Hillel Slovak Mount Sinai Memorial Park

The Story

Hillel Slovak was born in Haifa, Israel, on April 13, 1962, to Holocaust survivors, and immigrated with his family to the United States at age four, living first in New York before moving to Los Angeles. In 1983, he co-founded the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Fairfax High School alongside Anthony Kiedis, Flea, and Jack Irons, helping to shape the fusion of funk, punk, and rock that would define the band. He recorded the albums Freaky Styley and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan before dying on June 25, 1988, at age 26. He is buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park, with his name engraved in Hebrew and English next to the image of an electric guitar. Bassist Flea visits his grave regularly, and several of the band's songs, including "Knock Me Down" and "Otherside," were written in his memory. In 2012, Slovak was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Explore more