A couple rock birthdays todays…..
Anthony Kiedis, vocalist for funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers is 53 today. Kiedis, of Lithuanian, Greek, English, French, Dutch, and Mohican descent was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan (boo) in 1962 to his mother Margaret and a struggling actor father, John Michael Kiedis, aka Blackie Dammett. His parents divorced when he was three and he spent two weeks each summer with his father in Hollywood, eventually moving in with his father when he was 12. With the help of his father Kiedis began acting, playing Sly Stallone’s son in the 1978 movie F.I.S.T., among other smaller roles. Also with the help of his father it was around this time that Kiedis began doing drugs with dad, who sold drugs to help support them. While in high school in LA, Kiedis met and struck up a friendship with Michael Balzary, better known as ‘Flea’, and the two eventually formed Red Hot Chili Peppers with guitarist Hillel Slovak.
Kiedis battled drug addiction as a teen and an adult up through 2000, but has apparently been sober since. He has a 9-year old son but says he has also been addicted to women, having admitted to sleeping with hundreds of women, and is still single today. When asked about marriage and growing old and alone Kiedis responded by saying “Maybe it is because I never learned to live in a relationship and as silly one 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.” Kiedis' godparent was Sonny Bono and he was babysat by Cher at times when he was younger. His autobiography, Scar Tissue, was a NY Times Bestseller in 2004.
One year younger than Kiedis, Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen was born today in 1963 in Derbyshire, England. He began playing in bands when he was 9 years old and joined Def Leppard in 1978 on just his 15th birthday, dropping out of school to do so. In 1984, Allen lost his left arm following a car accident but through the encouragement of his band and fans decided to continue, and helped design an electronic kit that allowed him to play with one arm. (I personally hate the sound of Leppard’s drums post-accident, but more power to the guy for keeping on.) He uses four electronic pedals for his left foot to play the pieces he used to play with his left arm, which from left to right trigger sounds of a closing hi-hat, bass drum, snare drum, and a tom drum. ‘The Thunder God’ has no regrets though. "What I've experienced through losing my arm, I wouldn't change. The human spirit is so strong."
