Hillel Slovak (1962-1988)
Hillel Slovak (1962-1988) Hillel Slovak was born April 13th, 1962 in Haifa, Israel and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1967 at the age of 5. He is best known for being the original guitarist and founding member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He met his future band mates while they were all in high school in Los Angeles, California and played various shows around the city. During his time as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers he developed an addiction to heroin. He attempted to quit many times, but always ended up relapsing. Accomplishments: Slovak recorded two albums with the band, Freaky Styley (1985) and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987). His guitar work was primarily rooted in funk and hard rock, although he often experimented with other genres including reggae and speed metal. He is considered to have been a major influence on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' early sound. When Kiedis and Flea were searching for a new guitarist to replace Slovak, ...