

Anthony Kiedis, I didn’t know you at all when I picked up this book that belongs to my 20 year old daughter. I did know that both she and my 24 year old son love Red Hot Chili Peppers and I knew you were in it. That’s all. I now know you were/are? a raging heroin/coke addict, you had sex with every female you wanted to + more (probably) and you were a pretty good rocker—when you weren’t in a hotel shooting heroin, which seemed like 90% of the time. Also, as I read your well-written (ghost-writte



Anthony Kiedis, I didn’t know you at all when I picked up this book that belongs to my 20 year old daughter. I did know that both she and my 24 year old son love Red Hot Chili Peppers and I knew you were in it. That’s all. I now know you were/are? a raging heroin/coke addict, you had sex with every female you wanted to + more (probably) and you were a pretty good rocker—when you weren’t in a hotel shooting heroin, which seemed like 90% of the time. Also, as I read your well-written (ghost-written) book, I was glad you went chronologically through your life. I wish the photos in the book had, too. I found myself trying to remember where I’d seen some girl’s photo, and thinking, “Wait, that should be in the 3rd grouping of photos because he’d screwed her after so-and-so. I like to keep things straight. My major impressions:



• Your father should’ve been incarcerated for giving you drugs at 12

• You father should’ve been incarcerated for giving you his girlfriend to have sex with when you were 13

• Your have a strong ego, or so it seems, always. I do think that losing Hillel and worrying that you aren’t a good singer, and having to fire band members, and contracting hepatitis weren’t easy things. I appreciated the way you spoke of these things, because they made you, a real monster in a way, more human. What I don’t understand is why some people feel they don’t have to abide by the simple rules of society that say drugs are a bad idea, and sleeping with a ton of women is a bad idea.

• I found the way you said things with girlfriends “wasn’t working out” and then broke up with them only added to my feeling that you think a lot of yourself. I don’t recall you ever trying hard to patch things up. But then, you were too busy trying to get your next fix. I guess you did mention several times that druggies only care about drugs, and that you don’t care about other people when you’re drug-hungry, and it’s those moments of insight into how you affect the world at large that made me like you and have sympathy for a very unsympathetic person.



Also, I didn’t get the sense that you were upset about being such a disappointment to your mother, who seems, along with your sister and stepfather, to have been a well-adjusted, stable citizen and person. The impression I got was that she was in denial of sorts, so she didn’t have that much to say about your lifestyle? Not sure. I think I recall reading how they were present for one of your interventions. Well, anyway, you owe her flowers every day of her life now. And apologies. I’m sure it broke her heart for you to have gone the way you did on Life’s path. I wonder if she regrets sending you to your dad’s each summer. I sure would. Surely she was aware your father did drugs and girls. So perhaps you don’t owe her the flowers and apologies. Maybe she owes them to you.



Well, I guess all I have to say (haha, I’ve already said a lot) is this: I was not a fan of yours when I picked up the book, not even knowing you. My music years were not the 80’s, as by the mid-80’s I was having babies, listening to Barney and Mr. Rogers with them, ensconced in a cookie-cutter neighborhood and playing at Gymboree and in parks while you were scoring with dealers and women and living in your lonely mansions. I hear you have a little son now. I hope his life pans out completely different from yours.



And finally, I want you to know I’m a fan of your music now. You can sing. You can also be sober. I’m a little surprised that it took you decades to figure that out. But then, some of us are slow learners and for that I forgive you. Carry on, and please, stay “on the wagon.” You have a good family, a little boy and a ton of fans who want you to!



And thanks for the insights into the 3 lifestyles of yours (sex, drugs, rock n roll) I knew very little about. I feel so much better about MY life now!

