Michael Balzary

Flea (born Michael Peter Balzary on October 16, 1962 in Melbourne, Australia) is the bassist for the alternative funk band Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Related Topics:
October 16 - 1962 - Melbourne - Australia - Alternative - Funk - Band - Red Hot Chili Peppers

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After his parents divorced when he was four years old, his mother moved the family to the United States, and eventually settled in Los Angeles in 1972. Flea got his start in music while in high school. He played trumpet in his school's band, and was considered by his teachers to be one of the best trumpet players they had ever seen. He was subsequently accepted into the Juilliard School of Music for his trumpeting skills. Balzary confessed to VH1's Behind The Music, that he originally had no interest in rock and roll and sought to become a jazz musician like his father, but changed musical direction after being introduced to the music of KISS and Led Zeppelin by future bandmate Hillel Slovak.

Related Topics:
United States - Los Angeles - 1972 - Music - Trumpet - Juilliard School of Music - VH1 - Behind The Music - Rock and roll - Jazz - KISS - Led Zeppelin - Hillel Slovak

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He met bandmate Anthony Kiedis while at Fairfax High School, and they went on to form Red Hot Chili Peppers together. Flea is widely considered to be among the finest bassists in recent history. He still plays trumpet occasionally, for example, as part of a horn section on the second Jane's Addiction album, on Mike Watt's Ball Hog or Tug Boat?, on The Mars Volta's sophomore release Frances The Mute, and with Nirvana on a performance of Smells Like Teen Spirit at Hollywood Rock '93, a music festival in Brazil. The songs Subway To Venus, Pretty Little Ditty, and Taste the Pain on the Chili Peppers album Mother's Milk, and Tear on By the Way also feature Flea on trumpet.

Related Topics:
Anthony Kiedis - Fairfax High School - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Bassists - Horn section - Jane's Addiction - Mike Watt - The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute - Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

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Since 2001 Flea has owned his own music school in Los Angeles called Silverlake Conservatory of Music in the trendy L.A. district of Silverlake.

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Flea's style is influenced by Bootsy Collins and by punk bass players such as Joe Lally of Fugazi. He played MusicMan StingRay basses exclusively until around 1988, when he momentarily employed a Spector bass (which can be seen on the Fire (live 88) and Knock Me Down videos, and be heard on Mother's Milk's Pretty Little Ditty). The bass sounds on Blood Sugar Sex Magik that influenced countless of today's bassists were mostly made with a Wal Mach II bass (he played a StingRay 5 on Funky Monks). On One Hot Minute he mostly used an Alembic Epic bass, although Aeroplane featured his trademark StingRay sound. For both albums' tours, however, he was always wielding the StingRay. By 1997 his signature bass by Modulus entered production, and it's been his main instrument since then.

Related Topics:
Bootsy Collins - Punk - Joe Lally - Fugazi - 1988 - Mother's Milk - Blood Sugar Sex Magik - One Hot Minute

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Flea has also worked outside of the RHCP. In the early 80s he was the bassist for Fear. He filled in for Eric Avery during the reunion tour of alternative rock band Jane's Addiction in 1996, as well as played bass for The Mars Volta on 2003's De-Loused in the Comatorium and trumpet for 2005's Frances the Mute. He has done some acting, having appeared in the movies The Big Lebowski, My Own Private Idaho, Suburbia, The Chase (1994) (with RHCP bandmate Kiedis), Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III as 'Needles', headlining in Poker's Liar (2001), and providing the voice of the feral boy Donnie in the animated television series The Wild Thornberrys.

Related Topics:
Fear - Eric Avery - Jane's Addiction - The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium - Frances the Mute - The Big Lebowski - My Own Private Idaho - Suburbia - The Chase - 1994 - Back to the Future Part II - Back to the Future Part III - 2001 - Feral boy - The Wild Thornberrys

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Over the years, Flea has had drug and alcohol problems and has been to rehab several times. He currently claims to be clean.

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Flea married Loesha Zeviar in 1985. Their daughter Clara was born in 1988. Flea and Loesha split up in 1990 but remain on friendly terms and have joint custody of Clara. Loesha's name remains tattoed on his chest. It's said that he is expecting a new baby with his girlfriend sometime in the future.

Related Topics:
1985 - 1988 - 1990

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In the English translation of the video game Chrono Trigger, Flea was the name of one of Magus's henchmen. The other two, all being obviously named after rock musicians, were Slash and Ozzie (an alternative spelling of Ozzy).

Related Topics:
Chrono Trigger - Slash - Ozzy

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