Essay

Anthony Kiedis
Miranda Suzara
Block 4
The general perception of Anthony Kiedis is a view that is very shallow. The public sees Anthony as a strong lead singer of the band the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He is seen as a man who does not give up even in the harshest situations, and will persevere through anything. Anthony Kiedis is known by everyone to have realized that he was quickly traveling down the road of excess, and bravely faced his inner demons. What most people are not aware of are the daily struggles he went though on his way to clarity.
A wild child since birth, Anthony Kiedis grew up in a tumultuous household in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Some may believe that this would account for his erratic behavior that would show later on in life. It was due to an incident in elementary school that led to Anthony’s resentment towards authority figures. The general public often blames his father, Jack, for introducing the use and abuse of drugs. This thought is not wrong, however, Anthony takes full blame for all of his actions. At the age of twelve, Anthony lost his virginity to his father’s girlfriend, with his consent. This would lead to his promiscuous behavior that would immediately take hold. Grade nine was especially monumental in Anthony’s life because that was the year where he befriended Michael ‘Flea’ Balzary and Hillel Slovak. Years passed, and all three stayed together, experiencing all there is to experience for teenagers. While things were looking great for everyone on the outside, his personal life was heading downhill. Anthony started doing cocaine on a regular basis. A few months later, Kiedis, Flea, Slovak and Irons create a group - The Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was intentionally meant as a musical group that incorporated funk and rock into a fun band that played solely for music and having a good time. Red Hot Chili Peppers release their album, Freaky Styley. Hillel and Anthony were now sinking deeper and deeper into their dependency on heroin. He numerously attempts to get clean, yet fails every time.
The year is 1986; the Red Hot Chili Peppers have released three albums, and have just gotten back from their first proper tour in Europe. As soon as they arrive back in America, Anthony and Hillel beeline straight for their personal drug dealers. Within 6 hours, Hillel Slovak is dead due to heroin overdose. Many people find that fact that Anthony did not go to Hillel’s funeral a distasteful act. In Anthony’s defense, he said that it would be too much to handle.
As a group decision, they hire John Frusciante as Slovak’s guitar replacement. Anthony knew from the minute they all played together, there was an unmistakable chemistry and brotherhood feeling. In May of 1992, when John leaves the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anthony takes this especially hard and feels as though a part of him has died.
Anthony sinks deeper into his drug addiction. Chili Peppers play with Dave Navarro as John’s replacement. Anthony does thank Dave for his time and for keeping the band together, but has said that those years were the most depressing years of his life. The Peppers dismiss Dave and bring John Frusciante back into the band. Anthony said that the chemistry in the band was found the second that John returned to the group.
What most people don’t know is that Anthony was, in fact, not clean during the recording of the Californication album. The general media thought that Anthony was sober since 1998, when he was actually using drugs on a daily basis. Christmas in 2000 was a monumental time him. Anthony returned to Michigan, where he decided he will follow through with sobriety for sure, this time.
December 24, 2000 is Anthony Kiedis’ sobriety date. He has continues to lead the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the same energetic way he always has. Anthony’s positive outlook on life has definitely had an impact on his life and those around him. Anthony Kiedis has not relapsed since 2000.

POST 10

P: 414- 465

• john surpirse visits Claire- finds out track marks on her arm. heartbroken. Wished Clair good lcuk, cant carry on things iht her.


• play Woodstock '99
• tour europe
• try again , another chance wiht Claire ..things are rocky between them. fights on daily basis.
• in australia> has shin splints> doc. gives him Ultram (a 'non-narcotic pain killer') works great....
• With Claire out for dindin> collectively to both get high for the weekend, for fun> think theyll be abe to stop and do work monday..
• ((Ultram should never be given to ex-heroin addicts! induces craving for opiates))
• unable to stop using
• Tries to stop for Us Californiaction leg of tour. goes back on drugs after tour
• goes to michigan for xmas. attemptsto get clean tehre.
• sobriety date= December 24 ,2000
• breaks upwith claire
• starts going to meetings
• buys a puppy
• writing songs for By the Way
• try to make it work wiht claire
• finalyl breaks up iwht claire for good in hawaii after she starts yellign at him for stepping on coral.
• By the Way is released.
• Has not relapsed since then
• everyhting is good

