“Hillel was a huge influence on my life. Were it not for him I never would have begun to play the bass.”
Here is an incredible 2-page handwritten letter by legendary Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea regarding his former bandmate and co-founder of the Chili Peppers, Hillel Slovak. An extraordinary tribute to Slovak, the note was published as the foreword in the 1999 book, “Behind the Sun: The Diary & Art of Hillel Slovak” authored by Hillel’s brother James Slovak. In the letter, Flea praises Solvak throughout and discusses, among other things, how Hillel influenced him to play bass for the Chili Peppers.
The extraordinary letter reads in full:
“Hillel was a huge influence on my life. Were it not for him I never would have begun to play the bass. I looked up to him, I loved the way his hair fell on his shoulders and the way he slung his red messenger guitar around like a cool rock stud. He had a unique way of dressing and thinking and loving life that inspired me to no end. He used to hold his big red balls up and balance ice cubes on them. Once he threw an ice cube across the room and it landed on Anthony’s shoulder and sat there. We sat up all night at Topanga beach ‘til the sun came up and saw a U.F.O. and a tractor tried to run us over in the morning. He wore a psychedelic shirt with a giant collar and big funky sunglasses and said “don’t ask me to smile if I don’t feel like smiling”, and we smiled all day long. I have beautiful paintings that Hillel did and gave to me and I put them in my bedroom, where the feelings are so important. We grew up in Hollywood and we came from broken familys and we were confused kids who hadn’t even begun to understand our fears yet. Hillel died too young and it could have been any one of our circle. We loved each other the best we knew how, and tried so hard to deal with our pain. We made huge mistakes but they came from love and one mistake made one less one of us. Hillel is always with me and my love for him only grows stronger with time. Bless his immaculate soul. – love Flea”
Slovak, the beloved fallen guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, died of a drug overdose at the age of 26. To this day, his influence reverberates throughout the Chili Peppers’ canon. During the band’s 2012 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Kiedis called him the band’s “heart and soul” and “architect.” The original members of RHCP – Kiedis, Slovak, Flea, and Jack Irons – came together at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. Slovak and Kiedis would become fast friends, and in Scar Tissue, Kiedis’s excellent 2004 biography, he recalls the first day they spent together, as friends, noting Slovak’s sense of self, calm demeanor, and musical intelligence. “I immediately knew that Hillel was at least my equal,” he wrote. Slovak’s creativity was a guiding light for the band’s growth. John Frusciante, who would replace Slovak as the band’s guitarist after his death idolized him. After leaving the band for a brief period, Slovak returned to play on two Chili Peppers albums, Freaky Styley (1985), and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987), before tragically succumbing to his addiction on June 25th, 1988, in Hollywood, CA.
A museum quality Chili Peppers item, with Flea sharing his innermost thoughts regarding his friend and former bandmate. A Chili Peppers collectible of the highest order! Also included will be an original copy of the book in which the letter appeared “Behind the Sun: The Diary & Art of Hillel Slovak”. Flea’s handwritten letter and the book are in very good condition.
Accompanied by full letters of authenticity from Hillel’s brother James Slovak, Beckett Authentication Services (BAS), Roger Epperson/REAL Authentication and James Spence Authentication (JSA).