Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis (/ˈkiːdɪs/ KEE-dis; born November 1, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and rapper, best known as a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
Anthony Kiedis
November 1, 1962
- Tony
- Cole Dammett
- Tony Flow
- The Rainy Lithuanian
- Antoine the Swan[1]
- Musician
- singer
- songwriter
- rapper
1983–present
1
- Vocals
- guitar
Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his mother, and then moved shortly before his twelfth birthday to live with his father in Hollywood. While attending Fairfax High School, Kiedis befriended students Flea and Hillel Slovak, who were members of a band called Anthym. After high school, Kiedis took classes at UCLA, but dropped out in his sophomore year.
When Kiedis received an offer to be the opening act for a local band, he enlisted Flea, Slovak, and drummer Jack Irons. After a show under the name Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem, the band progressed and the lineup eventually became the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He has recorded thirteen studio albums with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Kiedis's 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. He struggled with addiction until 2000, and maintains that he has been clean since then.
Early life[edit]
Kiedis was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Margaret "Peggy" Nobel[2] and struggling actor John Michael Kiedis, known professionally as Blackie Dammett.[3] His paternal grandfather's family emigrated from Lithuania in the early 1900s. In 2004 he wrote that his paternal grandmother, Molly Vandenveen's heritage "was a pastiche of English, Irish, French, and Dutch (and, as we've recently discovered, some Mohican blood)".[4] In 1966, when Kiedis was three years old, his parents divorced, and he was raised by his mother in Grand Rapids. His mother later remarried and had two more children.[5] Each summer, Kiedis would visit his father in Hollywood for two weeks, a time during 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."[6] In 1974, when Kiedis was 12, he moved to Hollywood to live with his father full-time.[7]
Kiedis's father sold drugs, which had an impact on Kiedis, as the two would often use marijuana and cocaine together.[8] Kiedis accidentally tried heroin for the first time at age 14, mistaking it for cocaine.[9] Through his father, Kiedis, who worked under the stage name of Cole Dammett, landed his first acting role appearing as Sylvester Stallone's character's son in the 1978 film, F.I.S.T. He landed two more acting jobs, in an ABC Afterschool Special and an appearance in the film Jokes My Folks Never Told Me.
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 his future bandmate Flea, and after a brief confrontation, the two became best friends and bonded while sitting next to each other in driver's ed class.[9][10] 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."[11] Kiedis became a significant influence on Flea, exposing him to rock music, particularly punk rock.[11] At age 15, while Kiedis and Flea were jumping from a building into a swimming pool, Kiedis missed the pool and broke his back, but recovered.[12]
At age 15, Kiedis 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: "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."[13] Slovak, Kiedis, and Flea often used LSD, heroin, cocaine, and speed recreationally.[14] Kiedis excelled in school, often receiving straight-A grades.[3] In June 1980, Kiedis graduated with honors from high school. That August, he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles to study writing.[15]
After Kiedis began working with Flea and drummer Jack Irons, he was described as a "manic master of ceremonies" before he even began singing for the group. Irons and Slovak had begun playing together in high school while performing in a band called Chain Reaction. The group included then bassist Tom Strasman and Chilean-born vocalist and guitarist Alain Johannes. With Strasman set on becoming a lawyer, he quit the band to keep his grades up and focus on college. At this point, Flea was brought into the mix. Shortly after hanging out with the band, and attending a few shows, Kiedis was offered a position in the band by Flea. He began as a hype man, going out in front of the band blurting out jokes to the audience and getting them pumped up.[16]
Other projects[edit]
Using the stage name Cole Dammett (adapted from his father's stage name, Blackie Dammett), Kiedis landed a number of small roles in television and film as a teenager in the late 1970s. His early credits include F.I.S.T. and the 1978 ABC Afterschool Special It's a Mile from Here to Glory. Resuming his acting work in the 1990s, Kiedis played a hooligan surfer named Tone, in the 1991 Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze movie Point Break. The Chase, a 1994 movie starring Charlie Sheen as an estranged man trying to escape the cops with a young woman he kidnapped, had Flea and Kiedis playing metalheads who chase Sheen's character in a 4 × 4 truck and end up crashing.
