Flea (musician)

Flea
Flea with RHCP at Rock am Ring 2016
Background information
Birth name	Michael Peter Balzary
Also known as	Mike B the Flea
Born	(1962-10-16) October 16, 1962 (age 54) Melbourne, Australia
Genres	Funk rock, alternative rock, jazz, experimental rock, punk rock, jazz-funk, electronica, hardcore punk
Occupation(s)	Musician, actor
Instruments	Bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, trumpet, piano, keyboards
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Warner Bros. Records, EMI
Associated acts	Red Hot Chili Peppers, Atoms for Peace, Antemasque, Rocket Juice & the Moon, What Is This?, Fear, Jane's Addiction, the Mars Volta, Tom Waits
Notable instruments
Modulus Funk Unlimited Fender Jazz Bass Music Man StingRay Fleabass Fender Precision Bass Spector NS Bass Alembic Bass Wal Bass

Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962), better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician, best known as a co-founding member and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers with whom he was inducted in 2012 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Flea briefly appeared as the bassist for such bands as What Is This?, Fear and Jane's Addiction. More recently he has appeared as a member of the rock supergroups Atoms for Peace, Antemasque, Pigface and Rocket Juice & the Moon. Flea has also collaborated with other artists, including The Mars Volta, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Alanis Morissette and Young MC.

In 2009, Rolling Stone's readers ranked Flea the second-best bassist of all-time; John Entwistle placed at number one.

Flea has made occasional forays into acting, appearing in films that span many genres, such as Suburbia, Back to the Future Part II and Part III, My Own Private Idaho, The Chase, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Thrashin', Dudes, Son in Law , and The Big Lebowski, in addition to voicing the character Donnie Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys animated television series and films. In 2014, Flea returned to acting in the film Low Down.