“Stranger in a Strange Land: Remembering the Music of Paul Rice (1943-2004)” will be presented at Coastal Carolina University on Thursday, Feb. 24 in memory of the late poet-professor-songwriter.

The concert, featuring 12 musicians, will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. It is free and open to the public, but seating is limited.

Rice, who was an English professor at Coastal for 17 years, a published poet, an avid songwriter and a syndicated antiques columnist, died Oct. 17, 2004.

Friends and relatives of Rice who are performing are:

• Jesse Rice, his 26-year-old son, an aspiring songwriter who lives in Nashville, who will sing two of his dad’s songs, including the last one he wrote

• Kevin McConeghey, his brother-in-law, who lives in Madison, Wis., a harmonica and harp player in several blues bands

• Tom Yoder, a well-known guitarist on the Grand Strand who teaches at Coastal

• Mike Battle, an area lawyer who was in George McCorkle’s Garage Band with Rice in the early ’90s, on harmonica

• Steve Nagel, retired English professor on lead guitar, formerly in a Coastal band called Cheap Help with Rice in the mid-’90s

• Dan O’Reilly, saxophonist and harmonica player who teaches music at Coastal

• Bill Hamilton, music professor, on keyboard

• Coastal student Elise Testone, a student of Rice’s who performed with him

• Nance, also formerly in Cheap Help, on lead guitar

• Steve Hamelman, English professor, formerly in Cheap Help, drummer

• David Bankston,music professor, singing and guitar player

• Dan Ennis, English professor and member of the Coastal band Virtue Trap, on bass Bankston, a veteran performer and recording artist, will open the program with “Rainy Night in Georgia,” a tribute to Rice’s home state.

Testone and Jesse Rice will close the performance with “Leaving on that Midnight Train to Georgia,” with Rice’s original songs in between, a mixture of country, folk and rock ‘n’ roll, and some of his musical favorites.

“We just wanted to do something to recapture all that great music that he wrote and loved,” said Brian Nance, history professor and longtime friend of Rice’s. He and Testone are coordinating the event.

For more information, call 349-2502.