Flea

Flea

Michael Peter Balzary was born in Melbourne, Australia on October 16th year 1962 . Mikes parents got divorced when he was quite young (around 5 years of age) his mother later re-married a New York Jazz musician by the name of Walter Urban Jr. In 1967 the family moved to New York. Flea's new step-farther was one of flea's earliest musical influeces. From around the age of 10 Flea was set on playing music after buying his first instrumet- a trumpet just the previous year which he practiced regulary. When Flea's stepfather was touring, Flea moved around a lot, and in 1973 at the age of 11 he settled in L.A and started at Fairfax High School it was here he gained his nickname Mike B the flea shortened to Flea. He admits that he never liked school and was often picked on for his accent and the style music he listened to. While his class mates at the time were into disco music Flea preferred the sounds of Jazz and Soul by favoured artists such as Dizzy Gillespie and Ornette Coleman. At the age of 15 Flea got the chance to meet one of his heros and influences-the trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie. Which flea once described as .." the most exciting fucking day in my life. Dizzy put an arm around me and held me real tight for like fifteen minutes, right until he went onstage".

Flea met Anthony during highschool, the meeting came about when Flea was holding one of Anthony's best friends at the time, Tony Sheer, in one armed headlock, pummeling him with his free fist. Balzary didn' t see Anth until he was already upon him "He told me to let go of Tony or he'd knock my block off. He looked pretty mean, so I let him go". Ironically Anthony became his guiding light and best freind in highschool.

In 1979, Flea and Anthony met Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons. It was Hillel that indroduced Flea to the music of Jimi Hendrix, Flea discovered an instant passion for such music and with the help of Slovak learnt to play bass. He had never played the instrument before but his obvious natural talent, and eagerness to learn, enabled him to pick it up quickly. The four created a band named Anthym, Flea was shortley asked to join Fear, an LA punk band and he accepted the offer before rejoining his old Anthym mates to end up becoming What is This. The band was renamed Tony Flow and his Majestic Masters of Mayhem for a while and finally they become The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Flea got married in 1985 with Loesha. But unfortunately tattooes last much more than many relationships and they got divorced. Flea and Loesha had a little beautiful girl called Clara In 1985 Flea married Loesha Zeivar (You can see her name tattooed in his chest, close to his heart) but they divorced in 1990. Together, they have a daughter called Clara who was born on the 16th of September in 1988. Clara has been to, and even appeared in, many of the bands concerts, and she also can be seen in the Aeroplane video.

Flea's best qualities in my opinion are:

1) HIS SENCE OF HUMOUR

2) HIS CUTE POSES AND GOOD LOOKS

3) HIS AMAZING BASS PLAYING SKILLS

Tell me what you think his best qualities are, sign the guest book!

This site was created by Shezza Kiddle.