Anthony Kiedis

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kiedis's history with the band is defined by cycles of addiction, firing, and redemption. In May 1986, he was fired from the band after a show in New York City due to heroin use. Although he later rejoined, he relapsed during the recording of The Uplift Mofo Party Plan in 1987, frequently disappearing to seek drugs. Following the death of Hillel Slovak in June 1988 from a heroin overdose, Kiedis fled the city and did not attend the funeral, later entering rehab to confront his grief, though the exact duration and sequence of events are not consistently verified in all sources.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Anthony Kiedis is one of survival against the odds. After Hillel Slovak died in June 1988, Kiedis was left alone with drummer Jack Irons and bassist Flea until new members John Frusciante and Chad Smith joined. The band recorded Mother's Milk (1989) and their breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), achieving massive success before Frusciante left abruptly in 1992 due to discomfort with popularity. Kiedis continued to battle addiction throughout the decade, a struggle shared by the new guitarist Dave Navarro during the recording of One Hot Minute (1995). When Frusciante returned in 1998, the band achieved their biggest commercial success with Californication (1999), selling 16 million copies worldwide. The lineup remained stable through By the Way and Stadium Arcadium until 2009, when Frusciante left again. Kiedis steered the band through two albums with Josh Klinghoffer before welcoming Frusciante back in 2019, culminating in the release of Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen in 2022.

Reader's Guide

To understand Anthony Kiedis's career, one must look at the specific turning points in the band's discography. He was instrumental in the early funk-punk sound but struggled to maintain sobriety during the recording of The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987). His return after rehab marked a shift toward the polished sound of Mother's Milk (1989), which became their first gold album. The 1990s were characterized by instability, with Kiedis and Frusciante both battling heroin addiction while navigating lineup changes involving Jack Sherman, Cliff Martinez, DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, D. H. Peligro, and Dave Navarro. Success returned in a major way with Californication (1999), which climbed charts globally. Kiedis's tenure also includes holding records for the most number-one singles on American Alternative Songs charts (15) and cumulative weeks at number one (91). The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, and he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022.

Did You Know?

• Kiedis performed his first show with the band under the name Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem in 1983, at the Grandia Room club to a crowd of approximately 30 people.
• During the recording of Freaky Styley in 1985, Kiedis and Hillel Slovak used heroin, which directly influenced the album's lyrics and music.
• After guitarist Jack Sherman was fired in February 1985, Hillel Slovak rejoined the band having just quit his other group, What Is This?
• Kiedis did not attend Hillel Slovak's funeral after Slovak died of a heroin overdose on June 25, 1988.
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers hold the record for the most cumulative weeks at number one (91) on the American Alternative Songs charts.