Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has expressed profound emotions in a tribute to his late bandmate and friend Hillel Slovak, who tragically died at the age of 26 on June 25, 1988. Slovak, a co-founding member of the iconic Californian band, succumbed to an accidental heroin overdose at his home in Los Angeles. Flea and fellow band member Anthony Kiedis learned of Slovak’s death two days later, a moment that would forever alter the course of their lives.
Reflecting on that devastating day, Flea recounted to MOJO magazine, “Just unbelievable. When it happened, I was so shocked I just fell on the floor, gasping for air.” He reminisced about the early days when he and Kiedis first met Slovak. “We were out hitch-hiking the street and we saw him and he had a car. He was fucking 16 and he had a car! A Datsun 510.”
Slovak’s charisma left a lasting impression on Flea, who recalls, “He had a stereo in the car and he was smoking weed and listening to [Led] Zeppelin. He gave us a ride and I think he gave us some weed. He showed me Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck and then the Gang Of Four, all this stuff.” Flea’s admiration for Slovak extended beyond music, noting, “I looked up to him. I was in love with him. He was a beautiful boy and troubled like all of us were, difficulties at home, difficulties everywhere.”
Despite the accolades, Flea poignantly acknowledged Slovak’s struggles with addiction. “His guitar playing was beautiful, his hair, the way he dressed… everything. A beautiful friend. And really sadly a drug addict, heroin, and he didn’t make it through.” The band’s grief over Slovak’s death inspired the song “Knock Me Down,” featured on their 1989 album Mother’s Milk.
The impact of Slovak’s passing extended beyond his bandmates. At the time, Kiedis was in a relationship with actress Ione Skye, known for her roles in films such as Say Anything and Rivers Edge. In her memoir, Say Everything, Skye recounts the harrowing moment they learned of Slovak’s death. On the evening of June 27, 1988, Bob Forrest, the frontman of the cult band Thelonious Monster, called their home, “crying so hard that he couldn’t get words out.”
The devastating news prompted Kiedis to turn to heroin, with Skye remembering, “Of course he was shooting up. He’d just lost his best friend. Who wouldn’t numb that blow if they could?”
In a poignant twist, Flea is preparing to release his debut solo album, Honora, on March 27, 2024, through Nonesuch Records. The album showcases Flea’s talents on both bass and trumpet and includes original compositions alongside covers of classic songs like Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” and Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain.” Notable guest artists on the album include Tom Yorke, who has collaborated with Flea in the side project Atoms For Peace, and Nick Cave.
Flea’s tribute to Slovak serves as a reminder of the personal and professional challenges faced by artists in the music industry, highlighting the enduring impact of friendship, loss, and creativity.
