Flea

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history

Michael Balzary, commonly known by his stage name Flea, was born in 1962 in Melbourne, Australia. He moved to New York with his parents when he was five, and then to Los Angeles.[1] Balzary is better known as the bassist from the band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Apart from his career as musician and songwriter, Balzary is also a professional actor.[2]

Illness[edit | edit source]

In "1993, Flea was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and was ordered to rest for a year."[3]

"Flea is suffering from “chronic fatigue syndrome” as the result of heavy touring, although the band have now been off the road for roughly five months."[4]

"The Warners spokesperson commented: “The doctor has said that he (Flea) can’t go on the road. The disease causes extreme tiredness. Some mornings you can’t pick up a cup, let alone a guitar.”"[4]

The Chilli ME Challenge[edit | edit source]

The Chilli ME Challenge, an innovative fundraising project for ME research, was started by fans of the band who likewise had ME in honor of Flea with the hopes of bringing awareness and funds to the illness.[5]

Book[edit | edit source]

  • 2019, Acid for the Children - Flea's autobiography

Interviews and articles[edit | edit source]

Online presence[edit | edit source]

Online presence[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Acid for the Children: The autobiography of Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers". Waterstones. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  2. Pappademas, Alex (October 24, 2019). "Flea Had a Wild Life. Then He Joined Red Hot Chili Peppers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  3. Apter, Jeff (December 15, 2009). Fornication: The Red Hot Chili Peppers Story: The Red Hot Chili Peppers Story. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-065-6.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Chilis Split as Flea burns out?, Kerrang!, June 1993 – via The Chili Source
  5. "Chilli M.E. Challenge". Chilli M.E. Challenge. Retrieved December 6, 2021.