The Beat Goes On

Nat (front, right), his wife Alice (just left of him), and other members of the Lowery family

Nat the Cat died at the age of 80 in 2008. Many residents of Haywood County still remember him fondly as a community leader.  His memory lives on throughout western North Carolina for his use of music as a uniting force for racial cohesion, at a time when everything seemed either “black and white."  Canton residents continue to honor his legacy, ensuring that the beat will go on.