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.
5. He Found His Partners
Slovak started junior high school and began looking for friends who shared his taste in music. He was a likeable kid and made friends fast. Little did he know, but together with these junior high friends, he would become a huge sensation.
picture alliance, Getty Images
6. He Met Someone
In high school, after performing with his band Anthym, Slovak met up with an eager member of the audience. This was Anthony Kiedis, and the two shared some snacks and talked. It turned out, they had loads in common. Unfortunately, they also shared the same demons.
Dar4765, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
7. They Were Three Peas In A Pod
Slovak and Kiedis soon became best buddies, and then junior high friend Michael “Flea” Balzary joined and made it a trio of buddies. They talked a lot about music, but they also experimented in the drug scene.
Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
8. He Learned Fast
At this time, Slovak was still with his band Anthym, but there was a problem. The bassist, Todd Strassman wasn’t working out. Instead of auditioning a new bass player, Slovak just turned to his buddy Flea and asked him if he wanted to learn to play the bass.
But believe it or not, Flea had other plans.
Stefan Brending, Wikimedia Commons
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9. He Had To Change His Mind
The truth is, Flea had no interest in playing the bass. He was thinking of becoming a jazz musician, as his idol was Dizzy Gillespie. First, Slovak had to convince Flea to change his mind, and then make him into a decent player.
Roland Godefroy, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
10. He Taught Him
With Slovak’s help, Flea did eventually see the light. He was now interested in rock music and eager to learn to play the bass. And, as it turned out, Flea was a fast learner.
Now all Sovak had to do was get rid of Strassman.
Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
11. He Took A Walk
When Strassman arrived at one rehearsal, he didn't just find Flea playing in his place; to twist the knife, Flea was playing on Strassman's own bass.
A furious Strassman quit the band on the spot and stormed out of the studio—officially making Flea Anthym's new bass player. It was just what they needed.
Gary Friedman, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
12. They Were Too Young
With Flea as a bassist, Slovak and Anthym entered a Battle of the Bands contest and took home a respectable second prize. This got them gigs at nightclubs that they weren't even old enough to get into. It was only a matter of time until this band took off.
Clare Cridland, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
13. They Played A Small Crowd
One of their very first performances was at the Grandia Room in LA. It was on December 16, 1982, and it was an inauspicious start.
They only had a short time in the green room to prepare, and when they did take the stage, the band—soon to be the hugely famous Red Hot Chili Peppers—played to only 30 people.
Roberto Gianardi, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
14. There Were Changes
Slovak eventually graduated from high school and Anthym became What Is This? But there was another change that wasn’t so welcome. Flea received an offer from a band called Fear, and he left Slovak for what he thought would be a brighter future.
John Coffey, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
15. They Had A Long Name
Thankfully, Flea’s work with Fear didn’t take up all his time. So Slovak, Flea, and Kiedis still had time to work on their own music. They brought the drummer from Anthym in and formed a new band that they called Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. Their name was long, but their playlist was incredibly short.
Mike Pennington, Wikimedia Commons
16. They Had Only One Song
Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem had only one song. Stranger still, the guys only intended to play it once. The song was “Out in LA” and they played it at The Rhythm Lounge. They soon learned that once was not enough.
Drew de F Fawkes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
17. They Changed The Name
The owner of The Rhythm Lounge must have liked “Out in LA” because he wanted the guys back for another show. This time he asked them for two songs. The number of songs the guys had under their belt grew, and they knew it was time to ditch that marquee-destroying name.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers was born.
18. They Took It Off
The guys soon realized they needed a way to stand out from other bands in LA. Luckily, they had no shame, so they came up with a shocking, but effective way to do it. When they were playing a lounge called the Kit Kat Club they decided to bare all for their audience. Well, they did have to cover up one part of their bodies.
Kreepin Deth, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
19. They Covered It Up
The guys in the Red Hot Chili Peppers didn’t want to break any laws, so they came up with a way to be naked, but not naked. They each took a sock and used it to cover their unmentionables. Before they knew it, this was their signature look. They were ready for fame.
Drew de F Fawkes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
20. They Soared
The early 1980s saw Slovak and the Red Hot Chili Peppers gaining a following and some decent underground cred. They played all over LA and also in New York City. Since they were spending most of their time as a group anyway, they decided to move in together.
This may have been a huge mistake.