Kiedis also organized the New American Music Union, a two-day summer music festival set for August 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He assembled a lineup of musicians including Bob Dylan, The Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley, The Roots, and a second stage featuring college bands. (The lineup did not include Kiedis or the Red Hot Chili Peppers.)[90] In 2011, Kiedis, along with his son Everly, appeared in the documentary, Bob and the Monster. The documentary details the life and career of musician and drug counselor, Bob Forrest.[91] On May 11, 2011, Anthony donated a MTV European Music Award that the band had previously won to help raise funds for ongoing relief in devastated areas of Japan, which was hit with an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.[92]
Kiedis and Flea were executive producers of the 2014 film Low Down, which is based on the life of jazz pianist Joe Albany.[93]
In June 2015, Kiedis and his son Everly Bear, along with Cher and Willow Smith, were revealed to be the "new faces" of Marc Jacobs Fall 2015 ad campaign.[94]
In February 2016, the Chili Peppers performed at the "Feel the Bern" fundraiser in support of Bernie Sanders.[95]
On January 11, 2019, Kiedis co-authored a Rolling Stone opinion piece with Rory Kennedy, a filmmaker and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, and the Malibu Foundation's Trevor Neilson in which he listed the human, financial and environmental cost of global climate conditions. Kiedis said "since our federal government is failing us, we must rely on our state and local governments to lead the charge."[96] Three days later, Kiedis and the Chili Peppers performed at a benefit for the victims of the Woolsey Fire in California. The fires destroyed over 1,500 homes, killed four people and also forced Kiedis, his family and band members to evacuate their homes as well. The recording of the band's twelfth album was also put on hold due to the deadly fires. Drummer Chad Smith said "myself and Anthony both live in Point Dume. Seventy houses in our neighborhood burned down. Ours was spared, luckily."[97]
On April 5, 2023, it was announced that Kiedis along with Bob Forrest and Ron Burkle had formed the production company Said and Done Entertainment. Their first project will be an animated series for TBS called Hellicious which is based on the comic book of the same name. Kiedis will voice one of the main characters Briggy Bundy and will also serve as the executive producer for the series.[98]
Personal life[edit]
Family and relationships[edit]
Kiedis's father, Blackie Dammett, was an actor who appeared in over 50 movies and television shows. Dammett also ran the band's fanclub for many years. Dammett's autobiography, Lords of the Sunset Strip, was released on March 31, 2013. Through Dammett, Kiedis also has a much younger half-brother. During the Chili Peppers show of June 25, 2017, in Grand Rapids, Kiedis dedicated "Soul to Squeeze" to his father, who was suffering from dementia.[111] Dammett died on May 12, 2021.[112][113][114]
Kiedis acknowledges in his autobiography Scar Tissue that he had sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl when he was 23, before and after learning of her age, in the 1980s. This inspired him to write the song "Catholic School Girls Rule".[115] In the wake of the Me Too movement, the alleged actions of Kiedis have been criticized by several media outlets,[115][116][117] including the Huffington Post.[117]
Kiedis claims to have had a brief relationship in 1990 with singer Sinéad O'Connor, who inspired him to write "I Could Have Lied" on 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik, though she denied the relationship at the time.[118] He was also in a brief relationship with Spice Girls singer Melanie "Sporty Spice" Chisholm, who inspired "Emit Remmus" from 1999's Californication. His band also covered their song "Wannabe" at a 1997 concert in Japan.[119] Kiedis was in a relationship with Yohanna Logan on-and-off from 1998 to 2003. Kiedis had a two year long relationship with Australian model Helena Vestergaard that ended in late 2014; the end of this relationship inspired much of Kiedis' lyricism for The Getaway.[120]
Kiedis was in a relationship with Heather Christie from 2004 to 2008. They have a son, Everly Bear Kiedis (named after The Everly Brothers, one of his favorite bands), born October 2, 2007.[121] In March 2018, Kiedis and Christie were involved in a custody battle.[122]
In a June 2016 interview, Kiedis opened up about his past relationships, saying that there were years when he had over 100 sexual partners. Kiedis added, "If I saw a pretty girl, I wanted to have her." When asked about marriage and growing old and alone, Kiedis responded, "Maybe it is because I never learned to live in a relationship and as silly as it sounds, I do not understand women yet. They remain a mystery. I talked about this yesterday with a friend: do we focus on finding a person who fits with us, or will we remain single? I am open to both. If the right one comes – wonderful. If not, I accept what the universe has intended for me."[123]
Kiedis is a longtime fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Rams,[124] and formerly the Las Vegas Raiders.[125][126][127] While attending a Lakers game on October 21, 2018, Kiedis was ejected after yelling and flashing his middle finger at Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul following a skirmish with then-Lakers guard Rajon Rondo.[128] In 1992, a star was named after Kiedis in the International Star Registry.[129]
Drug addictions[edit]
Kiedis has battled drug addiction, including heroin and cocaine,[12] throughout his life. Since his father used drugs regularly, Kiedis was constantly exposed to drug-using and drug-dealing behavior while growing up. Some of Kiedis's early drug use came from substances he got from his father, including marijuana, which he first smoked when he was 12 years old.[12]
Kiedis used drugs for years, including during the formation of the band. A few years into the band's career, he was briefly fired due to his heavy drug use. At times, it got so bad that he failed to show up to the band's performances. One night, after Kiedis missed a performance to score drugs, the band replaced him with singer Keith Morris.
