past issues with substance abuse that his stories could possibly help others battling their own addictions and raise more awareness on the need for those in the medical community and the government to help those in need. "I've been around substance abuse since the day I was born. All the adults in my life regularly numbed themselves to ease their troubles, and alcohol or drugs were everywhere, always. I started smoking weed when I was eleven, and then proceeded to snort, shoot, pop, smoke, drop and dragon chase my way through my teens and twenties," Flea said. Flea finally kicked his addictions in 1993; however, he revealed that in 2014 when he broke his arm in a snowboard accident he nearly had setbacks due to oxycontin that his doctor prescribed for him: "My doctor put me back together perfectly, and thanks to him I can still play bass with all my heart. But he also gave me two-month supply of Oxycontin. The bottle said to take four each day. I was high as hell when I took those things. It not only quelled my physical pain, but all my emotions as well. I only took one a day, but I was not present for my kids, my creative spirit went into decline and I became depressed. I stopped taking them after a month, but I could have easily gotten another refill. Addiction is a cruel disease, and the medical community, together with the government, should offer help to all of those who need it." Flea is a fan of the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
,
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
, and
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
. He can often be spotted sitting courtside at Lakers games with some of his bandmates and has even performed the
National Anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...
prior to Lakers games. He is also known to be a fan of English football team Sheffield United.


Sexual assault

In 1990, Flea (Balzary) was arrested in
Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal Resort town, resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County, Florida, Volusia County near the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic coastline, its population ...
and charged with battery, disorderly conduct, and solicitation to commit an unnatural and lascivious act, and Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith was charged with battery, after the two were accused of "attacking a woman" in the audience of one of their performances; as reported by a ranger from
Volusia County Volusia County (, ) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida, stretching between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an incr ...
,
Balzary and Smith jumped into the crowd. / Balzary picked up the woman and began to spin her around on his shoulders, while Smith pulled her bathing suit to one side and began to slap her bottom... / nnamed officials alsosaid Balzary got on top of the woman, asked her to perform a sex act, then began to simulate the act.
The woman "apparently was picked from the audience at random", and " ter hecried for help, the band was escorted away." According to the same ranger, the victim "signed a complaint against the band members" (which resulted in the charges filed).