POST 9

p: 368-414

• left exodus
• 1997 rolls along
• met Dalai Lama
• checked into Impact rehab
• gets in motorcycle accident. hand injury= surgery
• went form hotel to hotel getting high at each one as a hideout.
• Checked into rehab in Ventura called Steps, left the day after
• still shooting heroin in hawaii (rhcp decided to go there)
• fired Dave. Flea suggests john coming back to the band
• John was doign paingings at this time, art galleries ,etc
• JOHN FRUSCAINTE IS BACK IN THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
• playing/rehersing in Fleas garage. nice, fun, brotherly chemistry again. everyhting is good
• start recording for new album.
  
• AK moves in with Flea
• met Claire, who had demons of her own. substance abuse.
  

POST 8

p: 322-368

• smoking crack
• start recording for new album
• deeper and deeper into drug world AGAIN
• chrsitmas in michigan gives Blackie a truck for xmas
• trying to get sober again. start recording again.
• yay, celebrations! album is finsiehd recording. time to get HIGH AGAIN
• intervention with band. sent to Exodus
• One Hot Minute relased
• starts getting high AGAIN
• break up with Jaime
• goes to Mexico to recooperate, etc. relax
• on tour, falls off stage, rips calf muscle off of bone
• has sex w/random underneath stage of Oasis concert
• drug binges
• Steve, step dad died
• voluntarily checked into Exodus again
  

POST 7

p.276-322

• befriends River Phoenix.
• finishes recording for album
• BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK
• gave it their best. a step forward for everyone. everyone playing/sounding better.
• shot video for Give it Away
• John starts secluding himself from the band..going deeper into drugs
• went on tour; Pearl Jam opening band
• start getting heavy radio play
• more famous rhcp got= more miserable john f. became
• Under the bridge released as second single.
• Nirvana joined their tour for the west coast leg; Met Kurt Cobain
  
• gets permanent ear damage during the tour; tinnitus
• John starts getting paranoid; everyone is out to kill him
• tensions with john keep rising
• Saturday Night Live: supposed to play Under the Bridge, John started doing his own thing, on LIVE television
• various unsuccessful, short term relationships (sofia coppola, etc)
• Japan-May 1992. John quits band, plays last show, and leaves the topsy-turvy world of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
• need to finsih tour-hire friend Zander Schloss to fill in for john. dismissed him.
• hired Arik Marshall for guitar.
• wwere in the Lollapalooza festival shows.
• Sept.1992 won 2 awards for GFive it Away video and 1 veiwers chocie.
• decided to go on a trip to Borneo. traveled throughout the jungles, etc. dangerous.feeling sick, checked into hospital. tropical desiase dengue fever
• Hire DAVe NAVarro
• October31 1993 river phoenix dies.
• meets Jaime Rishar
• January 1994. go to dentist to get wisdom tooth removed. Valium. thus begins the downward spiral out of sobriety again.
• heroin + cocaine again again again again
• keep it a secret from the band
• rhcp goes to hawaii. fun time-ish
• Kurt Cobain killed himself. AK writes Tearjerker bout him

POST 6

p-230-276

• AK starts writing a song called 'Knock Me Down'. About what it is like to be a drug addict, and how your ego seems to be impenetrable. Also a love song for Hillel.
• John+AK become unseperatble. also a good writing partner. great friends.
• D.h. started msising rehersals, drinking heavily, etc.
• Flea's turn to do the firiring.
• CHAD SMITH= new drummer. best drummer theyve had by far. terrible clothign style however.never became that open to the band , though. no heart-to-hearts, but still a great ammaizng drummer who is very much needed and everyone loves him.
• start writing new songs for new album
• cover version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground". bring in 25 people to sing the corus, some with actual singing skills, some with none whatsoever.
• Album= Mother's Milk
• broke uip with Ione in december
• w/a girl, went to chad's room, chad comes back, drunk as hell, and attempts to beat up ak. doesnt remmebr a thing the next day.
• various sexcapades
• while in Japan, met Carmen. at the momemnt, knew she was gonna be his girlfriend.
• -the year is 1990
• relationship with carmen starts getting crazy, fights, jealousy, etc.
• break up
• signs record deal wiht Warner's.
• start wriritng new songs for another new album
• Under the Bridge is made. remenisent about his drug days.
• meets Sinead O'Connor.starts somehwat 'dating' her. then all foa sudden she leaves him a messages saying shes moving and for him to never call her again.he is shattered.
• I Could Have Lied is written about her.
• songs keep getting made (give it away, etc)
• move into a mansion where they will create music for their next record.
  
