Фли (музыкант) Майкл Питер Бальзари

Flea (musician) Michael Peter Balzary

Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962), more commonly known by the stage name Flea, is an Australian-born American bassist, trumpet player, and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist and founding member of the alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. His work with the band incorporates several musical styles, ranging from aggressive slap bass to more subdued and melodic techniques. Aside from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, he has collaborated with many artists, including Jane's Addiction, The Mars Volta and Alanis Morissette. Drawing influences from funk music and punk rock, Flea centers his bass playing on simplicity and minimalism while viewing complexity as a device that should be used in moderation.

Originally a trumpet prodigy, Flea learned to play bass in high school from close friend and future Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak, who required a bassist for his band Anthym. Flea joined the group, but quit several months later in order to play for the punk rock outfit Fear. He soon rejoined Slovak to form an intended one-off band along with fellow high school alumni Anthony Kiedis and Jack Irons; the impromptu collaboration would ultimately give birth to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Flea has made numerous forays into acting, appearing in films that span many genres such as Back to the Future Part II (1989), My Own Private Idaho (1991), and The Big Lebowski (1998).

Biography

Early life

Flea was born in Melbourne, Australia on October 16, 1962. His father, Mick Balzary, was an avid fisherman who would often take him fishing. When Flea was five, his family relocated to Rye, New York for his father's career. In 1971, his parents divorced and his father returned to Australia. Flea and his siblings stayed with their mother Patricia, who soon remarried to a jazz musician. Flea's stepfather frequently invited musicians to his house and jam sessions would often take place. The family relocated again to Los Angeles, California, and Flea became fascinated with the trumpet. His teachers considered him to be a prodigy, paralleled only by musician Herb Alpert, who also attended Fairfax High. Furthermore, he had no interest in rock music at the time and idolized jazz musicians like Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie.