Background

Flea was born as Michael Peter Balzary, on October 16, 1962, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, to Mick and Patricia Balzary. Right from his childhood, Michael was called Flea due to his inability to sit still. Interestingly, the nickname stayed with him for the rest of his life. When he turned 4, his family moved to New York from Melbourne, Victoria.

The year 1972 marked the divorce of his parents after which his father moved back to Australia. After his parents parted ways, Flea and his siblings remained with their mother who went on to remarry a jazz musician.

Education

It was Flea’s stepfather, Walter Abdul Urban, who introduced Flea to music. The first musical instrument that fascinated Flea was a trumpet. He was fond of the jazz style of music. High school was not always an easy road for young Michael. He was a misfit because of his unusual musical taste. While most of the kids were into disco and dance music, Flea preferred jazz artists like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. Flea's first musical instrument was the drums, but soon he also began playing the trumpet.

After school, he would race home to listen to his Gillespie records and play along with his idol. He counts as his greatest childhood memory the time his mother got him back-stage to meet Gillespie after one of his concerts. He also played with the Los Angeles Junior Philarmonic Orchestra.

Flea attended Fairfax High School. In the school, he befriended Anthony Kiedis and Hillel Slovak for life. Slovak ignited the love for rock music in Flea and also taught him to play bass. He also included Flea in his band, Anthem, as a bassist. However, Flea soon left it to form an intended one-off band with Slovak, Kiedis, and Iron.

In 2008 Flea attended the University of Southern California to study music theory, composition, and jazz trumpet. Flea was not classically trained and was quoted saying "There’s stuff that I want to know that I don’t know."

Career

Around 1979, due to Flea's obvious musical talent, he was sought out as a recruit for a band formed by his school-mates, Anthym, with Jack Irons (drums), Hillel Slovak (guitar), and Alain Johannes (vocals and guitar) as members. Flea picked up the bass, which he had never played before, and became so good that within a few months he had forged his very own style, which later would make him one of the most famous and talented bass players in the world.

After a shaky start, the band got a few club gigs but no major breaks. Anthony Kiedis, who was always there to support them, became the presenter of their shows which he opened with a few jokes or improvised poems of his own.

In 1982, Flea joined the Los Angeles punk band Fear. He also landed a small role in the Penelope Spheeris film Suburbia (1984). John Lydon of PIL asked Flea to join his band when he left Fear in 1984, but Flea instead decided to rejoin his friends. With Kiedis, Slovak and Irons, they started another band together, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which soon earned a good reputation in the Los Angeles underground music scene.

In August 1984 the band came up with their debut self-titled album Red Hot Chili Peppers. However, the album failed to impress. The band soon came up with their second album Freaky Styley, in 1985. It too performed averagely on the charts. They soon followed it with their third album, The Uplift Mofo Party which became the most successful of the three albums.

While Red Hot Chili Peppers was still struggling to make a place of its own, its members were embroiled in drug addiction. Slovak’s early death due to heroin overdose left Flea and the other members distressed. Collecting themselves, they soon started working on a new project. Their fourth album, Mother’s Milk was released in early 1989. Though it was panned by critics, commercially, the album was widely appreciated and rose to 52 positions on the Billboard 200. Later, it was certified gold.

Ending their contract with EMI, Red Hot Chili Peppers signed a deal with Warner Bros Records. While working on their fifth studio album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Flea’s marijuana addiction augmented massively. In 1991, the album released with an overwhelmingly positive response. It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart selling over seven million copies in the United States alone.

They soon followed it with their next album, One Hot Minute in September 1995. This album opened to mixed reviews. After the release of One Hot Minute, Flea considered the idea of having a solo career. However, he eventually abandoned the idea and instead offered his service as a bassist to other artists. Meanwhile, he also worked on the band’s next album by turning into a writer and lyricist.

Californication, the band’s seventh album, released in June 1999 with a tremendously positive response. It went on to sell 15 million copies worldwide and turned out to be the greatest hit after Mother’s Milk. The success of Californication inspired Flea and other band members to work on their next album.

Red Hot Chili Pepper’s eighth studio album, By The Way, was released in 2002. The album was different from its contemporaries for the fact that it concentrated on melodic, textured music, an aspect not seen before. The album was positively received and became a huge hit. It sold more than nine million copies worldwide. Its resultant tour was a historic success, with the concert at London's Hyde Park becoming the highest-grossing concert at a single venue in history.