• 
  

POST 5

p.184-230

• kim od's on heroin @ Hillel's house and has to got o hospital


• still continues dysfunctional relationship with Jennifer, but finds out she has been cheating on him with some guy for them band Fishbone. (however, she never broke up with him even though he would sleep with numerous girls during their relationship).


• ak breaks up with jennifer


• touring on and off until spring of 1986


• JACK IRONS comes back


• jennifer keeps coming back, wanting to get back together...then relationship fades/drifts away


• AK IS FIRED FROM RHCP. drug situation + everyother situtation= bad to worse


• watches rhcp win award for LA Band of the Year ...while he is watching from bakc row of audience. sad. why did they forget about him? they didint even aknowledge him in their winning speakc.thoise bastards!!!!!!!!!!


• decides to go to michichang to visit mom and attempt to get clean


• on wayo to airport, gets stopped byh cops w/ syringes, heroin, coke, etc
  let off because he had the Star of David on his shoe, and the policeman was jewish(star of david drawn on his show from HIllel)
• flies to michign after much postpoingng from getting high ,etc.
• checks into salvation army rehab , Grand rapids, for 20 days everyhting hurts
• at 24, was actuially clean for the first time since he was 11 yrs old
• calls flea for a check in, have a heart to heart convo, flea asks if he would liek to return to the band
• ak writes "Fight Like a Brave"
• introduced to Ione Skye, 16 yrs old, by Flea. au natural, beautiful, soft, long hair etc. Falls inliove with her immediately.
• working in studio on songs for the album
• after 50 days of being sober, thought "50 is a good number. i think i should honour that number'' and went out and got high. blames his relapse on no support.
• getting high everyday w/hillel or wihtot.
• moved into Ione's house
• met mexican mafia drug dealer named mario. lots of drugs. gettin high in his filthy appartment. then started getting high Under the bridge . under a freeway bridge where no LAPD ever patrolled. safety zone. only mexican gang members allowed. ak said he was marrying mario's sister inorder to be allwoed to get high under tehre.
• toured for Uplift Mofo Party Plan. played some of the best shows in their lives
• made up fun games to play on the road. (whoever can puke first, eating gross food, etc)
• start to realize their a bit famous
• made $22 000 from the Uplift tour
• moved into a new hosue
• while in city with mario, gets pulled over by cops, taken to la county jail.had track marks on him (90 mandatory sentance) but is relased because Lindy picked him up
• Hillel getting more and mroe into heroin
• band embarked on their first proper euorpean tour. hillel walks off stage in london ebcause too messed up o heroin.
• hillel started pulling the exact same stuff taht ak was befire he got fired (too messed up to goon stage, etc)
• ak+ slim share heart to heart on train from norway to oslo
• came back. Kim got clean, went to meetings with her.
• came back to La. hillel and ak part and beeline for their indivdual dealers
• ak goes downtown and calls Ione, telling her that he will be a little bit late. ione is hysterical.
  
• HILLEL SLOVAK OD'ed
• in denial. didint go to funeral becase it was too mcuh to handle. went to mexicao, a little fishing village tehre, wiht ione
• drugs werent working nymore. he wasnt getting high.
• Goes to rehab. bob timmons takes him to hillels grave. ak breaks down and talks to hillel. saddest part of the book.
• jack irons quites. hires D.H.
• blackbird fills in for hillel.
  
• dh introduces flea to JOHN FRUSCIANTE
• fires blackbird. hires JF!!!!!!!!
• from the minute he joined there was unmistaklable chemistry