Kiedis tried to get clean after Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak died of a heroin overdose on June 25, 1988, saying he would never shoot up again.[130] He entered rehab and ended up staying clean for five years, but he relapsed in 1994, causing a major delay in the release of the band's 1995 album, One Hot Minute. Kiedis kept using on and off over the next six years.
Kiedis's last major relapse occurred when a doctor prescribed him Tramadol despite Kiedis specifically asking not to be prescribed opiates. To a recovering heroin addict, synthetic opiates give rise to strong cravings. He has reportedly avoided another relapse since December 24, 2000.[131][101] In May 2012, after over 20 years of speculation, Vulture claimed that the location where Kiedis would purchase and use drugs (which inspired "Under the Bridge") is located in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, California, based on clues taken from Kiedis' memoir.[132] In 2014, LA Weekly strongly insinuated that the conclusion of the Vulture magazine piece was incorrect.[133]
Feud with Mike Patton[edit]
For over 30 years, Kiedis and Faith No More/Mr. Bungle singer Mike Patton have been involved in an ongoing feud.[134] Prior to that feud, Faith No More (then fronted by Chuck Mosley) and The Red Hot Chili Peppers had toured together. However, things turned ugly between the two bands in 1989 when Kiedis accused Mosley's replacement, Patton, of imitating his mannerisms and image on stage and during the music video for their biggest hit, "Epic".[134][135] The two attacked each other in the media throughout 1990, including an interview in which Kiedis directly accused Patton of imitating him, claiming; "My drummer says he's gonna kidnap [Patton], shave his hair off and cut off one of his feet, just so he'll be forced to find a style of his own".[135]
The relationship was thought to have improved in the ensuing years,[134] with Kiedis and Patton reportedly having friendly encounters with each other during the 1990s.[136][137] The feud between the two was unexpectedly reignited in 1999. Mr. Bungle were scheduled to release their album California on June 8, 1999, but Warner Bros. Records pushed the release back a week so as not to coincide with the Chili Peppers' similarly titled album, Californication.[135] Following the album release date clash, Mr. Bungle claimed that Kiedis had them removed from a series of summer festivals in Europe.[137][138][139] Mr. Bungle's guitarist, Trey Spruance, added that the manager of the Chili Peppers apologized and blamed Kiedis for the removals.[140] In retaliation, Mr. Bungle parodied the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Pontiac, Michigan, on Halloween of 1999.[134] They covered several of the band's songs, with Patton deliberately using incorrect lyrics, such as "Sometimes I feel like a fucking junkie" on "Under the Bridge".[141] In the middle of the concert, bassist Trevor Dunn (dressed as Flea) walked up to guitarist Spruance (dressed as the ghost of Hillel Slovak) and simulated injecting him with heroin. Patton (dressed as Kiedis) interrupted this by shouting, "You can't shoot up a ghost".[141] Kiedis responded by having them removed from the 2000 Big Day Out festival in Australia and New Zealand. Kiedis said of the festival shows, "I would not have given two fucks if they played there with us. But after I heard about [the] Halloween show where they mocked us, fuck him and fuck the whole band." Spruance has said that the parody was a reaction to Kiedis having Mr. Bungle removed from Big Day Out, not the other way around.[142]
Patton continued to mock Kiedis in the media with his new band Fantômas, calling him a "noodle dick" in a 2001 television interview.[143] Despite the prior history, Patton would later express his desire to move beyond the feud, claiming he and Kiedis would have a warm embrace if the two ever met in person. Kiedis and the band would exhibit another possible gesture aimed at Patton during a concert in 2014 when the band jokingly teased the Faith No More song We Care a Lot during a performance at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.[144][145] Mr. Bungle guitarist Trey Spruance has stated that the band liked the first two Red Hot Chili Peppers albums during a 2016 interview.[142]
Several publications, such as Complex and Phoenix New Times, have since listed the Kiedis–Patton feud as being one of the best beefs in the history of rock.[146][147][134] Others have labelled it as a "funk metal feud"[148] and "absurd".[149]
1990 Indecent Exposure and Sexual Battery Conviction[edit]
In 1990 Kiedis received a conviction for indecent exposure and sexual battery in Virginia related to an incident at George Mason University in Fairfax County in April 1989. He was ordered to pay a fine on both counts.[150] Kiedis was accused of touching a woman's face with his penis after a concert at George Mason University in Fairfax County on April 21, 1989.[151]