Activism and philanthropy

Flea and the Chili Peppers appeared in 1992
PSA PSA, PsA, Psa, or psa may refer to: Biology and medicine * Posterior spinal artery * Primary systemic amyloidosis, a disease caused by the accumulation of abnormal proteins * Prostate-specific antigen, an enzyme used as a blood tracer for pros ...
ads for Rock the Vote, a
non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization created to encourage 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States to vote in the upcoming presidential election. The Chili Peppers were invited by the
Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...
and the Milarepa Fund to perform at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in June 1996 in San Francisco. They also performed at the June 1998 Washington, D.C. concert as well. The concerts, which were held worldwide, were to support the cause of Tibetan independence.Apter, 2004. pp. 327–338 In 2001, Flea co-founded the
Silverlake Conservatory of Music Silverlake Conservatory of Music is a nonprofit educational organization formed in California. It was founded in 2001 by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Chili Peppers collaborator Tree to foster music education. Chili Peppers vocalist Anth ...
with his childhood friend Tree (musician), Tree. The school is dedicated to help youth progress in music. Flea said he wanted to "fill the void" created by the lack of public funding for school music departments: "I grew up in LA public schools and was in the music department. It was really an important thing for my life, it gave me something to hold onto, and it was an important access for me. Without music I would've gotten into a lot of trouble and there are a lot of kids like me out there. I just wanted to try to provide something like what I got." In September 2005, the Chili Peppers performed "Under the Bridge" at the ReAct Now: Music & Relief benefit which was held to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Thirty million dollars was raised during the live event which was broadcast across the world on various television networks and online. In October 2008, Flea (along with his daughter Sunny Bebop) appeared in a Vote for Change ad voicing his support for Barack Obama for president of the United States in the upcoming election. On March 20, 2011, Flea ran the Los Angeles Marathon, LA Marathon to raise money for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music through Crowdrise. Flea was also featured in ''Runner's World'' magazine discussing his preparation for the race. The Chili Peppers performed a free concert in downtown Cleveland, Ohio on April 15, 2012, in support of President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. On May 11, 2013, the Chili Peppers performed a special concert in Portland, Oregon, for the Dalai Lama as part of the Dalai Lama Environmental Summit. According to the press release, "The musical element of this event is intended to be a display of joyful celebration and an inspiration to future generations to care for our planet. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been great supporters of the Tibetan cause, of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and of the need to work to protect and preserve our environment." On August 19, 2014, Flea took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge. In May 2015, Flea reached out to fans to help donate to the Special Olympics. Two lucky fans will be selected to be flown out to meet Flea for private bass lessons. Other prizes such an exclusive T-shirts, personalized video from Flea, tickets to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert and various autographed items by Flea are available. Flea took to his Facebook page in anger speaking out about May 19 Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara oil spill that pumped 100,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. Flea was at the beach with his young daughter when she stepped in a tar ball. Flea wrote "Dear plains all American pipeline, my daughter just dared step on the beach for a few minutes where we live about 75 miles from the Santa Barbara oil spill you caused. She got your oil shit product all over her feet." Flea stated he can no longer surf there or take his daughter to the beach further saying "Some kid in the hood who made a mistake selling drugs will go to jail and have his life ruined but you, you evil lying scumbags will get away with a paltry fine that means nothing to you. You could have had a shut off valve but you saved cash there too. You are the worst kind of human beings, I am infuriated you disgust me." Flea has been outspoken towards guns and gun violence, sometimes speaking about it during Chili Peppers shows. He often expresses his anger on Twitter. In 2013, he said, "why anyone would ever want to own an automatic weapon I will never ever understand. it's a pathetic useless concept for sick people. Automatic, semi automatic, I don't care. I'm against em........ Melt em all down turn em into sculptures there is no need for them on earth. In many countries, the cops have no guns and they do perfectly fine. No civilians should be allowed to have guns. none. and I don't think the cops should have guns either. change the United States Constitution, constitution". Following the racially motivated Charleston church shooting in June 2015, Flea again voiced his anger towards gun violence, saying: "You are kidding me. This is too much. Humans are an over rated species. Sick. God help us." and "The USA land where any sick madman can easily get a gun. disgusting, deplorable, unbelievable." In August 2015, Flea added an apiary in his backyard which includes three beehives with approximately 60,000 bees each—over 200,000 bees total—in his backyard in efforts to restore the honeybee population. Flea commented on his new obsession with beekeeping by saying: "Deep to the hive super organism. I love my bees. Flea's bees." On September 18, 2015, Flea and his Chili Peppers bandmates were among over 120 entertainers and celebrities to announce that they would be voting for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 election for President of the United States. The Chili Peppers performed at a fundraiser on behalf the non-profit organisation San Diego Foundation on September 27, 2015. All money was donated to ARTS — A Reason To Survive, Heartbeat Music Academy, San Diego Young Artists Music Academy, and Flea's Silverlake Conservatory of Music. Flea and bandmate Anthony Kiedis host an annual benefit for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. In October 2015, the event was limited to 300 tickets at $2,500 each. The Chili Peppers performed an acoustic set, and John Legend headlined. Flea performed in the Pathway to Paris concert in December 2015. The all-star event aimed to raise awareness about the urgency of climate action and coincided with the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. In February 2016, the Chili Peppers performed at a "Feel the Bern" fundraiser in support of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Flea said, "Bernie Sanders is the only remotely reasonable candidate for President of the United States." In August 2016, Flea paid a visit to see Koko (gorilla), Koko the gorilla and to also raise awareness for The Gorilla Foundation. The foundation said of Flea's visit "One of Koko's favorite musicians, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers came to visit. Koko was thrilled by the mellow sounds and a jamming session followed with Koko strumming on Flea's bass!" Flea has been vocal about climate change. He stated in January 2019, "the destructive effects of climate change are ongoing and will be difficult for us human beings to deal with." Days later the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed at a benefit concert for victims of recent deadly Woolsey Fire in California which killed four people and destroyed over 1,500 homes. The fires even halted the recording for the Chili Peppers' twelfth album. On April 26, 2020, Flea performed during The Pathway to Paris Earth Day 50: A Virtual Festival, a livestream event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The festival streamed on an
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
page. Flea joined
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
to help contribute to a community food giveaway for the people of Watts, Los Angeles on July 31, 2020. "The community gives back to me. I like being a part of it, I like building bridges, I like making friends. When corona hit and I was sitting around and going to the beach and stuff, I did a lot of thinking about people who really might be struggling because they’re not getting enough to eat and not making money during COVID times,” Flea said.


