Community rallies behind Kentucky musician fighting rare cancer: ‘I will overcome this'
KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — On Feb. 9, Nat Myers entered the emergency room and has been hospitalized since.
The 'Korean-American blues poet' hails from northern Kentucky and would travel across the nation swapping songs. But in February, Myers received unimaginable news and would be forced to cancel all shows for 2025.
On Monday, he announced his battle with sarcoma, posting a video of him playing guitar in his hospital bed.
'What I thought was a prolonged lung infection turned out to be much more sinister, with growths round my heart and pulmonary artery,' Myers wrote. 'Doctors of varying humanity have given me days or weeks to live but I live by my odds and not theirs.'
Read more of the latest Kentucky news
Since then, the Kentucky music community has come out in droves to support one of their own.
'This news has been heavy on our hearts the last few days. Nat Myers is part of our LCMF family and a huge part of the Kentucky music community. His talent is outshined only by his huge heart,' Laurel Cove Music Festival wrote. 'Nat is tough as nails and we're here to help him however we can. Please, if y'all can, donate to help our boy win this fight. We love ya, brother. Stay strong!'
Myers graced the stage at the thirtieth Master Musicians Festival in Somerset, and organizers have urged fans to support a friend during a challenging time.
'MMF Family, let's unite around one of our own; our friend and MMF30 alum Nat Myers has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called sarcoma,' organizers wrote, sharing a photo of Myers performing at the festival, urging fans to support the cause if they're able.
13 arrested over 6 days on drug charges in Christian County
Lexington councilmember responds as 'Please pave our road' signs pop up on Fontaine Road
Community rallies behind Kentucky musician fighting rare cancer: 'I will overcome this'
'I hate to ask anything from anybody, but with needing to cancel all my shows this year, I know I will need help from the community that I love and that loves me in return,' Myers said.
'I refuse to speak from the past tense, because there is beauty and life in the struggle I am currently fighting, and I will overcome this,' he continued. 'I do not know how long this fight will take, but I know so long as my heart beats I will overcome this.'
Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news
Since sharing his story, they've raised nearly $60,000, surpassing the $50,000 goal for medical expenses.
'Without knowing me, your music has meant so much to me. You'll beat this,' a fan noted while donating.
If you're interested in donating, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
23 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Nothing Looks Beautiful Anymore—and We Did This to Ourselves
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The concept of beauty is being redefined—not by genetics or societal consensus, but by algorithms, filters, and the cold precision of artificial intelligence. For many, the perfect face is no longer born; it is built—designed by AI, refined by cosmetic surgery, retouched on photo-editing apps, and approved by dating algorithms. In this landscape, even global beauty icons of the past—Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Cleopatra—are suddenly being called "mid," a Generation Z insult that translates to plain or average. That startling change came into focus in a viral TikTok video posted on May 2 by Faye Oakley, a full-time student and musician based in the U.K., whose commentary struck a cultural nerve with viewers online. Overlaid with text that read, "if Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, and Marilyn Monroe were alive today people would call them 'mid,'" Oakley's video called into question how AI, porn and dating apps have "rotted" people's perceptions of attractiveness. "In that clip, I had mentioned another video that I had seen on TikTok of a woman talking positively about her appearance and how the comments on that video seemed to take offense at her self-confidence," Oakley, 26, told Newsweek. "They tried to humble her and convince her she, in fact, was not good looking." The phenomenon Oakley highlighted—public mockery of attractive women who express confidence—has sparked a deeper reckoning with how digital culture and technology are reshaping our ideas of attractiveness. Oakley's post, which has since drawn more than 645,000 likes, is just one example of a widespread concern: beauty standards are now being set by algorithms, AI and altered reality. From left: American actress and model Marilyn Monroe poses for a portrait wearing a red dress in Los Angeles, California, circa 1960; and an AI-generated image of a "beautiful woman" by TikTok creator @wizawoza. From left: American actress and model Marilyn Monroe poses for a portrait wearing a red dress in Los Angeles, California, circa 1960; and an AI-generated image of a "beautiful woman" by TikTok creator @wizawoza. Getty Images / @wizawoza The short clip went on to trigger a wave of agreement—and backlash—that revealed just how deeply this issue runs. Beauty Icons Deemed 'Mid' The notion that historically revered beauties would now be dismissed as average and plain struck many as jarring, but Oakley said it is not hyperbole. Her post referenced an earlier video of a young woman who had described herself as having a "timeless face." She was subsequently bombarded with comments aimed at undermining her confidence. "At one point or another, these women have all been portrayed as beauty icons," she said. "However, I believe a large amount of people today would not find these women attractive, for many reasons." In Oakley's view, it is not just changing tastes—it is a systemic shift. "With the rapid advancements in AI we are currently seeing, it is become easier than ever for people to create realistic images and videos of flawless women," Oakley said. "They can customize everything … And if those ideals change, so can she." And while most consumers know these images are fictional, she added that, for many, the psychological impact remains. "It alters the way we see ourselves and others," Oakley said. "When you become accustomed to seeing 'perfect' women, features of 'real' women such as wrinkles, acne, stretch marks, and body hair become unacceptable. "We create a culture in which women are held to a beauty and aesthetic standard that is impossible to meet." The Rise of "Algorbeauty" Dr. Benjamin Caughlin, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon, has coined the term "algorbeauty" to describe the fusion of algorithm-driven aesthetics and modern beauty standards. Caughlin, who is preparing a book on the topic, said that digitally driven ideals are not just shaping physical features—they are influencing identity and self-worth. In his clinical work, Caughlin has noted an uptick in patients requesting surgeries to emulate AI-generated or heavily altered images. The implications, he added, are concerning. From Filters to Fillers Celebrity makeup artist Amanda Gabbard said she sees the same trend from her makeup chair. Clients frequently present her with AI-generated faces or