Anthony Kiedis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Kiedis

wikipedia - Anthony Kiedis (/ˈkiːdɪs/ KEE-diss; born November 1, 1962) is the vocalist/lyricist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He and bassist Flea are the only members of the group to have appeared on all of the band's studio albums. Kiedis is also an occasional actor, having appeared in F.I.S.T, Point Break, and The Chase. Kiedis published an autobiography entitled Scar Tissue in 2004.

Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mother before moving, shortly before his twelfth birthday, to Hollywood to live with his father. While attending Fairfax High School, Kiedis developed close friendships with fellow students Flea and Mike Chester, who at the time were members of a band called Anthym. After high school, Kiedis began taking classes at UCLA, but dropped out during the beginning of his sophomore year. He later received an offer to be the opening act for a local band, and enlisted Flea, Slovak, and drummer Jack Irons to assist. After a show under the name "Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem", the band progressed and the line-up eventually became the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

He has recorded ten studio albums with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis' lyrical style has evolved throughout his career; early recordings discussed topics such as sex and life in Los Angeles, while more recent songs focus on more reflective themes including love, addiction, and loss. Additionally, his vocal style has shifted from rapping to a more melodic technique. He has struggled with drug addiction for the majority of his life and has abstained from substance use since 2000.

Early life

Anthony Kiedis was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to John Michael Kiedis, also known professionally as Blackie Dammett, an actor, and Margaret "Peggy" Noble.[1] His father's Lithuanian family emigrated from Lithuania in the early 1900s, while his mother is of English, Irish, French, Dutch, and Mohican ancestry.[2] In 1966, when he was three years old, his parents divorced. Along with his two half-sisters, Julie and Jenny, he was raised by his mother and stepfather in Grand Rapids.[3] Each summer, he would visit his father in Hollywood for two weeks, a time at which the two would bond. He idolized his father, and recalled "Those trips to California were the happiest, most carefree, the-world-is-a-beautiful-oyster times I'd ever experienced."[4] In 1974, when Kiedis was twelve years old, he moved to Hollywood to live with his father full time.[5] His father was a struggling actor who sold drugs, which had a significant impact on Kiedis, as the two would often use marijuana and cocaine together.[6] Kiedis accidentally tried heroin for the first time at age fourteen, mistaking the substance for cocaine methamphetamine and a small dose of acid.[7]

Through his father Blackie, who was also struggling acting, Kiedis, who worked under the stage name, Mike Chester, landed his first acting role appearing as Sylvester Stallone's son in the 1978 film, F.I.S.T.. That same year he would land two more acting jobs one being on a ABC Afterschool Special and the other an appearance on a short lived show, Jokes My Folks Never Told Me. It would be thirteen years before Kiedis landed another acting role.

Kiedis attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, where he struggled to find friends as he had recently transferred to a new school district. However, he soon met Flea, and after a brief confrontation, the two became best friends and bonded while sitting next to each other in driver's ed class.[7][8] Kiedis recalled: "We were drawn to each other by the forces of mischief and love and we became virtually inseparable. We were both social outcasts. We found each other and it turned out to be the longest-lasting friendship of my life."[9] Kiedis became a significant influence on Flea, exposing him to rock music, particularly punk rock.[9] Kiedis and Flea began jumping into swimming pools from buildings as a hobby. At age fifteen, Kiedis broke his back attempting to jump into a swimming pool from a five-story building, missing the pool by a few inches.[10] His back has since improved, although he still has occasional problems.[10]

Kiedis also met future bandmate Hillel Slovak after seeing him perform with his band Anthym. After the show, Slovak invited Kiedis to his house for a snack. Kiedis later described the experience in his autobiography Scar Tissue: "Within a few minutes of hanging out with Hillel, I sensed that he was absolutely different from most of the people I'd spent time with...He understood a lot about music, he was a great visual artist, and he had a sense of self and a calm about him that were just riveting."[11] Slovak, Kiedis, and Flea became best friends and often used LSD, heroin, cocaine, and speed recreationally.[12] Despite his frequent drug use, he excelled in school, often receiving straight A grades.[1] In June 1980, Kiedis graduated with honors from high school. That August, he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles to study writing.[13] However, he dropped out during the beginning of his sophomore year due to his worsening addiction to cocaine and heroin.

1980–84: Formation and first album.........