The Red Hot Chili Peppers may be strongly associated with southern California, but drummer Chad Smith’s heart never left the Midwest.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, who grew up in suburban Detroit, is gifting a need-based music scholarship to the University of Michigan.

“A lot of people (say), ‘The Chili Peppers, West Coast band, California this and California that.’ I get it. I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota,” Smith told The Associated Press in an interview Sunday, just hours before he made the official announcement during a surprise appearance at the Ann Arbor school’s annual Band-O-Rama event. “The Minnesota connection is strong. The Michigan connection is strong.

“And that’s why we’re here. It’s a natural, authentic fit for us.”

Smith, 64, performed the RHCP hit “Can’t Stop,” al

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