Recently, Craig Morgan — better known as Cat Daddy — walked into York Manor Nursing Home in Muskogee not like a guest, but like someone coming home.
Guitar slung over his shoulder, smile wide, and heart open, he greeted the staff and residents like family. This wasn’t his first visit — far from it. Cat Daddy is a beloved fixture on the York Manor activity calendar, and his sessions always draw a crowd.
“He is awesome,” says one of the facility’s nurses. “Not only is he a talented musician and guitar player—he’s a true entertainer. But more than that, he radiates heartfelt compassion. He understands the loneliness our patients often feel.”
That understanding is deeply personal. Several years ago, Cat Daddy survived a devastating accident that left him hospitalized and in rehab for months. He lost half of his left leg.
“The pain was bad,” he says softly. “But the isolation — the loneliness — that was worse.”
During those long, quiet days of recovery, he made a vow: “If I could get back to where I could play music again, I would do something for people who were experiencing what I did. I’m just grateful to be alive. I’ve been given the chance— and maybe even the responsibility— to share, touch, and lift people up with my music.”
And he’s kept that promise. Though Cat Daddy plays throughout the Eufaula area— restaurants, festivals, private events, and spirited jam sessions—he always sets aside time to give back. He works closely with activity coordinators at nursing homes and rehab facilities to schedule his visits, and he never arrives without first asking: “Is there someone I should recognize today? A birthday? A tough week? A favorite song?”
At York Manor, the excitement starts days in advance of his June 19 visit. Residents get their hair done. A little makeup is applied. Some even dress up, as if going to a dance. And when showtime arrives, the transformation begins. More Than a Performance
Staff gently wheel residents into the social room. Walkers creak across the floor. Beds are positioned for the best view. In the corner of the room, Cat Daddy sets up alongside his two bandmates — Chicken Bone on drums and JONNYx on bass guitar. The setup is simple. The impact is not.
Cat Daddy strums the first chord—and the atmosphere shifts.
“Let me hear you clap now!” he calls, fingers snapping, foot tapping.
Within minutes, the room comes alive. Shoulders sway. Hands rise. Laughter bubbles up. Even those confined to beds or chairs nod their heads, tap their toes, or quietly hum along.
“This isn’t just a show,” Cat Daddy says. “It’s therapy. It’s joy. It’s a celebration for the soul.”
Music That Connects What sets Cat Daddy apart isn’t just his voice or musicianship — it’s his ability to truly connect. Between songs, he speaks out to the crowd: “Who remembers this one?”
“Did you used to sing this in church?”
He moves seamlessly through gospel favorites, soul classics, and blues standards. As he sings, he gestures toward residents: “Take this verse, sweetheart!” or “Sing it with me now!”
And they do. Voices long quiet begin to rise. Some are bold, some are shaky—but all are full of life.
“When they sing with me,” Cat Daddy says, “that’s not just memory returning. That’s their spirit feeling alive again.”
One nurse, caught up in the joy, joins in — dancing between wheelchairs, clapping, laughing, and swaying with the residents.
“She’s the spark that lights the whole room,” Cat Daddy later said. “She takes the energy and lifts it even higher. That’s when music becomes medicine.”
A Mission Born of Pain Cat Daddy doesn’t do this for applause. He does it because he knows what it feels like to be on the other side—alone, in pain, unseen.
“I lost half my leg in that accident,” he says, “but it didn’t slow me down. If anything, it sped me up. It gave me clarity and focus. I’m alive. I can still play. And I’ve got something to give. That’s my mission now.”
His bandmates agree. “We’re not just playing songs,” one of them says. “We’re starting conversations—between us, the crowd, and something much bigger.”
Rhythm as Remedy By the end of the performance, the atmosphere in the room is both electric and peaceful. Residents glow. Some wipe away tears. Others gently sway to the fading rhythm. Even the staff seem lighter, as if a shared weight has lifted.
“To experience Cat Daddy live,” a nurse says afterward, “is to witness music doing exactly what it’s meant to do—heal, connect, and lift.”
After 90 minutes of non-stop playing, Cat Daddy slowly packs up his guitar. He shares a few long hugs, squeezes a few hands, and turns to the crowd with a smile.
“I’ll be back soon,” he says.
And you can bet he will be.
Because for Cat Daddy, this isn’t just music.
It’s a promise kept. It’s a mission lived. And it’s love — one song at a time.
