Red Hot Chili Peppers – Biographies
Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis, a true man behind Red Hot Chili Peppers, one and the only, whose spirit has kept this band alive through all these years. Being a mischevious child at the very young age, hungry for the adrenalin as he was growing up, he’s been doing all kind of crazy things in his life: including drugs, jumping off roofs into pools, having the weirdest sexual experinces, but he has never regret any of it; there was always music that kept him alive influencing his life in so many ways, as well as his positive attitude that could get him out of any trouble, no matter how bad it might have looked. Whether I’m in jail or in a rehab or just half-dead somewhere, I always have an innate sensation that says, ‘You’re going to get out of this mess.’ And indeed he did, turning his experience and deepest emotions into beautiful music and pure energy that can hardly leave anyone indifferent.
Anthony Kiedis was born in Grand Rapids, Michigen. His parents divorced when he was three, and so his father John Kiedis moved to Los Angeles, while he stayed in Michigan with his mother. However, young Anthony wanted to be with his father, to experience life in LA, so his mother Margaret had to give in, and let him go at the age of eleven. That was when his life changed, turning upside down as his father introduced him to the world of drugs. He was a drug dealer and soon-to-be actor who found it alright to share his life style with his son – drugs, clubbing with celebrities, even his girlfriends… Anthony liked it, developing a special relationship with his ‘cool dad’, unlike the other kids his age who often had problems with their parents.
He attended Fairfax High School, where he met his future band mates and became really interested in music, discovering bands such as Sly & The Family Stone, Led Zeppelin and Stevie Wonder later, who would have a major influence on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ music. His friendship with Michael Balzary started by pure chance, one day when he was to start the fight with Anthony’s best friend at the time – Tony. Anthony confronted him, as he was always playing the role of a protector, but instead of starting a fight they became best friends and have stayed so ever since. They had so much in common, still the most noticeable similarty was their love for music, and that was when Anthony got the idea to form a band, although, at the time, Flea was already playing in another band with their mutual friends – Jack Irons and Hillel Slovak.
After high school, Kiedis went on to study at UCLA, but dropped out after losing interest – the main reason for this was his abuse of drugs as he became a full time junkie. It was around that time that he offered his friends to form a band, and so he got together with Flea, Hillel and Jack, forming Tony Flow and Miraculous Masters of Mayhem that would later change its name to Red Hot Chili Peppers.
They recorded only one album in the original line up, before Hillel Slovak died from heroin overdose, and that was when Jack Irons left the band. For Anthony, who adored Hillel, that was a real wake up call to get clean. He tried many times, going in and out of rehab, but kept relapsing over the next few years till December 2000, when he decided to saty clean for good. It’s easy to be a junkie. It’s not easy to be one of the greatest guitar players of all time, or one of the greatest writers. After trying so many times, two friends found a great replacement for their former band mates and great friends – John Frusciante and Chad Smith, with whome they recorded 6 studio albums and they form a curent Red Hot Chili Peppers’ line up.
Anthony Kiedis is a man ‘responsible’ for the genesis of Red Hot Chili Peppers; for their strenght, everlasting energy and inspiration their music is permeated with. He has managed to keep this band together for so many years, to keep it alive, to keep himself alive through the roughest times. Like he says in his own words: love and music can save us, and did.
Here are some quick facts I don’t find very interesting or important, but I’m sure there are people wanting to know about:
Name: Anthony Kiedis
Born: November 1st 1962
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Martial Status: has a girlfriend, model Heather Christie, and a baby boy – Everly Bear Kiedis
Height: 5′ 9″ or 1.75m
Hair/Eye Color: Brown/Brown
If you’re willing to know more about Anthony Kiedis, his life and everything that’s been going on with him since his early childhood, in his own words, I’d suggest you to read his autobiography Scar Tissue.
