Red-Hot Facts About Hillel Slovak, The Original Chili Pepper
Hillel Slovak Had Demons
Hillel Slovak rose to greatness in the LA club scene and eventually found himself in the spotlight with the iconic rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Sadly, his flirtation with fame would only last a short time. He had demons, and they were waiting in the wings to bring this ground-breaking guitarist to a tragic and early grave.
1. They Were Survivors
Hillel Slovak was born in Haifa, Israel on April 13, 1962. His parents were both Jewish and had survived the atrocities of WWII. Eventually, they wanted to leave Israel and start a life in America.
They could't imagine the extreme highs and chilling lows this would bring for their son Hillel.
2. He Liked The Arts
When Hillel was four, the Slovaks landed in Queens, New York. It could be that the climate was too harsh, as the family made another move just one year later.
They chose Southern California, where Slovak soon developed an interest in art that would flourish into an astounding—if tragically brief—career.
3. He Got His First Guitar
Slovak painted with his mother as a boy. He soon put down his paintbrushes and picked up a guitar, which he’d received as a bar mitzvah present. Mom said that Slovak played that guitar everywhere in the house, and soon people started to notice something surprising.
4. He Sounded Like A Star
When people heard young Slovak play, they remembered another famous musician with a guitar. Even though Slovak was just a kid, people thought he sounded like Hendrix reborn. But that meant he inherited Jimi's demons, too.
