On June 25, 1988, he died of a heroin overdose and was found in his apartment two days later. During the tour in support of Freaky Styley, Slovak's health began to deteriorate. His body was found two days later, with an autopsy determining that he had died due to a heroin overdose, according to VH1. Following Slovak's death, frontman Kiedis reportedly left town and refused to attend the funeral, as Inquisitr reports. It was a sad moment.". Born April 13, 1962 into an Israeli-American family, Hillel Slovak … Some days, the effects were so powerful that Slovak’s guitar playing was affected and he was unable to perform for one of the shows. The band was generally more worried about Kiedis' addiction, which was much more open and noticeable to the other members, while Slovak according to Kiedis was "much more subtle and much more cunning in his disguise." Hillel Slovak: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. Slovak was born on April 13, 1962, in Israel before moving with his family to the U.S., first to New York City and then Southern California in 1967. Hillel Slovak, born in Israel on April 13th 1962, was a harmonious energy who eventually, according to bassist Flea, “took the wrong drugs at the wrong time”, a mistake that cost him his life. Slovak, Kiedis and Flea had strong chemistry on stage and their shows were known for being high energy; at this time, the trio began using drugs regularly, including LSD, cocaine and heroin. His body was found two days later, with an autopsy determining that he had died due to a heroin overdose, according to VH1. Most Popular #48156. No more of the easy laughter at the unsaid jokes. A few weeks after the band returned from the tour, the members attempted to get in contact with Slovak, but were unable to find him for several days. It was during his time away that he was replaced by guitarist Sherman. A painter, a musician, an intellectual, a hilarious and wild joker, and a lover of his friends. A 10-Year-Old Girl’s Mother Was Shot & Killed During Her Zoom Class: Cops. The Red Hot Chili Peppers confirmed his death on Twitter. "I could tell Hillel had no inner core of strength," Kiedis later wrote in his autobiography, Scar Tissue. On January 7, 2019, Flea visited Slovak’s grave in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery and posted to Instagram about his “beloved brother”: My thoughts will always be with my beloved brother. He had been robbed by his addiction of the life force that allows you to at least defend yourself. Slovak and Kiedis became addicted to heroin early in their careers, and Slovak often attempted to conceal his addiction from his friends and family. Original guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, died of a heroin and cocaine overdose. No more dancing, no more arguments or petty b*******," bassist Flea later recalled in his autobiography Acid For The Children (per Alternative Nation). No more chance to fix it ... No more nothing. Prior to his death of a heroin overdose in 1988, Slovak recorded two albums with the band, Freaky Styley (1985) and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987). He was 26. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Hillel Slovak (13 Apr 1962–25 Jun 1988), Find a Grave Memorial no. He was the band’s second guitarist after the departure of founding member Hillel Slovak. Founding Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak -- beloved by fans of the band's rougher, funk-driven early records -- died of a heroin overdose 25 years ago today in … The group has had several guitarists in its long history, with each bringing a different contribution and sound to the mix. Hillel Slovak: When Did Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Original Guitarist Die? Hillel Slovak was born in Haifa, Israel, on April 13, 1962. Aries Guitarist #18. It was only after a failed attempt to get clean from drugs (along with frontman Anthony Kiedis) during the band's 1988 tour that the promising star succumbed to his addiction alone in his Hollywood apartment, just months before the band went on to see mainstream success. No more discovering ourselves together in funky grooves. Copyright © 2021 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. It happened while the band was working on their fourth album which would have been called Rockin' Freakapotamus . After Sherman’s death, many fans of the band mourned not only the second guitarist’s death but also remembered the group’s founding guitarist, Hillel Slovak, who died over two decades ago. Slovak and Flea would wrestleregularly on tour, but Slovak became … The death of Hillel changed the lives of all band members for all time. The two decided to attempt sobriety for their European tour, but both suffered from intense withdrawal. Although some casual fans may not know his name, they'll certainly know the legacy he started. They moved to New York when Slovak was 4 and then to Fairfax, a neighborhood just south of the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, two years later. His parents were Holocaust survivors who settled in Israel after World War II. Upon returning home, Slovak isolated himself from the rest of his bandmates, and struggled to resist the drug without the mutual support provided by his friends, Kiedis in particular. It was a sad moment.”. also received a record deal at the same time RHCP did. Some of the Peppers’ vignettes deal with the band’s own traumas, including Flea’s guilt over the heroin-related death of the band’s early guitarist Hillel Slovak at just 26. Hillel’s body was found on the Monday following his death when a concerned friend called in to see him; he was hunched over the painting he had been working on; it had a whole burned into it from Hillel’s final cigarette: Kiedis told Rolling Stone, “The most emotional part for me was thinking about Hillel Slovak … Because he’s no longer with us, it seemed emotional and beautiful. James Slovak is obviously trying to cash in on Hillel's fame by selling his dead brother's diary which is not even presented in its entirety. Although he was in shock from the death of his close friend, he was not "scared straight" and continued to use heroin until another buddy swayed him to check into rehab and visit Slovak's grave. "No more supportive discussions. Details of death: Died at the age of 64. Regarded as … Remembering Hillel Slovak, the Israeli-born, forgotten founder and guitar hero of the Red Hot Chili Peppers who died 30 years ago today. 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