Born 64 Years Ago Today In Michigan, This Rock Star Was Once Babysat By Cher

Stars don't shine in isolation. Sometimes, they're surrounded by others, such is the case of Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, who was babysat by the legendary Cher. The master of funky rock and purveyor of Californication was born on November 1, 1962.

Kiedis' rise to superstardom is a story worthy of its own movie, and in 2024 talks began for an adaptation of his autobiography "Scar Tissue." Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he first moved to California at the age of 3. His father, who went by the name of Blackie Dammett, dreamed of the glitz and glamor of the showbiz life and rubbed elbows with celebrities — but Dammett fell prey to the other trappings of the City of Angels. Kiedis, too, journeyed into the wild side, but the same entertainment bug that had bit his father earlier in his life caught Kiedis. At first, he dreamed of becoming an actor — he even appeared alongside Sylvester Stallone in 1978's "F.I.S.T." — but fate cast him in another direction.

With the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kiedis and Co. carved out their own unique sound, differentiating themselves from their musical peers. They rocked and rolled their way to the top, dominating the Billboard charts and securing three Grammy Awards. They wrote their name into history, and when all is said and done, Kiedis and RHCP will be remembered as one of the most influential rock bands of all time.

Appearing on "The Howard Stern Show" (via YouTube) in 2004, Anthony Kiedis unpacked the details of how Cher babysat him when he was in eighth grade. The vocalist explained that the connection lay with his father's ex — a woman named Connie — who dated Sonny Bono. Sonny and Cher were no longer an item, but they still lived in the same house.

Seemingly, there was no "scar tissue" residual after the romances ended, and all parties stayed on good terms. Since Connie had become an important figure in Kiedis' life, Blackie Dammett, who died in 2021, would drop off his son to spend weekends with his ex and Sonny. Yet if the couple stepped out, they would ask Cher to keep an eye on the young Kiedis. Asked what he and Cher did, Kiedis said, "We talked. Yeah, she was cool. She was a good hang." He added that she was "sweet and comforting and loving and kind."

Speaking on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" in 2016, Kiedis provided further details and mentioned that he had slept in Cher's bed as well. He also disclosed Cher's reaction when he saw her again years later and told her about how she used to babysit him. "I asked her [if she remembered]," Kiedis said. "And she's, like, 'What are you talking about?'"