The stupendous success of By The Way gave a positive impetus to Flea and the band members, who started working on their ninth studio album. Titled Stadium Arcadium, the album was released in 2006 and was a big hit. Following Stadium Arcadium Red Hot Chili Peppers went on a long hiatus due to exhaustion. Meanwhile, Flea feeling worn out and drained, enrolled himself in music classes at the University of Southern California. He studied music theory, composition, and jazz trumpet and was enthralled by the structure and technicalities of music.

In 2009, Flea joined Atoms for Peace, a supergroup formed by Radiohead singer Thom Yorke. After touring the United States, Atoms for Peace recorded their debut album, Amok that was released years later in February 2013. Following the release, the band toured Europe, the United States, and Japan.

Red Hot Chili Pepper ended their hiatus in October 2009 and started working on their tenth studio album. Flea, who had thought of quitting the band before the "shocking" hiatus, in his time off, contemplated on whether he wanted to continue working for the band. He realized he loved his childhood friend Kiedis way too much to let go of the band. As a matter of fact, he actually wanted to continue working in it for Kiedis.

In August 2011, Red Hot Chili Peppers released their tenth studio album, I'm with You. Meanwhile, Flea did a side project with Damon Albarn and Tony Allen titled Rocket Juice & the Moon. The band came up with their maiden live performance in October 2011 followed by their debut album in March 2012.

Flea came up with his solo EP Helen Burns, in July 2012. Inspired by the intricacies of music and their technicalities ever since his University days, Flea long aspired to come up with an instrumental album which he eventually did with Helen Burns. Except for its title track and Lovelovelove, the album was instrumental and marked as Flea’s first solo release.

In April 2014, Flea recorded a few songs for the former Mars Volta members Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Omar Rodríguez-López, and Dave Elitch for their project Antemasque. They came up with their debut self-titled album in July same year. In 2015, news of Red Hot Chili Peppers working on their eleventh studio album began to circulate. However, Flea’s injury following a skiing trip further postponed the album. Finally almost a year and a half later, in June 2016, the band released their eleventh studio album, The Getaway.

Apart from music, Flea has also dabbled in acting. He has made film and television appearances in minor roles. Additionally, he has also done several documentaries including Bob and the Master, and The Other F Word. In 2014, he got his first major role in the film Low Down. Flea also gave voiceover in Pixar’s Inside Out. In 2017, he made a cameo appearance in the popular sitcom Family Guy.

Achievements

• 

  In 2009, Flea was named the second-best bassist ever in a poll run by Contact Music, coming in second after The Who’s late bassist John Entwistle. Flea is widely regarded as one of rock's most talented bassists. Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the best-selling bands of all time with over 80 million records sold worldwide. The band has so far won seven Grammy Awards and has sold over 60 million albums across the globe. In 2012 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their unique mix of rock, punk, funk, and rap that made them the truly unique band they are.
  
  

Works

More photos

• book

  • Acid for the Children

    (With "virtuosic vulnerability" (The Atlantic), the iconic...)

    2019

• movie

  • Low Down

    (Jazz pianist Joe Albany (John Hawkes) and his daughter Am...)

    2014
  • Back to the Future Part III

    (They've saved the biggest trip for last as the most popul...)

    1990
  • My Own Private Idaho

    (Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix star in Academy Award-nomi...)

    1991
  • Boy Erased

    (Boy Erased tells the courageous story of Jared Eamons (Lu...)

    2018
  • Inside Out

    (When her family moves across the country, tween Riley And...)

    2015
  • Rugrats Go Wild

    (The Rugrats get tangled in an exotic adventure, where the...)

    2003
  • The Big Lebowski

    (This Coen brothers' hilariously twisted and irreverent cu...)

    1998
  • Toy Story 4

    (Woody has always been confident about his place in the wo...)

    2019
  • Suburbia

    (When household tensions and a sense of worthlessness over...)

    1984
  • Baby Driver

    (Coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway dr...)

    2017
  • Queen & Slim

    (A black couple's first date turns into a nightmare after ...)

    2019
  • Roadside Prophets

    (Two loners embark on a motorcycle journey from Los Angele...)

    1992
  • Thrashin'

    (A teen moves to Los Angeles and must prove himself to a t...)

    1986
  • The Chase

    (An escaped con and his not-so-unwilling hostage lead the ...)

    1994
  • Dudes

    (Two city street kids along with their best friend, head w...)

    1987
  • Tough Guys

    (Set free after 30 years in prison, a pair of train robber...)

    1986
  • Psycho

    (Gus Van Sant directs Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Julianne M...)

    1998
  • The Blue Iguana

    (A poor excuse for a bounty hunter is out to get rich by h...)