''Acid for the Children''

In April 2014, Flea began writing his own book, his memoirs. The original scope of the book was to chronicle Flea's unconventional childhood (including his move from a "normal" life in the New York suburbs to a "bohemian" lifestyle in Los Angeles with his jazz-playing stepfather), his adventures in the L.A. streets, his "sometimes complex friendship and collaboration" with Chili Peppers co-founder Anthony Kiedis and the overall "tumultuous creative journey" of the band, which formed in 1983. In February 2018, it was announced that Flea's long-awaited memoir, ''
Acid for the Children ''Acid for the Children'' is the memoir of Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. It was released on November 5, 2019 by Grand Central Publishing, accompanied by audiobook and E-book versions. Background In April 2014, Flea started writing his memo ...
'', would be released on September 25, 2018; however, a few months later the release date was pushed back to November 27, 2018. On September 27, 2018, Flea announced on Twitter that his book has been postponed until 2019 saying "Dear everybody, Due to some scheduling conflicts, the release of my memoir has been delayed until next year. Will have a date as soon as possible. Sorry about any inconveniences.sincerely, flea. Flea also confirmed that unlike previously mentioned four years earlier, the book would focus exclusively on his life before the Red Hot Chili Peppers. "It's my great hope that it could be a book that could live beyond being a celebrity book or a rock star book and just stand on its own as a piece of literature," Flea says of ''Acid for the Children'', which he describes not as a memoir, but as an origin story: "It ends where the Red Hot Chili Peppers begins."


Instruments and sound


Bass guitars

Flea has employed a wide variety of basses over his career with some varying exclusivity, such as Music Man, Modulus, his own brand Fleabass, and Fender Jazz and Precisions. Currently, his main stage bass is a Fender Custom Shop, Custom Shop Fender Jazz Bass, modified with a Modulus Guitars, Modulus Lane Poor pickup and Aguilar OBP-1 preamp, identical to his Modulus basses he previously used. Fender has released this bass for sale as the Flea Signature Active Jazz Bass (no longer in production as of 2020), in addition to a signature instrument modelled after his 1961 Fender Jazz Bass (which has been his primary studio bass since 2006); Flea treasures his 1961 Jazz Bass for its "old wood sound". According to the Flea Bass Rig video he used the following over the years in order of appearance. * Musicman Cutlass 1 (No longer in production) * Fender Precision Bass (In black seen live in 1989) * Spector NS-2 with 2 jazz pickups (Seen in "Fight Like A Brave") * Spector NS-2 (Seen in "Taste The Pain") * Teisco Del Ray NB-4 (Used in video for "Higher Ground", not used to record) * Wal Mk 2 (Seen in "Suck My Kiss") * Musicman Stingray 4 (Seen in "Aeroplane") * Musicman Stingray 5 string (Seen in "Under The Bridge") * Alembic Epic (Seen in "My Friends") * Modulus signature basses (see below) * 1961 Fender Jazz Bass (Pre CBS) * Fleabass (Flea's own brand of bass from his business that was active from 2009-2011)


Signature Modulus Flea Bass

Flea toured the ''Californication'', ''By The Way'', ''Stadium Arcadium'', and ''I'm With You'' records with his signature Modulus Flea basses (Later renamed Modulus Funk Unlimited after the endorsement). He was seen with several designs over this time. * Blue Sparkle * Silver Sparkle (4- and 5-string versions) * Circle Jerk Punk-Rock * Aboriginal pattern * Sunburst * Black (Lakers style FLEA font in fingerboard)


Fleabass (Multi-Coloured Deluxe Spin Bass Guitars)

In 2009, Flea founded the Fleabass company with the goal to create quality budget basses for beginners. Whilst Flea did not perform with his own Fleabass production model he did however use a custom model created by UK artist Damien Hirst.
Damien actually made me a bass, a butterfly bass, it's a beautiful thing. It's not just a piece of art to hang on a wall. The whole new album I play on it. This bass is kind of heavy for live—I don't play Fenders that much live—but it's beautiful.
The custom Fleabass was built with Lane Poor active pickups, Graphite neck and 18-volt Aguliar OBP-1 preamp. It can be seen in the music videos for ''The Getaway'' album. Fifty of these basses were created. They were auctioned for Flea's
Silverlake Conservatory of Music Silverlake Conservatory of Music is a nonprofit educational organization formed in California. It was founded in 2001 by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Chili Peppers collaborator Tree to foster music education. Chili Peppers vocalist Anth ...
, with a list price £50,000.


