Why Is Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea Called Flea? - Radio X

Flea at 63: The story behind the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist's name

16 October 2025, 17:26 | Updated: 19 October 2025, 18:05

We celebrate the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist by delving into the meaning behind his stage name.

By Radio X

@RadioX

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Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist Flea turns 63 years old on Thursday 16th October.

The Califonication rocker and co-founder of the band - who was born on this day in 1962 - is known as the band's most vivacious and funkiest member, with a style and energy that matches his talent on the bass.

Flea - whose real name is Michael Peter Balzary - is as synonymous with the instrument as he is with his odd and diminutive stage name, but why is he called Flea anyway?

We delve into the reason below...

READ MORE: Why Under The Bridge is Anthony Kiedis' most heartbreaking song

Why is Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea called Flea?

From his early teens, Flea acquired the nickname 'Mikey B. The Flea' which then got shortened to Flea because of his fidgety nature and his inability to keep still.

It was previously claimed that Flea - who was born in Melbourne, Australia - was given the nickname by Kiedis while they were on a ski trip.

In recent years, the band seemed to confirm the theory by sharing a throwback interview on their Instagram.

Watch the moment the story unfolded on Later with Greg Kinnear in 1996:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Red Hot Chili Peppers (@chilipeppers)

Flea's so-called wild and free nature extends to his beliefs about music. Speaking to Rolling Stone, he mused "When you try to control music, you strangle it. I know it’s a hippie thing. But I’m trying to get the energy out, let it go, That’s the gift I have."

Flea & Koko [The Gorilla Foundation]

Flea has talked about his childhood in his memoir Acid For The Children, which included moving from Australia to New York and Australia again before settling in Los Angeles in 1972.

The rocker admits his childhood was full of drug taking and petty crime, as he was allowed to run riot taking everything from acid to cocaine.

“I got up to whatever I wanted all night long,” Flea said. “Started getting high at 12. It was the ’70s, and let me tell you, the ’70s in Hollywood were wild.”

READ MORE: Which Red Hot Chili Peppers song is about Kurt Cobain?

However much energy Flea has, he's more settled than ever with his designer wife Melody Ehsani, who he married in 2019.

Sharing an image from their nuptials, he wrote: "My life has changed forever and I am eternally humble and grateful. The person who sees all of me and knows who I am. My wife @melodyehsani ❤️❤️❤️"

View this post on Instagram

My life has changed forever and I am eternally humble and grateful. The person who sees all of me and knows who I am. My wife @melodyehsani ❤️❤️❤️

A post shared by Flea (@flea333) on Oct 22, 2019 at 12:33pm PDT

These days, the rocker is much more likely to get all his extra energy out by running.

The rocker, who has run the Los Angeles Marathon, once said of the pastime: "I feel like if we're not running, we're basically disrespecting our bodies. When you're running, you're really using your body for what it's meant to do".

And if that isn't enough to keep the rocker busy, he has his hands full with his son who he shares with Eshani.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Flea (@flea333)

Happy Birthday Flea!

Read more:

• How Red Hot Chili Peppers got more "introspective" with Californication
• How John Frusciante found his sound with the Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Slash at 60: The story behind the legendary Guns N' Roses guitarist's iconic hat