Article on Rick Huff’s death

Folly singer killed in fire
Rick Huff recorded 2 CDs chronicling life at the beach

BY NITA BIRMINGHAM AND PRENTISS FINDLAY
The Post and Courier

FOLLY BEACH – Singer Rick Huff, who penned songs that captured the soul of this Mayberry by the Sea, died Thursday in a fire at his house.

Huff’s death in the 10 a.m. blaze stunned local musicians and friends, who called him the poet laureate of Folly Beach and an icon. Huff recorded two CDs that chronicled everyday life on Folly, from the big orange trash truck to the veteran city clerk.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office and State Law Enforcement Division are investigating the fire, but there was no word Thursday on how it started.

Huff, 60, was found in his bathtub. An autopsy determined that he died of smoke inhalation, Deputy Coroner Dottie Lindsay said.

The fire burned through the roof of the house at 34 W. Second St. and gutted the upper floor.

“I walked out of the back door and the windows were popping out. It just went up like a matchstick,” said a neighbor, who would identify himself only as Paul.

The fire was so hot that a propane tank in the yard was hissing.

“I was calling his name,” Paul said, but there was no way to reach the house.

Firefighters first thought Huff was at Our Lady of Good Counsel for a memorial service for the mother of a close friend. Then someone went to look for Huff at the church and discovered that he wasn’t there, city officials said.

Huff was part of a year-round population of about 2,000 people. He came to the island by way of Atlanta about 15 years ago, said former Mayor Bob Linville, who sold Huff his house.

“It’s kind of like he showed up here on Folly Beach and we took a liking to him and he’s been here ever since,” Linville said.

Huff was a fixture at the island’s Sea and Sand Festival. He entertained at Pet Helpers benefits and organized the Folly Beach Songwriters Guild. His bands included the Honey Canyon Yodelers, Nacho Momma and Rick Huff and the Outpatients.

Huff released the CD “Cheaper Than Therapy” in 1997 and “Come On Down” in 2003. Within hours of Huff’s death, the seven remaining copies for sale at Bert’s Market were disappearing.

“It’s a sad story,” one woman said.

“Knew him 16 years,” said a somber man wearing paint-spattered clothes as he took a CD to the cash register.

“Empty Valentine” from “Come On Down” got local radio play on Valentine’s Day. Huff recently finished a music project in Atlanta, fellow musician David Owens said.

He played rhythm guitar Saturday with Andrew “Smoky” Weiner and “Nature Boy” Nick Pappas at a Democratic Party event. They performed Robert Johnson and Bob Dylan songs, Weiner said.

“Just completely shocked about it. It’s just a sad thing. He knew a million songs. He was easy to play with,” Weiner said.

He said Huff’s passing represents the end of an era at Folly Beach, which has been losing its bohemian artistic flavor to developers.

In the liner notes for “Come on Down,” Huff wrote, “In the rest of the world, time flies. On Folly, it flaps its wings, gets barely airborne, and stops to rest for a while.” On the title track, Huff satirized Northerners and Californians who come to Folly Beach with their ideas of how things should be done on the island.

“But come on down, you can tell us how to run our little town/Come on down, don’t know how we made it this far without you around,” he sang.

It doesn’t seem like that long since Rick relocated to Folly Beach because he was always coming down to Atlanta or calling. Marty produced Rick’s “Come on Down” with him and did the engineering. They spoke on the phone a long while last week, and I’m glad of that, that Marty had that last conversation with him as recently as he did.

What can you say.There are a lot of shocked and sad people in Atlanta, not just Folly Beach.

Note: So the person Marty is mixing for today, who didn’t know Rick, heard a bit of the news and said that a couple of years ago he was at Folly Beach and met a cool guy who he hung out with for a couple of days. Didn’t recollect his name. Marty asked him to describe him, and the description sounded like Rick. Then the person said, “He wrote this song about Folly Beach…” Indeed, it was Rick. Like I was saying, Rick seemed to make friends with just about everybody.

Update: We now know what happened. There was an electrical fire in the wall, the house exploded and Rick was blown by the explosion into the bathtub.


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25 responses to “Article on Rick Huff’s death”

  1. gin Avatar
    gin

    I don’t think we knew Rick, but I’m sad anyway….and I’m glad he waved goodbye to Marty last week……..

