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Southern California's Red
Hot Chili Peppers have earned the title of one of the most enduring
bands of the past two decades. Despite group controversy and numerous
setbacks, the band has risen time and time again to retain their huge
fanbase and climb even higher.
Part of the Chili Pepper's success lies in it's originality: the band
mixes an eclectic sound of funk, punk and thrash with even more
eclectic members. Fronted by lead signer Anthony Kiedis, the original
lineup consisted of bassist "Flea" (born Michael Balzary), guitar
player Hillel Slovak (who died in 1988), and drummer Jack Irons. The
four musicians met at Los Angeles’ Fairfax High and brought together
diverse roots. The only member who was actually born in California was
Jack Irons. Kiedis hailed from Michigan, Flea from Australia and
Slovak from Israel.
Tragedy struck the band shortly after the release of their next album,
the Abbey Road EP when guitarist Hillel Slovak died of an accidental
heroin overdose in 1988. Dumbstruck and depressed, the band was on the
verge of falling apart after Irons left to come to terms with what had
happened. To replace the two departed members of their band, the
remaining Chili Peppers recruited drummer Chad Smith and fan John
Frusciante on guitars. |