You can go to the most popular Greensboro restaurants and find a husband-and-wife band that is sure to play both your favorite tunes and old-time favorites with their guitars, accompanying instruments, and sing-alongs.
Georgia natives Bob Williamson and his wife, Cat, prove that retirement comes in many forms. It can be a time of renewed growth in any endeavor at that stage of life, as many retirees here and elsewhere have discovered.
Williamson, 66, worked in the paper mill industry for over 30 years and more recently for Westrock Industries in Dublin. Work assignments took him throughout the United States, where his guitar and other musical instruments always followed.
Once retiring here in Greensboro, Bob met his wife and musical companion, Cat, at Lakeside Church as a worship leader. They found that they complemented each other, Cat singing and Bob strumming the guitar. Playing a host of contemporary Christian music, he and Cat found a fan base where they live in Dell Webb and throughout Greensboro.
Their music videos have become popular posts on Next Door as neighbors and others feed awareness of their enviable talents.
Bob first picked up a guitar at the age of 9 with no formal lessons.
Musically gifted, he plays as a leftie and was in his first “band” as a third grader. This lifelong love for music and instruments, especially the guitar, morphed into a love for the early Beatles, whom he found spoke to his creative flair. He had one of first “gigs” playing at a Sears and Roebuck store in Arkansas that his father managed. It was then he started to perfect his favorite Beatles tunes.
“I especially loved George Harrison,” he said. “He was an introvert and quiet, and I saw as I got older that he could light up a stage with his guitar. I wanted to do that.”
Like many who discovered a different path, Williamson dropped out of college to pursue a dream “to make it” in the music business, one which continues to be highly competitive.
He could play bass as well and his many travels to took him to both coasts, New York City and Los Angeles, before eventually settling in Minnesota.
He realized it was difficult to break into the business despite his talent. He simply did not know the inner workings of the industry but his talent had been proven. Yet, he moved on and eventually played with Percy Sledge, an American rhythm-and-blues, soul and gospel singer, in Baton Rouge.
Sledge is best known for the song “When a Man Loves a Woman.”
Bob also went on to play with other well-known musical talent including the likes of Jimmy Dean and Tanya Tucker.
When meeting his soon-to-be wife, the Williamson team known as “Bob, Cat and the Undertaker” played in Dublin, which is where the undertaker reference comes from, referring to another drummer who owned a funeral home in the area.
From there, the Williamsons moved to Greensboro and joined Lakeside Church, where the worship leader needed both a singer and a guitar player. They have been at the church now for two years but make the rounds performing for a dedicated group of fans.
Cat, although not fully retired at the moment, works nearby at Lake Oconee Academy, where she teaches chorus and theater. She also works on summer music programs known as “Summer Intensive.” This is a two-week intensive program held in Eatonton where both high school and college kids can audition to be part of a musical this year called Seussical, based on the popular Dr. Suess books.
These musicians who claim Greensboro as home are a rare breed who love what they do, whether it be singing, playing the guitar or keyboards. It proves that retirement can best be defined in many ways and pursuits.