TODAY IN 1984 MARKS THE FIRST RELEASE OF A NEW MUSIC GENRE AND A DEBUT ALBUM… THE GENRE, FUNK METAL, THE ALBUM…A SELF TITLED DEBUT FROM L.A. BASED RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. THE ORIGINAL LINE-UP OF HIGH SCHOOL CLASSMATES FORMED IN 1982 WITH ANTHONY KEIDIS ON VOCALS, FLEA ON BASS, GUITARIST HILLEL SLOVAK AND CLIFF MARTINEZ BEHIND THE DRUM KIT…CLIFF  WAS REPLACED EARLY ON BY JACK IRONS AND CHAD SMITH TOOK THE STIX OVER IN 1988…IT TOOK THE PEPPERS 3 ALBUMS TO BREAK THROUGH TO THE MAINSTREAM.   SADLY, IN 1988 ORIGINAL GUITARIST HILLEL SLOVAK DIED OF A HEROIN OVERDOSE….AND TODAY’S REWIND WAS A TRIBUTE TO SLOVAK ….”KNOCK ME DOWN” ~ROXY