A new Netflix documentary explores the formative years of the rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the lasting impact made by the late guitarist Hillel Slovak.
The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel, which premiered on March 20, traces the band’s beginnings and examines Slovak’s influence on original members frontman Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea. Slovak was the lead guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers from its inception, playing with the group until his death in June 1988.
Here’s what you should know about Slovak and his untimely death.
Who Was Hillel Slovak?
Hillel Slovak was an Israeli-American musician and guitarist who helped shape the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ early funk-rock sound. Born in Haifa, Israel in 1962, Slovak moved with his family to the United States as a toddler, briefly living in New York City before settling in Los Angeles at the age of 6.
He started playing guitar at 13 years old after receiving his first instrument for his bar mitzvah. He also learned how to play the sitar and bass. It was around this time that he met his future Red Hot Chili Peppers bandmates Jack Irons, Anthony Kiedis, and Michael “Flea” Balzary while attending Fairfax High School.
When Did Slovak Form the Red Hot Chili Peppers?
Inspired by rock musicians like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, Slovak soon formed a band with Irons and another friend and began performing gigs. Originally called Chain Reaction, the amateur group was later renamed Anthym.
Slovak, Keidis, and Flea soon became close friends and began playing music together. After Anthym’s bass player left, Slovak taught Flea to play bass so he could join the band. Eventually, the three formed a new band with Irons that would come to be known as the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1982.
Why Did Slovak Leave the Red Hot Chili Peppers?
Slovak was instrumental in shaping the band’s early funk-rock sound, but he left the group only a year later to focus on his other group What Is This?, which had just landed a record deal. The Red Hot Chili Peppers replaced him with guitarist Jack Sherman and promptly signed to EMI American Records in 1984. That August, they released their debut self-titled album.
No longer satisfied with the direction What Is This? was heading, Slovak soon rejoined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985, just in time to record their sophomore effort Freaky Styley. Slovak continued to play lead guitar, making his second and final album with the band, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, in 1987.
Throughout all this, however, Slovak struggled with severe heroin addiction and attempted to get sober several times. By the time the group went on tour in 1988, the guitarist was suffering the effects of heroin withdrawal and missed several shows due to this unstable health. After he returned home in early June, the guitarist isolated himself from the rest of the band, dealing with his addiction alone.
What Was Hillel Slovak’s Cause of Death?
On June 25, 1988, Slovak died of a heroin overdose at the age of 26. He was found dead in his Los Angeles home two days later after an acquaintance called the police to perform a welfare check.
“We wouldn't be where we are today without Hillel, who was influential in creating our style and philosophy,” Kiedis later told the New York Times in 1990. More than two decades after his death, Slovak was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band in 2012.
How to Watch The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Directed by Ben Feldman, The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel, takes a look at Slovak’s influence on the band, as well as his friendships with his fellow bandmates. The 90-minute documentary arrived on Netflix March 20.
Catherine Caruso joined the Biography.com staff in August 2024, having previously worked as a freelance journalist for several years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.
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