ANN ARBOR, Mich. – While the Red Hot Chili Peppers are famously linked to southern California, drummer Chad Smith holds a special affection for the Midwest.

Raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Smith, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, is extending his legacy by establishing a need-based music scholarship at the University of Michigan.

“People often think of the Chili Peppers as a quintessential West Coast band—California is mentioned non-stop,” Smith shared with The Associated Press on Sunday, just before his surprise announcement at the university’s annual Band-O-Rama event. “But I was actually born in St. Paul, Minnesota. My ties to Minnesota and Michigan are deep-rooted.”

“This scholarship feels like a genuine and natural connection for me.”

At 64, Smith showcased his enduring talent by performing the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ hit “Can’t Stop” with the Michigan Marching Band at Hill Auditorium.

The Curtis & Joan Smith Scholarship, which is named in honor of Smith’s parents, will be awarded to an incoming University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance student, beginning in 2026.

The scholarship is a partnership between the School of Music, Theatre & Dance and the Chad Smith Foundation and comes on the heels of one with the same name launched two months ago at the University of Minnesota. Smith’s parents are Minnesota alums.

Michigan’s version of the Curtis & Joan Smith Scholarship will support incoming freshmen to the School of Music, Theatre & Dance undergraduate program who demonstrate financial need and a strong commitment to pursuing a music career. The scholarship reinforces CSF’s mission to expand access to high-quality music education and career pathways for aspiring musicians across the country.

Smith attended Lahser High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and began his career playing in clubs and bars across the Detroit area. He credits his parents with nurturing his love of music and supporting his dream to pursue it professionally.

“My mother is 98 years young. Still going. She’s here today — amazing,” Smith said. “So, to be able to honor her (and) my father unfortunately passed away, but they were so integral in helping me with my musical path.”

Smith has been with the Red Hot Chili Peppers since the late 1980s. During that time, the quartet, which also includes singer Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea, have been one of the biggest-selling music acts, mixing layers of funk, punk, rap and traditional pop over a foundation of rock.

The backward-baseball-cap-wearing Smith has held down the beat on such hits as “Give It Away,” “Under the Bridge” and “Dani California.” The Chili Peppers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

“I’m fortunate to be in a band people like and I play the drums and maybe some drummers or musicians will get inspired just from my story,” Smith said. “So, yeah, it’s just an opportunity to give back to what I’ve been so lucky to have and for next generations of musicians to be able to pursue what they love.”