Fender Custom Shop

From " The Getaway" world tour beginning June 2016, Flea was back on the road with three Custom Shop Fender Jazz basses. * Silver Jazz (Sticker of the Helmets on the body) * Road worn pink Jazz * Lakers Jazz (Purple with Lakers decal on the body) These basses have a Jazz Bass style body, Lane Poor Legacy pickup, 18-volt Aguilar OBP-1 preamp and a 22-fret graphite reinforced neck created by Fender Custom Shop master builder Jason Smith. The Silver Jazz is Fleas' current main tour bass, replacing his Modulus basses in the process.


Effects

According to an article in uberproaudio.com, Flea uses these effects units for his trademark sound: *Boss Corporation, BOSS ODB-3 Bass Overdrive *MXR, MXR Micro Amp *Electro-Harmonix, Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron *Dunlop Cry Baby, Dunlop 105Q Crybaby Bass Wah *Whirlwind D1 *Electro-Harmonix Big Muff


Amplifiers

Flea Testimonial, endorses bass amplifiers made by Gallien-Krueger.


Musical style

Flea has displayed a wide variety of techniques throughout the years, ranging from his initial use of Slapping (music), slapping and popping to the more traditional methods he has employed since ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik''. Greg Prato of Allmusic wrote that "by combining funk-style bass with psychedelic, punk, and hard rock, Flea created an original playing style that has been copied numerous times". Flea stated in an interview, that he was influenced greatly by
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
. Flea has been considered one of the greatest bassists of all time, with Greg Tate of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' saying "if there were a Most Valuable Bass Player award given out in rock, Flea could have laid claim to that bitch ten years running". The Smashing Pumpkins, Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan recalls, that when he first saw the Chili Peppers in 1984, "Flea was playing so aggressively that he had worn a hole in his thumb and he was literally screaming in pain in-between songs because it hurt so bad. Someone kept coming out and pouring crazy glue into the hole." Flea's sound is also determined by what type of instrument he plays. Before ''Californication'', he did not believe the actual bass held much significance: "what mattered was how you hit them [basses] and your emotional intent, and I still think that's the bottom line."


Technique

Flea's bass playing has changed considerably throughout the years. When he joined
Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
, his technique centered largely on punk rock bass lines; however, he was to change this style when the Red Hot Chili Peppers formed. He began to incorporate a "slap" bass style that drew influence largely from Bootsy Collins. However, this technique caused Flea to receive attention from the music world and was often copied, and he, therefore, felt it necessary to almost completely remove slap-bass styles from his repertoire following ''Mother's Milk'' (1989). Consequently, ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' (1991) saw a notable shift in style as it featured less of his signature technique and more styles that focused on traditional and melodic roots.Malandrone, Scott (October 1995). "Flea Interview". ''Bass Player''. His intellectual beliefs on how to play the instrument were also altered: "I was trying to play simply on ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' because I had been playing too much prior to that, so I thought, 'I've really got to chill out and play half as many notes'. When you play less, it's more exciting—there's more room for everything. If I do play something busy, it stands out, instead of the bass being a constant onslaught of notes. Space is good." During the writing and recording of ''One Hot Minute'' (1995), Flea integrated some use of slap-bass progressions, but continued to apply the philosophy of "less is more" to his technique rather than courting complexity: "I can't even think of anything I played that was complex [on the record]; even the slapping stuff is simple. It's original-sounding, and I'm proud of that—but what I played was more a matter of aesthetic choice." This led Flea to alter the way he wrote music by playing alone, instead of the
jam session A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without exte ...
s that would dictate how the band conceived songs: "[''One Hot Minute''] is the least jam-oriented record we've made. I mean, we definitely jammed on the ideas, but there's only one groove on the whole album that came from a jam, 'Deep Kick'. The rest of it came from my sitting down with a guitar or bass." Flea became interested in
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
during the ''Californication'' (1999) era and he attempted to emulate the same atmosphere given off by synthesizers into his bass playing: "I feel the most exciting music happening is electronica, without a doubt." He ultimately decided against this, acknowledging that, aside from Frusciante, the band was not moving in the same direction. In ''By the Way'' (2002), many of the bass-lines were entirely stripped of funk. Flea felt the chords Frusciante had written were not supportive of his typical technique; furthermore, he does not feel the musical direction of the record was specifically melodic, but instead "... a result of each one of us being who we are. The way we [the band] compose music is a very communal thing."


