Michael Balzary

Michael Peter Balzary (born the October 16th 1962 with Melbourne, Australia) is a Trompettiste, Bassiste and actor, founding member of the group Red Hot Chili Peppers. Called Flea (English chip) because of its small size and its way enough hopping to occupy the space of a scene.

In March 1967, the father of Michael, Mick, which works as customs officer, is transferred to New York and all its family moves in the United States. About 1971, his/her parents divorce and his/her mother leaves to settle with him and her sister, Karen, with Los Angeles in 1972, to live with a musician of jazz, Walter Urban Jr, with whom it will marry thereafter.

Flea begins the music very early. It is tested initially with the battery, then starts to play of the trumpet at the nine years age. After only two years it integrates the orchestra philarmonic junior of Los Angeles. In the emission Behind The Music on VH1, he confessed that in the beginning it was not interested in the rock'n'roll and wanted to become musician of jazz as his father-in-law but changed opinion after having discovered the music of KIS, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin via Hillel Slovak, future member of Red Hot Chili Peppers.

He meets Anthony Kiedis, also cofounder of the group, whereas he attends the Fairfax college, and starts to play of low at the 17 years age to replace the bass player of the Anthym group rested by his friends Hillel Slovak, Jack Will go and Alain Johannes. In 1981, it leaves this group in the search of new musical experiments. It joined then the group Fear, group of punk of Los Angeles. In 1983, him, Kiedis, Slovak and Irons form the group Red Hot Chili Peppers. At the time, he refuses an offer of his god Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols which proposes to him to join it in its new group Public Image Limited, to be able to remain with his friends of Red Hot.

Flea is often regarded as being one of the best bass players of the scene rock'n'roll. It continues to exploit of the trumpet occasionally, such as for example the song " Ball Hog gold Tug Boat? " of Mike Watt or at the time of a live performance of " Smells Like Teen Spirit" group Nirvana, on January 23rd, 1993, at the time of Hollywood Rock' 93, a festival of music in Brazil. On the songs " Subway To Venus" , " Pretty Little Dirty" and " Taste the Pain" album Mother' S Milk , " Tear" album By the Way , " Hump de Bump" and " Turn It Again" album Stadium Arcadium , one can hear Flea play of the trumpet, lately it also plays about it at the time of the performances live of Red Hot.

The style of Flea is strongly influenced by Bootsy Collins, the music funk and the energy of the first groups of punk like Black Flag or Bad Brains.

ANECDOTES: On Sunday, November 25, 2007, at the time of the fires with Malibu, its house is destroyed by the flames.

Discography

with the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Catalog of films

Internet sites

  • Official site of Red Hot Chili Peppers

  • redhotchilipeppers.proj2.com (New French Not-official forum)
  • RHCP France
  • free Course basic on the topic of Flea with vidéos and slowed down
  • Catalog of films on IMDb

Simple: Flea (Michael Balzary)

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