200 Stories August 2021

Cathy Cox (Columbia) taught gospel piano and vocals to her apprentice Christopher Todd when he was just a teen at Hickman High School. It’s a testament to their partnership and excellence, though, that they completed not one, but two apprenticeships in succession—a rarity in the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. It’s not surprising, though, that Mrs. Cox would find such a talented student to teach the tradition of gospel. She works as both a Home/School Liaison at Columbia’s Benton Elementary and as Worship Director at Fayette’s Faith Family Church. In those roles, she has positively impacted many.

Another of her “apprentices” in life and music is her son J’den Cox, who is better known as a champion wrestler—both at Mizzou and the Rio Olympics. Still, both Mrs. Cox and her son are talented vocalists, and both have been invited to sing The National Anthem at Mizzou more than once. In a Mizzou Athletics’ Spotlight, J’den discussed his love of music and his mother’s influence: https://youtu.be/VHl3vWvytpI

200 Stories, August 2021

#ShowMeFolk #200Stories #Missouri2021 #Missouri200

In Missouri’s bicentennial year, Missouri Folk Arts will share 200 stories over the course of 52 weeks in 2021 about folk and traditional arts in the Show Me State.

We kicked off August with Story 111 and wrapped up with Story 121.

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Catherine “Cathy” Cox, TAAP master artist: 1998 and 1999

Here’s one of Cathy Cox’s renditions of The National Anthem, sung at a Mizzou Basketball game in 2017. https://fb.watch/7KrHAKRti0/