Blackie Dammett, Anthony Kiedis during Anthony Kiedis Celebrates Publication of His Autobiography “Scar Tissue” at The Cutting Room in New York, New York, United States. (Photo by M. Von Holden/FilmMagic)

Blackie Dammett, also known as John Kiedis, father to Red Hot Chili Peppers’ frontman Anthony Kiedis, passed away Wednesday at the age of 81. Dammett had been struggling with dementia for several years before his passing.

Dammett, was an actor, wild man, and his son’s biggest fan. They were inseparable in Anthony’s youth and he saw his son more as his best friend after his own cold and abusive childhood. However, this lead to exposure to the rockstar life in Kiedis’ teen years. Dammett acted in tertiary roles in such movies as Lethal Weapon, Starsky and Hutch, Night Court and Magnum, P.I. , and many more. This lead to a revolving door to Hollywood partying in young Anthony’s formative years that would lead to his eventual stints in rehab.

Anthony’s relationship with his father became tumultuous in his drug-heavy years, but eventually forgave him and even wrote “Savior,” “The Hunter,” and his memoir Scar Tissue about his father and his journey to forgiveness.

Blackie would go on to write an autobiography in 2013, Lords of the Sunset Strip, which he promoted on Facebook. The promotional Facebook group eventually evolved into a support group after his diagnosis. Kiedis gave a touching tribute to his father at a show in his father’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2017 where he announced his fathers frail state saying his father would “pretty soon be sailing on.”

Well, sail on Blackie.