WedOct 16

Flea

Michael Peter Balzary, popularly known as Flea, was born on October 16, 1962. He spent his childhood in Australia and America. Flea was active in some rock groups and was also involved in forming the Red Hot Chili Peppers band. Flea began his acting career in 1984 with “Suburbia,” “Back to the Future,” and “The Chase.” He is the man behind Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit organization for underprivileged children.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Michael Peter Balzary

Nickname:

Flea

Birth date:

October 16, 1962

Age:

61

Zodiac Sign:

Libra

Height:

5' 6.14"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$160 million

Michael's Social Media:

Background

Michael Peter Balzary, popularly known as Flea, was born October 16, 1962, in Melbourne, Australia. He is the elder son of Mick Balzary and Patricia. Since the age of four, he has lived in New York. Then, in 1971, his parents got divorced. Later, Flea and his father returned to Australia so that he could complete his studies. Flea then returned to America after finishing school, where he stayed with his mother, sister, and stepfather. Walter Urban, Flea’s jazz musician stepfather, exposed Flea to music and sparked his interest in the trumpet; however, rock music wasn’t something he was initially interested in.

Because of Hillel Slovak, an Israeli-American musician, Flea developed a passion for rock music. He took lessons to become a bassist before joining the Anthym Band. He later reunited with Hillel Slovak to form Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem with Kiedis and Jack Irons after failing to grow his own band. Red Hot Chili Peppers became the name of the group in 1984, and between 1989 and 1998, this band was already performing at the top of its game.

In 1991, their fourth album, “Blood Sugar Sex Magik,” was released and surprisingly got a positive critical response. Seven million copies of the album were sold in the U.S. alone. In the mid-1980s, Flea pursued his acting career. He began his acting career in 1984 in the film “Suburbia.” Flea later enrolled in music lessons at the University of Southern California to study jazz trumpet, music theory, and composition during the band’s extended break in 2008 due to exhaustion. In 2009, readers of “Rolling Stone” ranked Flea as the second-best bassist only behind John Entwistle of the Who and ahead of Paul McCartney of the Beatles. Flea is regarded as one of the greatest rock bass players of all time.

In 1988, his daughter, Clara Blazary, was born. Blazary also had a part in the “Funky Monks” documentary. As an adult, Blazary was most recently in the short-lived band The Tints and is also an aspiring artist and photographer, taking promotional photographs for “The Getaway.” Flea claimed that his life changed after his second marriage to Melody Ehsani, becoming more appreciative and humble.

Career timeline

1966
He Moves to New York

When Flea is four, he moves to Rye, New York, U.S.

1983
He Begins His Acting Career

Flea begins his acting career as Razzle in “Suburbia.”

1984
The Official Name Changing of the Band

Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem change their name to Red Hot Chili Peppers.

2001
He Becomes a Co-Founder

Flea becomes co-founder of Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit organization for underprivileged children.

2008
He Goes to Music School

Flea enrolls in music classes at the University of Southern California when Red Chili Peppers take a break due to exhaustion.

2009
‘Best Rock Bass Players of All Time’

“Rolling Stone's” readers rank Flea as ‘The Second-Best Bassist’ in their top-10 poll.

Why We Love Flea

  1. He formed a new role for bass players

    Flea created a unique sound for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, but on a wider scale, he formed a new role for bass players too. The bassist in the majority of rock bands offers the same harmonic framework for the guitar and the drummer to build off. Flea, however, adds variety by straying from those conventional bass patterns.

  2. He used his bad experiences as a lesson

    Even though Flea had terrible childhood experiences, he used them as a lesson on how not to behave badly as a father. In several of his endeavors, he makes use of his daughter's talent.

  3. He helps underprivileged children

    He is the man behind Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit organization for underprivileged children. We adore his good nature.

5 Surprising Facts

  1. He described his childhood as being violent

    Flea's stepfather was quite an angry and intoxicated individual, so at age 13, Flea started using marijuana.

  2. His second marriage made him humble

    Flea believes that after getting married for a second time, he underwent a significant change; he is now more appreciative and humble and has a woman who can accept him for who he is.

  3. He loves his daughter

    Even though he had terrible childhood experiences, he claims he can use them as a lesson to help him be a better father.

  4. He helps underprivileged children

    Flea co-founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit organization for underprivileged children.

  5. He ran the 2011 L.A. Marathon

    His cause du jour was the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, and his presence was so high profile that he ended up being interviewed for “Runner’s World” magazine, wherein he discussed how he prepared for the race.

Flea FAQs

What ethnicity is Flea?

He is of partial Hungarian and Irish descent.

Does Flea know music theory?

Flea studied music theory and composition, plus jazz trumpet. He said that his music education developed the way that it has. He thinks that it is fun because he can learn new things.

What type of bass does Flea play?

Flea relies on his primary Modulus bass for the majority of the set.

Flea’s birthday dates

Year Date Day
2024 October 16 Wednesday
2025 October 16 Thursday
2026 October 16 Friday
2027 October 16 Saturday
2028 October 16 Monday