Influences

Flea's stepfather was in a bebop jazz band that frequently jammed in his presence, so he soon became fascinated with the trumpet. Flea credits his continued interest in music to jazz performers like Jaco Pastorius,
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...
, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker,
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
, John Coltrane, and
Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
. After Kiedis introduced him to punk rock, punk and rock, Flea became infatuated with artists such as Black Flag (band), Black Flag, David Bowie, and
Defunkt Defunkt is an American musical group founded by the trombonist and singer Joseph Bowie in 1978 in New York City. Their music touches on elements of punk rock, funk, and jazz. Career Joseph Bowie is the brother of big band musician Byron Bowi ...
. Flea's early influences before ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' were mainly funk artists. They would become a notable aspect of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound up to ''Mother's Milk''. Originally, Flea was given the impression by punk bands, that one should play as hard and fast as they possibly could, but ultimately rejected this philosophy during ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'': "I was so into being raw ..it was all bullshit." On ''Californication'' and ''By the Way'', Flea drew influence from electronica, gothic rock bands like the Cure, Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees and new wave music rather than funk. Flea has also spoken highly of Neil Young; he wrote an article for ''Rolling Stone'' praising Young for the consistent authenticity in his artistry, among other things.


Recognition

Regarded as one of the best rock bass players of all time, in 2009, ''Rolling Stone''s readers ranked Flea the second-best bassist in their top-ten poll, ranked behind only
John Entwistle John Alec Entwistle (9 October 194427 June 2002) was an English musician who was the bassist for the rock band The Who. Entwistle's music career spanned over four decades. Nicknamed "The Ox" and "Thunderfingers", he was the band's only member ...
of the Who and ahead of Paul McCartney of the Beatles. In a 2010 poll conducted on the BBC Two series ''I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band!'', Flea was named the bassist in the ultimate fantasy band alongside Freddie Mercury on vocals,
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
on guitar and John Bonham on drums. In April 2011, Flea finished second in an online poll conducted by Contact Music to name the best bass guitarist in rock music. He came second to the late John Entwistle. Rounding out the top five were Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee of Rush (band), Rush and Les Claypool of Primus (band), Primus.


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Non-Red Hot Chili Peppers music videos


Discography


Red Hot Chili Peppers


Atoms for Peace

*''Amok (Atoms for Peace album), Amok'' (2013 album)


Solo

* "I've Been Down", released in The Basketball Diaries (soundtrack), the soundtrack for the movie ''The Basketball Diaries'' * "Media Blitz", released on the compilation, Germs Tribute *''
Helen Burns Helen Burns (22 December 1916 – 23 July 2018) was a British actress mostly known for playing comedic roles. Burns is known for her performance in the 1993 production of ''The Last Yankee'' at the Duke of York's Theatre, for which she won a La ...
'' (2012 EP)


