Born 64 Years Ago Today in Australia, the Bassist Who Went From LA Punk Royalty to One of the Biggest Alt-Rock Bands of the 90s

Michael Balzary, known as Flea, was born in Melbourne on 16 October 1962 and became a defining bassist in the Red Hot Chili Peppers. His path from Los Angeles punk scenes to one of the era’s biggest alternative rock bands reflects the musical friendships that shaped his career.

Raised around jazz, Flea first played drums and trumpet before Hillel Slovak introduced him to bass. He played with hardcore punk band Fear, then joined Slovak, Anthony Kiedis and Jack Irons in the group that became the Chili Peppers in 1982. After three albums, the band gained attention with *Mother’s Milk* in 1989 and broke through with *Blood Sugar Sex Magik* in 1991; Flea and Kiedis remain its only constant members. Flea has also performed with other groups, collaborated widely, and released a jazz solo album, *Honora*, earlier this year.