One of the 1990s’ biggest bands, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, has seen a former member fall on hard times since his days of fame.
Arik Marshall, who briefly served as the band’s guitarist, is currently facing eviction and the threat of homelessness due to financial difficulties.
To help cover his rent and pay off the accumulated debt owed to his landlord, the 58-year-old set up a GoFundMe campaign earlier this summer.
Arik Marshall is facing eviction from his rented apartment due to a lack of finances to pay his rent
Image credits: Steve Eichner/Getty Images
On June 28 of this year, a woman named Gisette Hidalgo set up the GoFundMe page on behalf of Arik Marshall.
The campaign, titled Help Arik Marshall Avoid Eviction, aimed to raise $20,000.
Despite being live for over three months, it has only received slightly more than $2,000 in donations.
Gisette detailed the struggles Arik has faced over the years that contributed to his financial difficulties.
A major factor was the tragic demise of his employer and best friend, with whom he had worked for 14 years.
The loss left Marshall without his primary source of income.
The campaign description read, “Arik Marshall, musician/artist, best known as one of the former guitarists for the Red Hot Chili Peppers & vocalist Macy Gray, is facing eviction & possible homelessness.”
The 58-year-old was briefly a guitarist for the renowned 1990s band, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Image credits: Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
“His employer (and best friend), whom Arik had worked with on both musical and cinematic endeavors for close to 14 years, was tragically ki**ed by the LAPD. The loss left Arik without his best friend and without his primary source of employment/income.”
In addition, he struggled to find gigs during the COVID-19 pandemic due to global lockdowns, and was later “diagnosed with a serious health condition, which left him with a weakened immune system.”
Gisette added, “All of this triggered a bad period of depression and several years of reclusiveness. Arik struggled to find consistent work and fell deeper in debt to his landlord. We ask you to please make any donation you can afford to help Arik resolve his debt to his landlord and avoid living on the streets.”
She expressed hope that the guitarist’s former music industry “peers who worked with him” would discover the GoFundMe and help him, either by sharing it with their fans or by donating something “from the heart.”
Arik was financially struggling with no steady income after the loss of his employer and best friend of 14 years
Image credits: GoFundMe
Emphasizing Marshall’s journey to regain his footing and recover his health, Hidalgo shared, “Arik has been focusing on his overall health and he is doing much better. He is consistently looking for steady work and he is also available for guitar lessons.”
“Arik is tremendously talented, he has a beautiful soul, a fantastic sense of humor and he deserves a new start.”
Arik first rose to fame in the music industry in 1992 after joining the band as a replacement for guitarist John Frusciante, who quit during the Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour.
He headlined several events as a team member, including the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, the Lollapalooza festival, and the 1993 Grammy Awards.
He was with the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a year, after which he was replaced by another former member, Jesse Tobias.
Shortly before his departure from the band, Marshall told Guitar World magazine in 1992, “The Chili Peppers were so cool and down-to-earth and easy to work with. They really helped me feel comfortable.”
Marshall’s GoFundMe, organized by Gisette Hidalgo, aimed to raise $20,000 in donations
Image credits: cenitri
After leaving the band, he went on to work with Macy Gray as a guitarist on several tracks on her debut album, On How Life Is, which was released in 1999.
He later appeared in minor movie roles, including alongside Macy Gray in Spider-Man, in 2002, and in the 2009 film The Hangover.
Highlighting his unstable journey in the industry, from touring with a major band in the 1990s to briefly taking up minor movie roles, the page organizer shed light on the uncertainty that comes with this line of work.
She concluded, “The life of a musician is an often uncertain, unstable and unpredictable path, particularly now, when those who play their instrument from the heart are in such less demand than in days of yore, but with your kindness and contribution, Arik is hoping he can ‘right the ship’ in this trying time of stormy seas.”
Image credits: RHCP Live
Some of the guitarist’s fans expressed surprise that none of the super-successful members of The Chilis were helping Arik during this difficult time.
One netizen commented, “I find it surprising that a multi million dollar band isn’t helping him as well…”
The guitarist had previously performed at events such as the MTV Video Music Awards, the Lollapalooza festival, and the Grammy Awards
Image credits: GoFundMe
Another user criticized the band members, writing, “They can but they probably chose not too… They don’t really seem like the nicest fellas to be honest.”
On July 14, Hidalgo shared an update in the comment section of the fundraiser.
She revealed that, despite only achieving 11% of the intended donations, the money had been helpful in halting the eviction process.
Regarding any help from Arik’s former peers, Gisette shared, “We have not been able to contact [them] yet, but we hope to soon. We hope any of them will use their platform to help spread the word and potentially make a huge difference.”
“Chilis need to step up and help a brother out!” expressed one disappointed fan online.
“Wonder what Arik got paid when he was in the band… Probably not a lot,” wrote one sympathetic fan
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