Philip Fox Obituary

The Myrtle Beach arts and music scene has lost an icon and a friend. Philip James "Phil" Fox, a musician, artist, and writer who has been a fixture on the scene for more than 30 years, passed away recently. A memorial service will be held Thursday, May 29th, 2025, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Fresh Brewed Coffee House, 933 Broadway St., Myrtle Beach, and feature eulogies and kind words from friends and fellow artists. A showcase of Phil's music and other musical tributes featuring local musicians will follow at 9 p.m. at Atlas Tap House, 1004 Chester St., Myrtle Beach. Born in Bethesda, Maryland, Phil grew up in a family that exposed him to music early on and went on to perform music all his life, becoming an accomplished keyboardist and guitarist. He worked for IBM for many years, a job which led him to move to Myrtle Beach in the early 1990s. His love for music and a desire to perform and meet people in the community led him to sign up for an open mic night at Ibby's Coffee House shortly after he moved to the area. That decision eventually led to the formation of Wicked Gift, an alternative pop/rock band that has become a fixture on the Myrtle Beach original music scene. Over the years, he recorded one solo album, "Songs for Nocturna," and four albums with Wicked Gift: "Down for the Summer," "Stained Glass Scars," "Falling Through Time" and "Going All Out." Phil and Wicked Gift continued to perform at Ibby's as it morphed into two more coffeehouses, Nocturna and then The Algonquin. From there, he went on to perform at dozens of original music venues around the Grand Strand over the years, and became a fixture at Fresh Brewed Coffeehouse in Myrtle Beach, performing both live music and productions of his plays there. He also developed and regularly hosted the "Fresh Tunes" concert series there on the first Saturday of each month, which featured local acoustic artists as well as bands. "Fresh Tunes" was just one of the countless ways he worked to support the work of original musicians in the Myrtle Beach area over the years. His creative energies eventually got channeled into theater. He wrote plays and musicals which were produced locally, including "Down for the Summer," "Eventide," "Moonflower," "Scorpio's Kiss," and the most recent, "Adelaide," which was performed in October 2024. Phil was the creator of "Gratisphere" and "Gratisphere 2," productions described as "sci fi burlesque" which were performed locally and that he later translated into comic book and graphic novel form. He also wrote a book based on "Eventide," and turned to scriptwriting and filmmaking for the locally produced sci-fi film short "Five Days." He was a fixture at the annual Myrtle Beach Mythical and Medieval Fest and the Shadow Bay Celtic Festival, where he adopted the character of a bard and performed Irish and Celtic tunes. In recent years, Phil had also turned his hand to painting, and he recently performed his acoustic music against a backdrop of his original artwork at one of the First Friday Art Walks in Myrtle Beach. He is predeceased by his parents, Rita Anne (Yurkanin) and James Harold Fox. He is survived by his brothers, Douglas Fox (Roseanne), Kenneth Fox (Claudia), Warren Fox (Gretchen), and their families, Bethany (Michael), Remme, Blair, Scott (Danielle), Mark (Lauren), Hunter, Christopher, Vin and Nicholas. He is also survived by hundreds of friends, bandmates, creative collaborators, and the numerous people he mentored and encouraged both in their artistic endeavors and in their other pursuits in life. Friends say that his relentless joy, loving guidance and boundless encouragement helped them in ways that words can't describe. Phil's support, instruction and guidance have helped multiple generations of Grand Strand area musicians across a wide range of genres. In the wake of Phil's passing, many of his friends took to social media to tell their stories of his friendship, humor, creativity, and his constant encouragement to all those who, like him, seek to express themselves through music, art, theater and writing. Many of them recalled passages from his writing and lyrics from his songs. The most quoted by far was this line from his song "Good-Bye," which shows not only the deep emotional depth Phil expressed as a songwriter but also the deep love his friends have for him and the grief they feel at his passing. "And if I'm gonna have to say goodbye to one more to one more soul. Accept my life with one more hole That no one else could ever fill. I think I'll cry … I know I will. I think I'll cry … I know I will." In Phil's memory, friends are encouraged to make a donation or show their support to the local arts organization of their choice. Arrangements are being handled by McMillan-Small Funeral Home of Myrtle Beach.