Person · Male
Flea
US bassist
- From
- Melbourne, Malibu
- Since
- 1962–present
- Rating
- ★ 4
- Releases
- 8
- rock
About
Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962), known professionally as Flea, is an Australian and American musician and actor. He is the bassist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, and, alongside vocalist Anthony Kiedis, one of two remaining original members of the band. Flea has also been a member of the supergroups Atoms for Peace, Antemasque, Pigface, and Rocket Juice & the Moon, and has played with acts including the Circle Jerks, the Mars Volta, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Alanis Morissette, Young MC, Nirvana, What Is This, Fear, and Jane's Addiction.
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Flea's playing incorporates elements of funk (including prominent slap bass), psychedelia, punk, and hard rock. In 2009, Rolling Stone readers ranked Flea the second-best bassist of all time, behind John Entwistle. In 2012, he and the other members of Red Hot Chili Peppers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Flea has acted in films and television series such as Suburbia, Back to the Future Part II and Part III, My Own Private Idaho, The Chase, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Dudes, Son in Law, The Big Lebowski, Low Down, Baby Driver, Boy Erased, The Wild Thornberrys, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Babylon. He is the co-founder of Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit organization founded in 2001 for underprivileged children. In 2019, he published a memoir of his early life, Acid for the Children. His debut solo album, Honora, was released on March 27, 2026.
Member of
-
Red Hot Chili Peppers bass guitar
-
Pigface additional
Discography
Singles
Other
Links
Parent
Also known as
Michael Balzary · Michael Peter Balzary
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- 2dc7a305-7a8c-4fcc-add4-5e9def0a9a0d
- ISNI
- 0000000114769986
- IPI
- 00141682092
- IPI
- 00141682190
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 6 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.