21. They Played Hard
Slovak and the guys found a house to rent in a not-so-safe area in Hollywood. Being together was great for their creativity—but not for their addictions. They worked hard on music but also played hard with recreational drug use. This couldn’t go on forever.
22. They Found A Replacement
During the early years of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slovak and Flea had a pact not to get into any heavy drug use while touring. Of course, they hated being sober and drank shots of Jagermeister instead. They said it gave them a similar feeling.
23. They Got An Offer
The Red Hot Chili Peppers eventually recorded a demo tape and put it out there. It didn’t take long for record label EMI to offer them a deal. This was exciting news, and certainly what all of them had ever wanted.
But things didn’t go quite as you’d expect.
Warner Bros. Records, Wikimedia Commons
24. He Did Something Unexpected
Flea saw the record deal from EMI as a positive sign, so he officially cut ties with Fear. He was ready to give the Red Hot Chili Peppers all his time and energy. Flea probably expected Slovak to do the same—but ever-unpredictable, Slovak threw him a curve ball.
Drew de F Fawkes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
25. They Separated
Slovak had always seen the Red Hot Chili Peppers as something he was doing on the side. His allegiance belonged to his other band, What is This?. So, while Flea was completely committed to the Peppers, Slovak was not. So the rest of the group made another hard decision: The Red Hot Chili Peppers would have to continue on without Slovak.
26. He Wasn’t There
Strangely, founding member Slovak is not on the very first Red Hot Chilli Peppers album, which they cleverly called The Red Hot Chili Peppers. At this point, RHCP could have lost Slovak forever, but then fate stepped in.
Diego Torres Silvestre, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
27. He Wanted Back
Slovak soon began struggling with What is This? He also underestimated how much he’d miss working with Flea. So, likely with his tail between his legs, Slovak went back to Flea and asked about rejoining the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
He waited nervously for Flea’s reply.
Cancha General, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
28. He Got A Thumbs Up
The thing was, Flea and Kiedis were also struggling with Jack Sherman—the musician who’d replaced Slovak. After hearing Slovak’s request to return, Flea went to Kiedis and asked him what he thought. Kiedis gave the idea an enthusiastic thumbs up.
Jack Sherman was out, and Slovak was back in.
ToshiroKitty WereWolf, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
29. They Were Together Again
So, Slovak was back with the Chili Peppers and together they were getting ready to record the band’s second album: Freaky Styley. In the meantime, What is This? had broken up, so Jack Irons also returned on drums. The originals were all back together.
But this wasn’t quite a happy reunion for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
30. He Used Heavily
Being together again meant increasing drug use. Slovak, Flea, and Kiedis all participated, and it wasn’t fun anymore. Kiedis was so deeply into it that he could no longer function when it came to creating new material for the band.
And things were about to get worse, not better.
Drew de F Fawkes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
31. It Had An Effect
The effects of the band's addictions bled into both the lyrics and the sound on Freaky Styley. Slovak and the rest were satisfied with the final result, produced by funk legend George Clinton, but the public didn't agree.
Until now, they'd been rising, then Freaky Styley flopped and brought them back to earth. But this was just a small bump in the road—much worse lay ahead.
Raj Gupta, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
32. They Had A Strange Reason
In 1986, it was time for the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ next album. For a producer of the album, the guys decided to hire Keith Levene from the British bands the Clash and Public Image Ltd. What was strange was their reason for hiring him.
Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
33. He Was A Kindred Spirit
Because Slovak and some of the other members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers were into recreational drug use, they wanted someone who shared their sense of adventure when it came to this. That's specifically why they hired Levene to produce the album.
Shockingly, things got off to a rocky start.
34. He Made Them Angry
The label, EMI, gave the Peppers $5,000 to record the demo, but before they had even laid down a single track, they were down to just $3,000.
Slovak and Levene made a bold decision about how to spend the other $2,000—and it made the other members of the band furious.
35. They Didn’t Spend It Wisely
Slovak and Levene thought a good way to spend $2,000 of the money EMI gave them would be on "inspiration," aka, dope.
Things were started to get very messy in the Red Hot Chili Peppers—and yet their star continued to rise.
36. They Had An Edge
Despite not having a hit record, RHCP started receiving movie offers. With their crazy outfits, and on-stage theatrics, they could easily add an edge to a film that needed it. Slovak and the guys appeared as themselves in the cult classic skateboarding film Thrashin’ with future No Country for Old Men star Josh Brolin.
