A dad-of-two paid tribute to his 'genius' friend who died after falling on hard times and finding himself sleeping rough on the streets of Liverpool.
Stephen Hamley, 49, described Mick Marshall as 'so very talented' and 'a lovely man', in a touching tribute to his beloved friend.
Mick was just 39 when he died in February last year, after falling on tough times after getting involved with drugs.
The talented local musician had been on the road to recovery before his death.
Stephen, who is a driver for Alpha Taxis, is now preparing himself to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in September to raise charity funds in memory of Mick, who was a talented musician.
Stephen told the ECHO: “He was a lovely man. He was an absolute genius at playing the piano and the guitar. He was so very talented.”
He added: “Mick got involved with drugs and he was just a box of frogs. I remember seeing him once walking through town and he was an absolute mess.
“I think he got messed up on crack-cocaine, he was paranoid, he’d been telling me about staying in hostels and how he was frightened. It was really upsetting.”
Stephen is now looking to raise money for the local charity SHAP, which has been helping the young, homeless and vulnerable in Merseyside since 1985.
The charity help provide accommodation and help with housing of homeless people across the region.
Stephen, from Smithdown Road, said he has noticed more and more rough sleepers in recent years while working as a taxi driver.
Stephen told the ECHO: “[I see] loads more homeless people than there were 10 years ago when I started as a taxi driver, at least that’s how I personally see it.
“I’ve seen them sleeping behind the college on Vauxhall Road, kipping in the woods, sleeping by the bins at McDonalds in town and that’s just to name a few.
“I think it is on the increase and I wanted to do something about it.”
Stephen, a former teacher, hopes to take on his charity climb in September but due to family circumstances, is waiting until later this year to set a specific date.
