Mr. Buddy Huckabee was born in Kings Mountain, NC. He studied music at Western Carolina University, in which he participated in many different ensembles. Those include marching band, jazz ensemble, concert band, wind ensemble, trombone ensemble, pep band, and various theatre arts ensembles. Mr. Huckabee has worked with various high school band staffs, including Tuscola, Pisgah, and Smoky Mountain. He also was a private low brass instructor for the region with Summitt Music Company.

Upon graduation from WCU in 1999, Mr. Huckabee took a teaching position at York Chester Middle School in Gastonia NC. He taught there until a position opened at the district's high school, Ashbrook High School. Under Mr. Huckabee's direction Ashbrook became well known for their marching, concert, and jazz bands, receiving consistent superior ratings. The Ashbrook High School marching band competed in the first annual WCU Tournament of Champions where they placed second in class, and received the first place percussion and hornline awards.

In January of 2002, Mr. Huckabee was offered a graduate assistantship to work with Mr. Bob Buckner and the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band at Western Carolina University. He gladly accepted this offer and left Ashbrook High School to pursue a Master's degree in Music Education.  While working on his master's degree, he accepted the position of Director of Bands at Franklin High School in Franklin, NC.  He completed his masters degree in May of 2004.  Under his direction, the Franklin High School Band program has nearly doubled in size in marching, concert, jazz, colorguard, and winterguard classes, and has achieved numerous superior ratings in a very short amount of time.    On January 1, 2005, the Franklin Panther Regiment band placed 1st place in both field show and parade competitions, as well as taking 13 of 14 first place awards at the 2005 Toyota Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida.

Also, the band travelled to perform and compete in the 2008 Velero Alamo Bowl on ESPN and won FIRST PLACE in EVERY CAPTION as well as FIRST PLACE BAND in the field show competition, and Took Second Place overall in the Parade competition with a First place win in both Marching and Music.

In December of 2011, the band will again travel to Jacksonville, Florida to perform at Halftime for the Gator Bowl, and join the Gator Bowl Nationally Televised parade!