Remembering Fiddlin' Rick

Second tribute to local musician Rick Stokes draws 250 fans and friends

Mike Eveler of Starlight Memories Band turns the mic over to the audience to help sing "Takin' Care of Business" at Sunday's second annual tribute to Rick Stokes, a popular local musician who died suddenly in 2012.
Mike Eveler of Starlight Memories Band turns the mic over to the audience to help sing "Takin' Care of Business" at Sunday's second annual tribute to Rick Stokes, a popular local musician who died suddenly in 2012.

More than 250 people gathered in the memory of the late musician Rick Stokes for an afternoon of dancing and sharing music and memories on Sunday.

Five bands played at the second annual tribute event, which was free and held at the American Legion. The tribute also honored Stokes' mother, who died earlier this year, as well as other area musicians who have passed away.

The Rick Stokes' Roadhouse Band played all over the area, but Stokes himself sang and played his fiddle, violin, guitar and harmonica with many other area musicians throughout the years before passing away unexpectedly in 2012.

His friends thought it was only fitting to get together again and celebrate his life with the one thing they had in common - music.

"Around here, you're either an entertainer or a musician. He was both," said Sonny

Robinette, whose band Sonny & Partly Cloudy was one of the bands that played on Sunday. Although Stokes and Robinette were in their own respective bands, they still found time to play together at events.

"He was one of the few musicians around here who could read music," Robinette said. "He could put on a show and get the crowd going."

Fiddlin' Rick Stokes, as he was known, played for 36 years at the Lomo Club, where he dazzled audiences by fiddling while hanging from the rafters.

In his younger days, Stokes performed with well-known performers, including the late Porter Wagoner, a country singer with 81 singles on the country charts and known for his collaborations with Dolly Parton.

Donna Friedrich was Stokes' companion for a year up until his death.

"It was the best year of my life," she said. "He was just happy, and he loved music and making people happy," she said.