Winters Hollywood Entertainment Holdings Corporation, Thrashin' (1986)
37. They Played For An Icon
That same year, Slovak and the rest of the Peppers appeared in Tough Guys, about two aging ex-cons. RHCP played themselves and served to show how the world has changed since the two guys went to prison. Iconic actor Kirk Douglas dances with his young friend to Slovak and the guys.
As it turned out, Slovak had some dance moves of his own.
38. He Did A Shuffle
Around this time, the band moved to Detroit, and their using started to spiral completely out of control. Slovak had a character that emerged when he was high. He would put on brightly colored clothes and do a dance that looked more like a shuffle. This character would go down in Chili Pepper history.
39. He Was A Skinny Sweaty Man
The guys thought Slovak was hilarious as he shuffled around in his brightly colored clothes. They started calling him the “Skinny Sweaty Man” and this also became a song on their third album. This sweaty character may have been funny, but it was a symptom of something much more serious.
40. He Was Worse Off
The thing about Slovak and Kiedis’ drug use was that people worried more about Kiedis than Slovak. Kiedis was more vocal about what was going on, while Slovak was more concerned with covering it up.
As it turned out, it was Slovak they should have worried about.
41. He Couldn’t Fight Back
One thing that Slovak and Kiedis liked to do while on tour was wrestle. When they were touring with Freaky Styley, Kiedis noticed something surprising about Slovak. He no longer had the energy to fight back. Kiedis didn’t do anything about it, but someone else did.
42. He Kept It A Secret
One of the roadies saw the poor health that Slovak was in and decided to do something about it. He contacted Slovak’s brother James.
When James got the call, he was horrified. It turns out, Hillel Slovak's family had no inkling of how bad it had gotten—and it had gotten bad.
43. They Got Rejected
One thing the Red Hot Chili Peppers didn’t have for the third album was a producer, and finding one was proving to be difficult. Rick Rubin from Def Jam Records gave them a harsh rejection. Rubin would go on to produce six albums for RHCP, but at this time he showed no interest.
It was for an eye-opening reason.
44. He Couldn’t Deal
Rubins said no to producing RHCP’s third album because he didn’t want to deal with Slovak and Kiedis's addiction. Obviously, this issue was starting to affect the success of the band.
They had to deal with it if they wanted true success.
45. They Took The Last Choice
RHCP ended up hiring producer Michael Beinhorn, who had been their last choice. The album was The Uplift Mofo Party Plan and, against all odds, it took RHCP to a new level of fame.
Of course, a new album meant another tour, and that meant more on-the-road mayhem.
46. He Made A Promise
The Peppers were ready for their European tour for The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, and both Slovak and Kiedis had made a promise: They had to quit.
While this sounded good on paper, the reality was a nightmare.
Drew de F Fawkes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
47. He Broke Down
Both Slovak and Kiedis suffered severe withdrawal symptoms, but Slovak seemed to suffer more. At one point he had a breakdown right before a concert. Slovak couldn’t go out on stage, which left the other Peppers in a bit of a bind.
48. He Couldn’t Go On
With Slovak suffering from extreme withdrawal, the Red Hot Chili Peppers had to do an entire set with no one on guitar. Even though he did recover, the guys decided that Slovak was out of the band, and quickly replaced him with DeWayne McKnight.
It was a new low for Slovak—but he could still fall lower.
Svickova, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
49. He Rejoined
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were soon missing Slovak, so they decided to give him a second chance. Things went better for the rest of the tour, but at the end of it, Kiedis had a talk with Slovak. It was ultimatum time.
Jacob Siverskog, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
50. He Wouldn’t Go
Kiedis could see how addiction was hurting the band and their lives. He talked to Slovak about getting real help. He did not get the answer he was looking for. Slovak didn’t agree and said that he thought his problem wasn’t that serious. This was the beginning of the end for Slovak.
51. He Played Hendrix
Slovak’s final concert was in Finland on June 4, 1988. The last song he performed was a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song “Fire”. Even as a child, people had compared Slovak to Hendrix, who’d passed at age 27 due to his drug use.
Sadly, Slovak wouldn't even make it that long.
Ary Groeneveld, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
52. He Became A Loner
When the guys got back from the tour, Slovak behavior took an unsettling turn. He drew into himself, avoiding the other band members as much as possible. But there was something else odd about his behavior.
