Flea (Michael Balzary)

Michael Balzary (cinemablend.com)

A hero can be many things. In this case a hero is someone who inspires you. A hero is someone who you can look up to and try to follow in the footsteps of. My hero is Michael Balzary, better known by his stage name Flea. Flea is the bassist for the band the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He didn’t always play bass though, he started playing the drums when he was young. Flea was born in Australia but he moved to New York when he was five. When his father divorced his mother and moved back to Australia, his mother married a jazz musician. When they moved to California he soon picked up the trumpet and by this gained a taste in music that not many others at his high school appreciated. While his step dad was most likely a factor in Flea starting to pursue music, he was an aggressive alcoholic. This caused Flea to become afraid of his parents. He starting experimenting with marijuana to deal with his issues, this was a big factor in the almost destruction of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

He was an outcast in high school. He met Anthony Kiedis (lead singer of the band) when he got into a scrap with one of his friends. Anthony broke up the fight and Flea backed off because as he stated “He is a crazy person”. Flea then started to hang out with Anthony and they soon became good friends. Another student at the school, Jack Irons, told him that he should learn to play bass and play in his band. Flea picked up the bass guitar and started to play all the time. Within a few months he was playing like a pro, he had even formed his own unique style of playing. Flea, Anthony, Jack, and Hillel Slovak, eventually started a new band Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. This named was soon changed to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They played gigs all over Los Angeles California, soon they were a huge success and after only six months they were signed with EMI. They started making albums and were becoming more and more successful. During 1987 is when their drug problems started to get worse. After they released their second album Anthony and Hillel developed severe addictions which lead to Hillel’s death in 1988. This death hit the band and hit them hard. Jack quit and Flea and Anthony checked into rehab.

From left to right Anthony,Flea, John Frusicante,

When they finally found their new line up, they started becoming even more famous. Another setback they had however, was their guitarist, John Frusciante started becoming addicted to heroin. John quit for a few years where he nearly killed himself due to his addictions. When John had finally overcome his addictions the red Hot Chili Peppers had fired the replacement guitarists. The band was torn apart and they were about to abandon it. Flea said to Anthony “The only way I could imagine carrying on [with the Red Hot Chili Peppers] is if we got John back in the band." They decided that it was time to let John rejoin them. They started doing really well with John playing guitar again. They released a new album soon after John rejoined them, and they have had greater success.

Since then he has greatly improved his skill playing bass. In 2001 he started the Silver Lake Conservatory of Music. This is a non-profit school where kids can go to get music lessons. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been on hiatus since 2007. During this break from performing, Flea has been occupying his time dealing with music. He has been taking classes at University of South California. He stays dedicated to teaching and learning all about music. This is inspiring to me because he himself said he was learning things about music that he never knew. Flea is a hero because he sends out a message that you can overcome difficulties in your life and proceed to become great at what you love to do.