    1988
  • The Wild Thornberrys Movie

    (Eliza and Debbie are two sisters who don't always get alo...)

    2002
  • Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    (Based on the book by gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson!...)

    1998
  • Back to the Future Part II

    (Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher L...)

    1989

• music

  • Red Hot Chili Peppers 1984
  • Freaky Styley 1985
  • The Uplift Mofo Party Plan 1987
  • Mothers Milk 1989
  • One Hot Minute 1995
  • Californication 1999
  • By the Way 2002
  • Stadium Arcadium 2006
  • I'm With You 2011
  • The Getaway 2016
  • Amok 2013

• TV series

  • The Wild Thornberrys

    (The globe-trotting girl with the gift of gab and her fant...)

    1998

Religion

Flea considers himself a non-religious person. He stated: "I am a person who prays multiple times every day. I am not a religious man, but I believe in God, and communicate with the Divine. It’s a sacred time when I am shown my highest self, and in my humility, I receive the answers I need."

Politics

Flea endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential election of the United States. He also campaigned for Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 United States presidential elections. He was the part of the Chili Peppers‘ performance at a free concert in downtown Cleveland, Ohio on April 15, 2012, in support of President Barack Obama‘s re-election campaign.

Views

An active philanthropist, Flea is one of the founders of Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit music education organization founded in 2001 for underprivileged children. He has conducted various charitable shows and concerts, the proceeds of which have helped various non-governmental organizations and trusts.

He has also been very vocal about guns and gun violence in his concerts as well as the social media where he has oftentimes posted his displeased opinions on the use of guns.

Quotations: "The music industry, I've never been concerned with. I've been very fortunate that it has taken care of me. Like a baby being breastfed."

"People that are uptight about the kiss on the magazine are the same people that are gonna be watching macho football players in tight pants wrestle around and slap each other on the butt and think it's the all Russian macho thing to do."

Personality

Flea's stepfather was a raging alcoholic and later got involved in shoot-outs with police. In one of his interviews, Flea revealed that he grew up in a violent and alcoholic atmosphere and was terrified of his parents, especially of the father figures in his life.

Due to a troubled childhood, he started smoking cannabis at an early age and did it on a regular basis. Later in an interview, he revealed that he had originally started smoking weed at the age of 11 and was addicted to other drugs as well throughout his 20s.

Flea is an avid American soccer fan and is an ardent supporter of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers. He even performed the National Anthem prior to Lakers games. He is also a fan of the English football team Sheffield United.

Interests

• Chess

• Politicians

  Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders

• Writers

  William Blake, Michele Serros, The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen

• Sport & Clubs

  Soccer, basketball, baseball, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Lakers, Sheffield United

• Athletes

  LeBron James, Kobe Bryant

• Music & Bands

  Jaco Pastorius, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Black Flag, David Bowie, Defunkt, the Cure, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Neil Young

Connections

Flea got married to his first wife, Loesha Zeviar, in 1988. The couple has a daughter together, named Clara Balzary, who was also born in 1988. In 2005, he got engaged to a model, Frankie Rayder. They welcomed their first child, Sunny Bebop Balzary, on October 26, 2005. The couple separated after a few years. In 2019, Flea married 39-year-old designer Melody Ehsani just one month after the couple announced their engagement.

Father:

Mick Balzary

Mother:

Patricia Balzary

Spouse:

Melody Ehsani

ex-wife:

Loesha Zeviar

Daughter:

Clara Balzary

ex-girlfriend:

Frankie Rayder

Daughter:

Sunny Bebop Balzary

stepfather:

Walter Abdul Urban

Friend:

Anthony Kiedis

Anthony Kiedis and Flea met at Fairfax High School and after talking for a short period, the two became best friends.

Acquaintance:

James Corden

Friend:

John Frusciante

Frusciante joined the band in 1988 and appeared on albums Mother’s Milk and Blood Sugar Sex Magik before he left in 1992. He returned in 1999 before the release of Californication and remained in the band until his departure in 2009. Frusciante again joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in December 2019.

John Frusciante was also in a band with Flea and Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, The Three Amoebas.

Friend:

River Phoenix

Flea was close friends with River Phoenix and was with him at The Viper Room when the actor went into seizures from his fatal drug overdose. Flea rode in the ambulance with him to the hospital. The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ song Transcending is about Phoenix.

Friend:

Kurt Cobain

Flea and Kurt Cobain (as well as other members of Nirvana) were bound by a friendly relationship since the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana had been touring together in the early 1990s. He even played the trumpet on Smells Like Teen Spirit at one of their shows.

References

• Flea on Instagram
• Flea on Twitter