Michael Peter Balzary, also known as Michael Peter Balzary, is an American actor. Flea is a musician and actor of Australian and American descent who is a founding member of the rock band ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers.’ Red Hot Chili Peppers, with over eleven albums under their belt, have established themselves as a legendary name in the rock world. Flea is to blame for a lot of it. Apart from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea has also contributed as a bassist for bands such as ‘What Is This?,’ ‘Fear,’ and ‘Jane’s Addiction.’ He’s also played with rock supergroups such as ‘Atoms for Peace,’ ‘Antemasque,’ ‘Rocket Juice & the Moon,’ and others. His talent as a bassist has been nothing short of extraordinary. Flea’s bass-playing talents have vastly improved over the years. Flea has introduced something new and fresh to all of his works, from clinging to traditional roots to mixing in modern culture. Because of this, Rolling Stone readers voted him the second finest bassist of all time in 2009, behind only John Entwistle. He and other members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers band were inducted into the renowned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three years later. Flea’s passion is music, but he also has a strong desire to act. Flea has worked on his acting career since his music career began in the mid-1980s, and has been on television and in films.
Childhood and Adolescence
Michael Peter Balzary was born on October 16, 1962, in the Melbourne suburb of Mount Waverley, Victoria, to Mick and Patricia Balzary. His father was a fisherman, and he grew up in a fishing family.Michael was nicknamed Flea as a toddler because of his inability to sit still. Surprisingly, he kept the nickname for the remainder of his life. Flea’s parents relocated to Larchmont, New York, when he was seven years old. Flea stayed with his mother after his parents divorced in 1971.
Flea was introduced to music by his stepfather, Walter Abdul Urban. A trumpet was the first musical instrument that piqued Flea’s interest. He was a big fan of jazz music.Fairfax High School was Flea’s alma mater. He made lifelong friends with Anthony Kiedis and Hillel Slovak at school. Flea’s interest for rock music was sparked by Slovak, who also taught him how to play bass. He also recruited Flea to join his Anthym band as a bassist. Flea, on the other hand, quickly left to form a one-off band with Slovak, Kiedis, and Iron.
Career of Flea
Before signing a record deal with EMI, Flea’s band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, recorded nine tracks. Slovak and Iron, on the other hand, quickly quit to join the band ‘What is This?’ Cliff Martinez and Jack Sherman quickly took their spots. Except for Flea and Kiedis, the band’s lineup changed with each record.The band released their debut self-titled album, ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers,’ in August 1984. The record, on the other hand, failed to impress. In 1985, the band released their second album, ‘Freaky Styley.’ It, too, did a mediocre job on the charts. They released their third album, ‘The Uplift Mofo Party,’ shortly after, which was the most successful of the three.
While the Red Hot Chili Peppers were still trying to carve out a niche for themselves, their members were battling heroin addiction. Flea and the other members were saddened by Slovak’s early death from a drug overdose. They quickly gathered themselves and began work on a new project.’Mother’s Milk,’ their fourth album, was released in early 1989. Despite being blasted by critics, the album was well received commercially, reaching number 52 on the Billboard 200. It was later confirmed as gold.
Red Hot Chili Peppers secured a deal with Warner Bros Records after their contract with EMI expired. Flea’s marijuana addiction grew significantly while they were working on their fifth studio album, ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik.’
The album was released in 1991 to a resoundingly good reception. It reached number three on Billboard’s Hot 200 list, selling more than seven million copies in the United States alone.In September 1995, they released their second album, ‘One Hot Minute.’ This album received mixed reviews at its initial release.
Flea considered pursuing a solo career after the publication of ‘One Hot Minute.’ He subsequently dropped the concept and began offering his services as a bassist to other musicians. In the meantime, he worked as a writer and lyricist on the band’s second album.The band’s seventh album, ‘Calfornication,’ was released in June 1999 to rave reviews. It went on to sell 15 million copies worldwide, making it the most successful album since ‘Mother’s Milk.’ The popularity of ‘Calfornication’ prompted Flea and the rest of the band to start working on their next album.
‘By The Way,’ Red Hot Chili Peppers’ eighth studio album, was released in 2002. The record stood out among its contemporaries because it focused on melodic, textured music, which had never been done before. The record was well-received and quickly became a smash hit. It has sold over nine million copies all over the world. The tour that followed was a huge hit, with the show in London’s Hyde Park becoming the highest-grossing concert in history.
