Anthony Kiedis: Becoming A Dad Was “The Greatest Thing”

Making music again after a short hiatus, Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedissays that for the last few years he’s been focused on fatherhood.”It’s been a good few years,” Anthony, who has 4-year-old son Everly Bear with his ex Heather Christie, tells The Mirror. “The greatest thing for me was becoming a dad and the really good fortune of not having to work or go on the road for the first two years of my son’s life.”

Though they’ve enjoyed enormous success over the years, the 49-year-old singer reveals that the break from the band was a much-needed one.

“I recently moved to the seashore and having this little person in my arms walking through the sand dunes looking at the ocean was just what the doctor ordered. It was a reawakening for me in terms of being an elated human being.”

A key element of this “reawakening” is the fact that Anthony is now sober, and has been for 11 years. Without that, he says, he wouldn’t have much at all.

“I wouldn’t have been a dad if I wasn’t sober. It is what led me to fatherhood. It’s kind of what led me to most of the great success in my life. It allows me to do my best at everything.”

Now that the band is back to work, playing a series of gigs in the UK, Anthony hopes to bring his son along for the ride.

“Everly is with me in London. It’s an experimental run,” he explains. “I would love to have him on tour with me for the next couple of years.”