Flea

Best known as an integral member of one of the '80s and '90s most popular rock bands, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea (real name Michael Balzary) is widely regarded as one of rock's most talented bassists. By combining funk-style bass (à la Funkadelic) with psychedelic, punk, and hard rock, Balzary created an original playing style that has been copied numerous times. A founding member of the Chili Peppers, Flea has helped the band sell over 80 million albums worldwide, earning multiple Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. He has also released solo projects, including the 2012 EP Helen Burns and Acid for the Children, his memoir. Beyond his flagship band, Flea has collaborated with artists like Thom Yorke and Johnny Cash, appeared in films such as The Big Lebowski, and co-founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music to support music education. In 2026, Flea teamed with an ensemble of modern jazz visionaries to honor his original passion: the trumpet.