Collaborations

* "#1 da Woman" by Tricky (musician), Tricky * "Baby Can't Drive" by Slash (musician), Slash with Alice Cooper, Nicole Scherzinger and Steven Adler * "Barcelona" by Jewel (singer), Jewel * "Bleed for Something Beautiful" by Mina Caputo * " Bust a Move" by
Young MC Marvin Young (born May 10, 1967), better known by his stage name Young M.C., is a British-born American rapper, singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit " Bust a Move". His debut album ''Stone Cold Rhymin found international accla ...
* ''De-Loused in the Comatorium'' by the Mars Volta (selected tracks) * ''The Empyrean'' by John Frusciante * "Note to a Friend" by
Aleka's Attic Aleka's Attic were an alternative folk/rock band from Gainesville, Florida, Gainesville, Florida, formed by River Phoenix and Josh Greenbaum in April 1987. History The original line up of Aleka's Attic included River as lead singer and played gu ...
* ''Concert Series Volume 1'' by Axis of Justice (selected tracks) * "Freeway" by Porno for Pyros with
Dave Navarro David Michael Navarro (born June 7, 1967) is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of the Red Hot Ch ...
* "Gimme Shelter" by Patti Smith * "Hardcharger" by Porno for Pyros with
Dave Navarro David Michael Navarro (born June 7, 1967) is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of the Red Hot Ch ...
* "Hard Life Easy" by Satellite Party * ''Wednesday: Modern Folk and Blues'' by
Bob Forrest Robert O'Neil "Bob" Forrest (born February 15, 1961) is an American musician who is best known for his work with the Los Angeles bands Thelonious Monster and The Bicycle Thief. Forrest, a recovering drug addict, has worked for years as a recovery ...
(2006) * "Heart of Gold" by
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
* "Hell Broke Luce" by
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
* "I Come Off" by
Young MC Marvin Young (born May 10, 1967), better known by his stage name Young M.C., is a British-born American rapper, singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit " Bust a Move". His debut album ''Stone Cold Rhymin found international accla ...
* "I Make My Own Rules" by LL Cool J with
Dave Navarro David Michael Navarro (born June 7, 1967) is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of the Red Hot Ch ...
* "Idiots Rule" by
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from t ...
with Angelo Moore and Christopher Dowd * "Ill Wind" by Michael Brook with James Pinker Pinkerelly, Jimmy Scott, and Michael Stipe * "It's A Rockin World" by Joe Strummer with Tom Morello, Benmont Tench, DJ Bonebrake, and Nick Hexum * "Leave My Monkey Alone" by Warren Zevon * "Kettle Whistle" by
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from t ...
* "Miranda that Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore" by the Mars Volta * ''Momentum (Joshua Redman album), Momentum'' by Joshua Redman * "Narcissus" by
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...
* "The Odyssey" by Incubus (band), Incubus * "Raised Right Men" by
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
* ''Rocketjuice and the Moon'' by
Rocket Juice & the Moon ''Rocket Juice & the Moon'' is the only album by the supergroup of the same name, formed in 2008. The group consisted of Damon Albarn, Flea, and Tony Allen. Album history The project was announced in mid-2008; however due to various other pr ...
* "Sleepin' wit My Fonk" by Sir Mix-A-Lot * "So What!" by
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from t ...
* "Spiritual" by
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
with Curt Bisquera * "War" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony with Henry Rollins and Tom Morello * "The Widow (song), The Widow" by the Mars Volta * "What'll I Do (Remix)" by Janet Jackson (remixed by Flea, Chad Smith & Dave Navarro) * "White Rabbit" by Patti Smith with Tom Verlaine * "You Oughta Know" by
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...
with
Dave Navarro David Michael Navarro (born June 7, 1967) is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of the Red Hot Ch ...
* "Grease the System" by Banyan (band), Banyan with John Frusciante *''Antemasque (album), Antemasque'' by Antemasque *''Was Never There'' by Josh Klinghoffer, Pluralone *''Nowhere I Am'' by Pluralone * "Not Great Men" with John Frusciante * ''
Bonfire of Teenagers ''Bonfire of Teenagers'' is an unreleased studio album by English singer Morrissey. Described by the singer as "the best album of islife", ''Bonfire of Teenagers'' was produced by Andrew Watt in 2020 and 2021, and features a number of guest ap ...
'' -
Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...


Producer

*''The Boldness Of Style EP'' by Thelonious Monster (produced the song "Walk On Water")


Notes


References

* *


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Flea 1962 births Living people Alternative rock bass guitarists American alternative rock musicians American experimental musicians American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Australian descent American people of Hungarian descent American people of Irish descent Antemasque (band) members Atoms for Peace (band) members Australian alternative rock musicians Australian expatriate male actors in the United States Australian experimental musicians Australian male film actors Australian male television actors Australian male voice actors Australian people of Hungarian descent Australian people of Irish descent Fairfax High School (Los Angeles) alumni Fear (band) members Grammy Award winners Jane's Addiction members Musicians from Melbourne People with acquired American citizenship People with chronic fatigue syndrome Pigface members Red Hot Chili Peppers members The Mars Volta members What Is This? members Australian autobiographers American autobiographers 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American musicians 20th-century American bass guitarists 21st-century American bass guitarists 20th-century Australian male actors 21st-century Australian male actors 20th-century Australian musicians 21st-century Australian musicians 21st-century multi-instrumentalists