CARRYING ON THE LEGACY OF PHILIP JAMES FOX
TO INSPIRE, ENCOURAGE, AND AMPLIFY THE ARTS & ARTISTS
A Bit About Phil
I first met Phil back in 1993 at what was then Ibby’s Coffeehouse. You will know it now as Sun City Café. He could often be found at Ibby’s playing They Might Be Giants, REM & Police covers, along with what are now Phil Fox original classics like "Mary Canary", "Junior High", and "Devil’s in My Attic" that he’d penned for Ibby’s open mic nights.
Phil was still working at IBM, and I was a rock radio DJ. We became fast friends, spending hours on end talking about music & life. In ‘96, I bought Ibby’s, turned it into Nocturna Coffee & Kibble, and implemented a “Thou Shalt Play No Covers” policy, which Phil relished in. The result of Phil's creations at those 90's open mic nights at Ibby's and Nocturna can be heard on Phil’s “Songs for Nocturna” album and early Wicked Gift tracks.
Phil loved coffeehouses and “Songs for Nocturna” was his ode, his love letter, to not just Nocturna, but to the spirit of all such java joints that hold space for those who create original works - places like Ibby’s, The Algonquin, The Living Room, and of course, the Myrtle Beach java juggernaut that is Fresh Brewed Coffee House.
When Phil “retired” from IBM, he did not rest on his laurels, no, he went on a seemingly endless creative tour de force cranking out songs, Wicked Gift albums, several plays, a film, a book, paintings, hosting a writers group and the original music showcase, Fresh Tunes at Fresh Brewed. And in the midst of his own prolific cacophony of creative achievement, he still found time to show up for others, to see their performances, to read their books, to encourage them & enthusiastically show support - to be a fan. In a sea of critics and competitors, Phil Fox relentlessly showed up with his welcoming spirit as an encourager and collaborator. He is one of those unique souls, along with people like Brian McKenzie and Brian Roessler, to name just a few, who have been absolutely instrumental (pun intended) in creating the supportive music community we have today.
Before our community lost Phil suddenly in May of 2025, he was seemingly ubiquitous for more than 30 years on the Grand Strand, He could be found from Ocean Annie’s to the P.I.T. and all points in between, but if you were in orbit high above Downtown Myrtle Beach, you would likely see a trail of Phil’s sparkling energy from Nocturna to Neal’s to Alley Cats; From The Basement to Drink! to Bodo’s; From Fresh Brewed to Atlas Tap House to Nance Plaza – That’s where Phil played his final show with Wicked Gift on May 2nd 2025, in Nance Plaza at the First Friday Art Walk.
You may have known Wicked Gift from the very beginning, with Jamie Murmann & Scott Watkins, or you may have come to know them in the early 00’s when they were joined by Rebecca Dawkins, or the Basement & Drink! years with Drew Jacobs, Sam Favata, Reuben Long, and occasionally Bernzilla, or maybe you just discovered them at last year’s album release party hosted by the Goofy Footers at the Train Depot with their current lineup of Drew Jacobs, Peyton Benton, and Matt Sellers, or maybe some other incarnation, but no matter how or when you came to know them, I guarantee you’ve had some of the best times of your life basking in that Phil Fox energy.
Midnight Minstrel Rocker, Strummer-Singer, Keyboard Slaying-Songwriter, Author, Playwright, Filmmaker, Composer, Graphic Novelist, Director, Producer, Painter, Father-Figure, Brother, Bandmate, Host, Mentor, Friend, Prolific Creator & Collaborator -Phil Fox really did ALL the things. Through his kindness, his gratitude, his encouragement, his generosity of spirit, and his being a conduit of creativity and connection, he achieved something most people can only dream of aspiring to – and that is SIGNIFICANCE. He has been significant in the lives of so many of us, significant to the greater creative community of the Grand Strand, and beyond. He has had a meaningful impact on multiple generations of creators and, even beyond his own multitude of wonderful works, I believe THAT will be Phil Fox’s most enduring legacy – the generations that he has encouraged and influenced.
He was irreplaceable.
Those of us who have benefited from that encouragement now have a responsibility to pass it on, to practice that spiritual gift of encouragement, to let it ripple endlessly through space and time.
To give encouragement, to speak life into creativity, and to showcase original works is how FOXFEST hopes to carry on Phil's legacy. We hope you'll join us at our next event!
Thanks for stopping by and rock on, Y'all!
Joyfully,
Heather Lee Begley
FOXFEST
DIRECTORS
Heather Lee Begley - Managing Director
Drew Jacobs - Music Director
Alyson McKellar Clardy - Theater & Arts Director
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