  2. Idyllopus Avatar

    No, you perhaps didn’t know Rick. Tammy or Kathy might have met him. He was at Fuzzy’s a lot before going to Folly Beach, and still played occasionally at Fuzzy’s. Marty met Rick, through Jimmy O’Neill who died of brain cancer a few years ago. O’Neill was a good friend of Rick’s and Rick dedicated “Come on Down” to his memory.

    Yes, I’m so glad he and Marty spoke last week.

  3. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    Playing at the Folly Beach Marina. Floating down the River during Float Frenzy. Seeing Jimmy Buffett and Delbert McClinton. The best jammin sessions around. We’ll all remember good things about Rick. I will always think of him when I hear Dylan’s “Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat” or “Ramona”. Additionally, his songs of a place he loved so much, affectionally called by many “The Edge of America” are all top shelf. He had the biggest heart and I am blessed that I can confirm we were the best of friends.

  4. Idyllopus Avatar

    Sara, thanks for commenting. The loss of Rick is going to be a tough one.

  5. Eddie L Avatar

    I met Rick Huff around 12 years ago. He was truly a wonderful friend and deeply loved by everyone. His creativity was a beautiful gift that he happily shared with everyone. Although much is said of his music being about Folly Beach, I hope all recogninze it was also much more and has universal appeal. Listen to the words of ‘Family Tools’ and you will understand the depth and all compasing skills of this great song writer and very kind man. Rick Huff should have been a very big star in the music industry. Although not in his time, I truly hope his music will someday obtain the recongintion it deserves. Everyone that knew Rick are truly blessed.
    As someone else said “Rick, when you left you took a piece of us all, but you also left a part of you with everyone.”
    We love Rick Huff and will greatly miss his happy spirit love of life.
    May God bless all Rick’s family and friend with peace and understanding.
    Eddie L

  6. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    I’ll be the one Tuesday with the pill box hat.

  7. Kevin Avatar
    Kevin

    Rick was one of the “richest” people I have ever known-For all the right reasons. It was a honor to be a good friend.

  8. Holt Avatar
    Holt

    “Moderation in all things, including moderation”

    Part of our immortality is the changes we impart on those we meet. Our friend Rick will live forever. See ya, bud.

    Holt Simmons, Oceanside California.

  9. Ed Howell Avatar
    Ed Howell

    Rick was a great friend and close neighbor. He will be missed and remembered forever. Shame on whomever took his bicycles and the flamingo (and no telling what else) from his burned out property.

  10. Bebe Emerman Avatar
    Bebe Emerman

    It sounds sappy to say it, but the world will truly be a dimmer place without Rick. He and I have been friends since the 70’s. He was occasionally exasperating, but I never knew ANYONE with a greater innate ability to charm. My mother often said no matter where he was–eating BBQ at the worst dive in town, or sitting next to the Queen of England–he’d have the whole room enthralled. I remember him once telling a very well-bred elderly friend of the family that green peppers made him fart, prompting the lady (after an initial shocked silence) to admit that–yes–green peppers made her fart too.

    Rick as a poet, a comedian, a splendid musician. I think I’ll go out now and have a double Scotch in his honor.

    Bebe Emerman
    Pasadena, CA

  11. Sara Avatar

    rick’s house is being torn down tomorrow.

  12. Kent Avatar
    Kent

    Rick was one of my customers in Atlanta. When we had the Atlanta Guitar Works, we worked for all the local pros. But Rick passed over to become a good friend. We had a couple of lost weekends at Panama City beach and quite a bit of fun in Atlanta. I was just wondering what had happened to him in Charleston and did a search. Wow! What a shock.
    He was a good guy.
    Kent Everett

  13. Paula McNamara Avatar
    Paula McNamara

    Found my old CD “Cheaper Than Therapy” that I bought at Berts about 41/2 years ago. I lived on Folly Beach for three months where I discovered Rick and his wonderful songs and personality. Typed his name into the computor so as to buy a new copy of his first CD and his second which he was working on when I lived on Folly. I am saddened and shocked to hear of his death, such a wonderfully kind insightful man. When I play his recording of Folly Beach it takes me back to a place I wish I could spend the rest of my days. Rick Huff you will live on!!

  14. Paula McNamara Avatar
    Paula McNamara

    Found my old CD “Cheaper Than Therapy” that I bought at Berts about 41/2 years ago. I lived on Folly Beach for three months where I discovered Rick and his wonderful songs and personality. Typed his name into the computor so as to buy a new copy of his first CD and his second which he was working on when I lived on Folly. I am saddened and shocked to hear of his death, such a wonderfully kind insightful man. When I play his recording of Folly Beach it takes me back to a place I wish I could spend the rest of my days. Rick Huff you will live on!!

