10 Rock Bands That Survived The Deaths Of Key Members

In the late 80's, no one really knew what to think of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band was always a weird amalgamation of funk, punk, and sprinkles of hip hop that made for a unique blend of rock music. After a few obscure releases, the band seemed to be gaining the eye of major players in the game like George Clinton and later Rick Rubin. Once the band were ready to graduate to the big leagues, longtime guitarist Hillel Slovak was found dead of a heroin overdose.

While the band's sound comes from the funk breaks of Flea and Anthony Kiedis's vocals, Slovak's rock background brought the true spirit of the Chili Peppers to life. When looking for replacements, the band found a major fan in guitarist John Frusciante, whose soulful guitar playing was the perfect foil to Flea's complex bass parts. Together, the band went through the rest of the 80's before exploding at the turn of the decade with the funk-rock masterpiece Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

When the band was eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Kiedis made it a point to mention that although the band went on greater things, it would not have happened without Hillel Slovak.