Anthony Kiedis

Anthony Kiedis (http://ventin.blogia.com/ upload/20061129201159-anthony-kiedis29-1-.jpg)

My hero is the lead singer of funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. He has made personal strides and overcome serious substance abuse. He has written his own autobiography "Scar Tissue". His lyrics dealt with life in L.A. along with sex, teen angst and drugs. As he aged, these issues broadened into spirituality, struggles and loss which added another layer of depth to his lyrics.

the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kiedis far right (http://img.letssingit.com/artists/72db9/rhcp.jpg)

Anthony Kiedis had problems with substance abuse which escalated until he dropped out of the University of California, Los Angeles. Three of his friends invited him to join their band and that was how the Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in 1983. He writes almost all of their songs. The tone to most of the songs is upbeat, so when the band released "Under the Bridge", it was quite a shock. The songs energy did not reflect the band, but it was a huge hit. When Hillel Slovak, the band's lead guitarist, died from an overdose on heroin, Anthony Kiedis appeared to be the most affected. Kiedis had issues with drugs himself and after Slovak's death he was involved in the anti-drug video "Trip on This". Kiedis was clean for five years after his band mate�s death before suffering from many relapses. However, he has managed to keep clean since 2000 despite many temptations.

Kiedis was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1962. His parents divorced when he was three. He moved to Los Angeles when he was eleven with his father. He still lives there today.

Anthony is an extremely important person in my life. The first song I listened to by his band was "Under the Bridge" and I fell in love with it. The lyrics, rhythm and beat of the song combined together moved me. He has motivated me to be a better songwriter and guitar player. Many songs out there today lack creativity when it comes to lyrics and how they sing it. Anthony Kiedis is absolutely amazing because he can make an overused, overplayed theme such as depression into something on its own with powerful use of language and metaphors. Also, Kiedis manages to encapsulate every mood I have felt. The highs, lows and everything that happens in between somewhere fits into a song that he wrote.

Anthony Kiedis has showed me that a person is capable of overcoming inner conflict. He had a long arduous struggle with heroin and cocaine that started when his father introduced drugs to him. He was in and out of rehab and his downhill cycle of drugs seemed unstoppable. But eventually he did make it on top. Before I knew Kiedis I never would have thought such a feat was possible. Anthony Kiedis showed me a whole world of music and opened my mind to a different perspective of people. Anthony Kiedis is my hero.