Rock On: Meet George Huff

As a young boy, George Huff was gifted his first guitar by his father. He took to the instrument quickly and loved playing whenever he had the chance. Eventually, though, life got busier, and by the time he had married his wife, Laura, and moved to Harleysville, Pennsylvania, the guitar was relegated to a dark corner of the house.

For nearly 50 years, the guitar sat in the attic, neglected and collecting dust.

“As I got closer to retirement, Laura decided to have the guitar restored for Father’s Day one year,” recalled George. “It ended up taking four months to restore it, but I started playing again once we got it back–and I never stopped playing!”

Rediscovering his love for the guitar, George has continued to add different versions of the instrument to his collection, bringing the total number of guitars he owns up to nine.

“Initially, it was intimidating to pick the guitar back up, but it didn’t take that long to get back into it; you develop muscle memory,” explained George.

The guitars now play such a big role in his life that when he and Laura decided it was time to downsize and move into a Villa at The Hill, they incorporated a guitar room into the design of the new space. As a result, the downstairs space serves as something of a “man cave” for George.

“We refinished the basement to set up that space,” said George. “The guitar room has sound tiles on the ceiling to limit noise and also has a lounge and bar built into the space. I like to have people come over to jam with me.”

George’s friends from Harleysville come out to see him at The Hill once a week, typically on Wednesdays. One of these friends is in an organized band and makes his own guitars, one of which George has in his man cave. They typically play country western, country rock, or folk music, but they have also been known to play a rock ballad or two when the mood strikes. Although George has continued to play with old friends, he keeps the door open for anyone who wants to come experience the thrill of live music.

“That’s part of why I have such a big collection,” said George. “You meet people who are interested in playing but might not buy a guitar themselves, and they can come over and pick one to play or simply sit with us and enjoy the music.”

Since moving to The Hill earlier this year, George has had a new friend and fellow resident come over to sing with the group, and he has had interest from someone on the dining staff to come play keyboards with them one night.

“Initially, it was intimidating to pick the guitar back up, but it didn’t take that long to get back into it; you develop muscle memory.”
– George Huff

“It’s a chance for people to revisit things in their lives that are fun and meaningful, and The Hill is a place that encourages play and exploring new pursuits,” George said. “Music is one of those things that’s so good for keeping you sharp as you age.”

Pausing briefly, George added: “We definitely landed in the right place with the right people here at The Hill.”