It's a miracle Anthony Kiedis is even alive right now.
Before forming the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anthony Kiedis was living an absolutely absurd life. He first smoked pot with his dad when he was 11. He begged for his dad's friends to let him shoot coke with them. He accidentally did heroin when he was 14. It was damn near impossible for him to live any kind of normal life after a childhood like that. He wanted to be just like his party animal dad. He wanted to act like him, dress like him, and party with him. Preteen Anthony regularly found himself in downtown LA, chilling with his dad in the VIP section of the club.
When Anthony was in middle school, he realized he had a knack for poetry. But his mind was far from using those skills to create something worthwhile. He was addicted to getting high with his friends and stealing shit. In high school, he met Michael Balzary, better known as Flea. They ran all over downtown LA making such a ruckus. They quickly formed a lifelong friendship.
Anthony and Flea finally decided to create a band.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers quickly found a sound for themselves and began touring. When the money started pouring in Anthony put a roof over his head and immediately went on a bender. This seemed to be his routine....play music, get paid, find a girl, relapse. This went on for nearly 20 years before rehab finally stuck. I genuinely don't understand how this man is damn near 60 and still kickin.
The amount of drug-fueled stories in this book is absolutely astonishing. So many of his friends were overdosing while at the peaks of their lives and careers. RHCP as a whole dealt with a lot of drug and booze related issues. But somehow they became one of the biggest rock bands in the world. I'm so beyond glad that I got to see them play live with some of my very best friends.
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