    Paula McNamara Lutherville, Maryland

  15. Julie Zug Avatar

    Gosh. I’d been re-enjoying “Cheaper Than Therapy” for the last couple of days, enjoying his humor and turns of phrase, remembering fond conversations over drinks at the Rusty Nail and the last time I saw him play at Fuzzy’s before I left Atlanta. Thought I’d look him up.

    I never imagined such sad news. Life is so fragile. Bless your heart, Rick, you were one in ten thousand million. The world is suddenly a much lonelier place, but your music makes a worthy companion. Thank you and love always. And good luck, Folly.

  16. Nik Pappas Avatar

    I enjoyed playing music w/ Rick, he was a down to earth dude. Always entertaining, whether he was playing his guitar or having a conversation. He personified what Folly Beach means to the locals.

  17. Paula Chambers Avatar
    Paula Chambers

    There aren’t many days that go by when I do not think of my dear friend, Rick Huff. I learned many things from him and, in a funny way, we grew up together as young adults. He made me laugh, rarely made me cry, but was always a good friend. Those were the best of times.

    –paula chambers
    lookout mountain, ga

  18. Vernon Knox Avatar

    still miss ya my friend

  19. Barry Pitts Avatar
    Barry Pitts

    I knew Rick very well. We used to hang out together at the Rusty Nail in Atlanta and I would go to see him and the Yodelers play at Fuzzy’s down the street. I still have my old ‘Yodeler’s t-shirt. Rick would come to my house and I would go to his. We had a lot of fun. The first time I saw Bob Dylan, it was at the Fox, Rick had the tickets. If you told Rick that one day he was going to die by fire, he probably would have come up with a good joke about it. I hate the fact that he is not in this world anymore. But he was a good guy and I am sure he is being rewarded.

  20. Barry Pitts Avatar
    Barry Pitts

    One more thing I must add, I can still hear Rick at the microphone after coming back from a break, yelling out to the band, “Yodeler’s Ho”!

  21. dan kephart Avatar
    dan kephart

    miss ya rick…..you were a good friend….both in atlanta and folly…

  22. Palmer Huff Avatar
    Palmer Huff

    I am Rick’s niece and it still is so great to read this article and all of the comments!! We really appreciate it. Today Folly Beach City Hall named February 23 “Rick Huff Day”, so everyone celebrate on the island on the 23rd!! Best wishes to all of you.

  23. Martin Kearns Avatar
    Martin Kearns

    Palmer, thanks for letting everyone know about this. There will be a lot of us observing his day in Atlanta.

  24. Bill-Annie Avatar
    Bill-Annie

    Had been friends with Rick since california. always made the trip to folly in feb to celebrate his birthday……and was able to particpate in the 1st annual “Rick Huff day” this year……still miss him but still enjoy his music.

    Bill & Annie

  25. Robin Crocker Avatar
    Robin Crocker

    I was so saddened to hear of Rick’s passing I knew him from the Rusty Nail on Buford Hwy. I was a bartender there for approx 6 years. Rick was a great, fun, funny, guy. I always was happy to see him come through the door. You never knew who might be with him. Bertie Higgins was one of the many celebs he brought to the bar. The last time I saw him was when we closed up the Nail and went around the corner to hear him play at Fuzzys. Rick had invited an older gentleman who played violin with the Atlanta symphony to sit in over at Fuzzys. The older gentleman’s name was Lee. He was one of my customers at the bar. He had a trach tube from a bout with cancer. He was in his late 70’s and did not speak. All Rick saw was a fellow musician and the two of them hit it off. That was the kind of guy Rick was. I am sad that I will never get to see him again in this lifetime. My friend Kathy was the model for the Honey canyon yodelers poster. Rick noticed her legs at the Nail where she and her husband Sam were regular customers. I just came across that poster and gave it to my nephew for his man cave in his new house. I knew Rick in the late 80’s early 90 ‘s. My nephew was born in 93. It’s kind of cool that a cover from a local musician’s band would appeal to the next generation. But, Rick was one of those souls who was timeless. I know he’s up in that big jam session in the sky and I hope he gets to meet all of his favorites. Miss you my friend.

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