The phenomenal success of ‘By The Way’ inspired Flea and the rest of the band to begin production on their ninth studio album. The record, titled ‘Stadium Arcadium,’ was released in 2006 and was a huge success.
Due of weariness, Red Hot Chili Peppers took a long break after releasing ‘Stadium Arcadium.’ Meanwhile, Flea, who was exhausted and depleted, enrolled at the University of Southern California to take music classes. He was intrigued by the structure and intricacies of music and studied music theory, composition, and jazz trumpet.Flea joined Atoms for Peace, a supergroup founded by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, in 2009. Atoms for Peace recorded their debut album, ‘Amok,’ after touring the United States, which was released years later in February 2013. Following the release, the band went on tour throughout Europe, the United States, and Japan.
In October 2009, Red Hot Chili Peppers returned from hiatus and began work on their ninth studio album. Flea, who had considered leaving the band before the’shocking’ sabbatical, used his time off to consider whether he wanted to stay with them. He realized he cared far too much about his childhood friend Kiedis to leave the band. In fact, he wished to continue working for Kiedes in it.’I’m with You,’ Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ninth studio album, was released in August 2011. Meanwhile, Flea collaborated on a side project called ‘Rocket Juice & the Moon’ with Damon Albarn and Tony Allen. In October 2011, the band gave their first live performance, followed by the release of their debut album in March 2012.
In July 2012, Flea released his solo EP ‘Helen Burns.’ Flea has long aspired to create an instrumental record, which he eventually completed with ‘Helen Burns,’ after being inspired by the nuances of music and its mechanics since his University days. The album was an instrumental with the exception of the title tune and ‘Lovelovelove,’ and it was Flea’s first solo release.
Flea recorded a few songs for the Antemasque project, which included former Mars Volta members Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Omar Rodrguez-López, and Dave Elitch. In July of that year, they released their self-titled debut album.
In 2015, word spread that the Red Hot Chili Peppers were working on their eleventh studio album. The album was further delayed due to Flea’s injuries sustained during a skiing trip. ‘The Getaway,’ the band’s eleventh studio album, was finally released almost a year and a half later, in June 2016.
Flea has dabbled in acting in addition to music. He has been in minor roles in films and television shows. He’s also worked on other documentaries, including ‘Bob and the Master’ and ‘The Other F Word.’ He has his first major part in the film ‘Low Down’ in 2014. In Pixar’s ‘Inside Out,’ Flea also provided voiceover. He made a guest appearance in the popular sitcom ‘Family Guy’ recently in 2017.
Major Projects of Flea
Flea’s career took off in the late 1980s with his major break. Despite the fact that his band Red Hot Chili Peppers had been together for three albums, they did not break out until their fourth album, ‘Mother’s Milk,’ was released in 1989. Despite being critically lambasted, the album went on to become a huge commercial success and was well received by fans and the public. It reached number 52 on the Billboard 200 just days after its debut and was later certified gold.’Blood Sugar Sex Magik,’ Red Hot Chili Peppers’ fifth studio album, was a smash hit. The album reached number three on the Billboard Hot 200 list, selling more than seven million copies in the United States alone.
Achievements & Awards
Flea was voted the second finest bassist of all time by Rolling Stone readers in 2009, behind John Entwistle.
Flea was inducted into the prestigious Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, among his other band members.
Personal History and Legacy
Flea has been married twice. He married his first wife, Loesha Zeviar, in 1988 and they had a daughter, Clara Balzary. The marriage, on the other hand, only lasted two years.In 2005, he married model Frankie Rayder. Sunny Bebop Balzary is the couple’s son.Flea is a die-hard admirer of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers in American soccer. Prior to Lakers games, he even sang the National Anthem.
Flea is a philanthropist and one of the founders of Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit music education institution for impoverished children that was created in 2001. He has put on a number of charitable shows and concerts, the revenues of which have benefited a number of non-profit organizations and trusts.
Estimated Net Worth
Flea is an American rock musician who was born in Australia and has a net worth of $160 million. Michael Peter Balzary, better known as Flea, was born on October 16, 1962, in Melbourne, Australia. He is most recognized for his work as the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, an American rock band. As a youth, he was given the moniker “Flea” for his difficulty to sit still.