53. He Didn’t Do Much
Slovak at least usually kept himself busy. When he wasn’t playing music he was usually painting or writing in his journal. During this time after the tour, he apparently stopped doing both. In fact, we know little about what he did during this time because there were no journal entries.
But he did reach out to one person.
54. He Reached Out
One thing we do know about this time was that Slovak called his brother. This was on June 14, and he admitted to his brother that he was having trouble quitting. He said really wanted to, but he was starting to think it was impossible. This was the last thing anyone heard from him.
Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
55. They Found Him
When the guys in the band hadn’t heard from Slovak for a while, they tried to contact him, but they got no response. After weeks, they finally sent officers to his home to check on him. They were just a few days too late.
Drew de F Fawkes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
56. He Was Not Okay
When officers broke into Slovak’s Hollywood apartment, they discovered his body hunched over a painting that he had apparently been working on.
Slovak had been gone for at least two days—but there was something chillingly mundane about the scene.
Cancha General, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
57. There Was A Hole
One of the last things Slovak had done was light up. The officers found a smoke still clutched in his cold hand. When they looked closer, they saw that it had burned a hole right in the canvas he’d been working on. Lighting it was likely one of the last things he ever did.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
58. It Was No Surprise
An ambulance took Slovak’s body to the morgue for an autopsy. The results didn't surprise many people. Slovak’s life had ended due to an overdose. The authorities did relay that Slovak’s passing was completely accidental. This news didn’t help his loved one deal with it.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
59. He Couldn’t Face It
The news affected fans deeply and had a strange effect on Kiedis. Instead of taking the time to join with the other band members and celebrate the life of their friend and bandmate, Kiedis left town. He said that he couldn’t face the funeral. But the other way he responded to losing his friend was .
Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
60. He Wouldn’t Change
You’d think that losing Slovak to drug use might have changed Kiedis’ behavior. After all, he was the one who'd been talking about getting help. Except it didn’t.
Kiedis kept using the same drug that had ended Slovak’s life. It seemed like Kiedis was heading down the same road as Slovak—but then a friend stepped in.
61. He Made A Visit
One of Kiedis’ friends saw an opportunity to help Kiedis get sober for good. The friend took Kiedis somewhere that he knew would affect him: He made him visit Slovak’s grave. The sight of his friend’s burial place inspired Kiedis to finally enter rehab. But other band members were also suffering.
Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
62. He Became Depressed
Jack Irons also had a profound reaction to Slovak’s passing. He wasn’t just sad, he actually became clinically depressed. Irons ended up quitting the Red Hot Chili Peppers altogether. He said he didn’t want to have an association with a band that ended his friend’s life.
63. They Carried On
With Slovak and Irons suddenly gone, Kiedis and Flea took on John Frusciante and Chad Smith to try and replace the lost members. It was a huge change, but by 1990, the band had their first single in the Top Ten. But this song had a deep connection to Slovak.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
64. He Missed Him
Kiedis wrote a poem called “Under The Bridge” because he was lonely and missed Slovak. When producer Rubin read the poem, he asked Kiedis to try and sing it. When Kiedis did, Rubins convinced Kiedis that it would be a hit song.
John Coffey, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
65. He Lives On
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were deeply affected by Slovak’s passing. Of course, the band carried on, but even years later they still miss him. Kiedis once said that Slovak’s energy was still with the band. He said that Slovak was “still there in our hearts.”
Hel Davies, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
66. He Started It All
In a lot of ways, Slovak was the core of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Remember, it was Slovak who introduced Flea to playing bass. In fact, Flea only listened to jazz before he met Slovak. Slovak also had an effect on a future member.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
67. He Learned By Watching
John Frusciante—the musician who eventually replaced Slovak—has no problem admitting how much he took from Slovak in order to replace him. Frusciante says that he learned everything by watching Slovak play. But what Kiedis said about Slovak speaks volumes.
Chad Carson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
68. He Was Like A Parent
Kiedis says that the first time they tried to replace Slovak—back in the early 1980s—it was a surreal experience. He said that in a weird way, it was like “shopping for a new Mom and Dad”. Slovak was like a parent to the band, and it seems they will never forget him.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
69. He Entered The Hall
It was in 2012 when the Red Hot Chili Peppers received an honor. They would be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yes, it had been over 20 years since Slovak had been a part of the band, but he was front and center during the ceremony. His brother James was on hand to accept the honor for him.
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