airbrushed photos of celebrities as their Pinterest board to create a makeup look from. "They are chasing a version of beauty that is not real, yet they believe it is attainable," Gabbard told Newsweek. "It is heartbreaking to watch people become dissatisfied with their own faces simply because they do not match something that was never real to begin with." Gabbard said these expectations also bleed into the dating world. "Clients tell me how nerve-wracking it is to meet someone in person after presenting a completely filtered version of themselves online," she said. "Some even say they have become unrecognizable to their dates." Gabbard added: "In trying to meet these impossible standards, people are losing touch with who they are—and it is affecting their confidence, their relationships, and their happiness." Oakley said she feels similarly, bringing pornography and the sexual representation of women online into the mix. "Many of the scenarios displayed in pornography show women in submissive positions compared to men … And the women in these videos are often focused on looking as attractive as possible, at the cost of their own comfort," Oakley said. "I feel like this leads many people to expect this from women in real life. She agreed that the unattainable expectations created by AI have only exacerbated by the use of social media and dating apps, which are "algorithmically designed to keep people gambling for that potential perfect match." "This creates a mentality that, no matter how beautiful a woman is, the next one might be even more beautiful," Oakley said. "Before they know it, people develop a mindset of devaluing the looks of women based on the belief that there is always something 'better' just around the corner. "People feel entitled to perfect women," Oakley added. Confidence as a Target Oakley said that her viral video was intended to critique the culture of "humbling" women for expressing self-assurance and happiness with their looks, amid increasingly unrealistic beauty standards set by others. But the responses, she said, mostly "reinforced" the very standards she had aimed to challenge. "Most of the comments were debating whether the famous women I referred to are actually attractive," Oakley said. Whether viewers agreed or disagreed with her, she added, the conversation still revolved around a singular, narrow question: is a woman's confidence acceptable or valid only if she is "truly attractive"? That notion, she said, is part of the problem. "The main issue I wanted to highlight is that it is not anyone's responsibility to tell a woman how she should feel about her own appearance," Oakley said. "A lot of people are uncomfortable with women expressing confidence in themselves, and this needs to change." Algorithms and Cultural Confusion Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel, a cultural theorist and author of Cultural Intelligence for Marketers, told Newsweek that the effect of AI and social media on beauty standards is nothing short of revolutionary. "Hyper-optimization is the name of the game in modern-day beautification rituals and practices, resulting in further homogenization of beauty ideals," Gabriel said. "On social media, we see the flawless outcome, not the complex process of engineering this new reality. "Whether through advanced surgical interventions or artificially generated imagery, the line between reality and fiction has been fundamentally blurred." The question, then, is why people who are conventionally attractive within Western beauty standards—such as Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe—now seem "average" to so many. "Because the convention—that which is considered to be the standard in our culture—has been disrupted and altered in a way that has skewed our perceptions of attraction, desirability, and perceived flawlessness," Gabriel said. "Digital users are increasingly bombarded with this type of imagery through social media at a rate not seen in the history of humanity. "Our brains are, therefore, being rewired to see hyper-optimization in beauty forms as the new normal." Gabriel also connected these shifting standards to broader social dynamics. "Humans have always striven to attain the unattainable in pursuit of greater social standing," she said. "And beauty is no exception: it has historically been how we express who we are or, rather, who we aspire to be." Gen Z and the 'Mid' Culture Part of the shift may also be generational. Gen Z—raised on a steady diet of social media—has grown comfortable rating and ridiculing people's appearances in ways that feel normal within their digital communities and how they communicate online. Oakley noted that it is easier to be critical over a screen and that this drive to "humble" people online may facilitated by the detachment of social-media platforms. In this environment, even confident women become targets. Margot Robbie, best known for Barbie and The Wolf of Wall Street, became the subject of many similarly critical comments on social media in 2023, when she was labeled "mid" after being announced as the lead in Barbie. "Nowadays, people feel emboldened enough to tell confident women that they have no right to be as secure as they are," she said. Once down to the eye of the beholder, between AI-enhanced images, cosmetic procedures, dating apps gamifying attraction, and a culture increasingly obsessed with perfection, the definition of beauty has become markedly less anchored to reality. "People are not able to appreciate natural features of women," Oakley said. "They have every tool at their disposal to erase or 'fix' these features." And so the paradox persists: in a world overflowing with filtered, sculpted, and synthetically perfected beauty, even the icons of the past and present are no longer good enough.
Axios
32 minutes ago
- Axios
Indianapolis weekend events: Pride Weekend, Father's Day, Juneteenth, Pacers and more
Happy Father's Day weekend! The Circle City is bursting with fun ways to spend some quality time with dad over the next few days, including Indy's most vibrant celebration. What's happening: Pride Weekend is back with a packed events lineup that starts with the free Pride Parade along Mass Ave from 10am-noon Saturday. Check out the full parade route here. The party keeps going with the free, two-day Celebration on the Circle that will bring together local artists, food vendors, drag performers and more from noon-5pm Saturday and Sunday. Plan your day with this map of how Monument Circle will be remixed to accommodate the event. Music lovers will have two-days of partying to do at Indy Pride's Word of Mouth Music Series at the American Legion Mall. Natasha Bedingfield, Tinashe, Big Wild, Coco & Breezy and many more are slated to take the stage Saturday and Sunday from 2-10pm each day. Tickets start at $42 for a single day and $62 for a two-day pass. Check out the rest of our picks for the weekend: 🍝 Fill up on pasta and cannoli Friday and Saturday at the free Italian Street Festival at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 5-11pm. 🍲 Keep on eating at Friday's Juneteenth Foodways Festival at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, 4:30pm. 🏀 Watch the Pacers move closer to championship glory when they host the Thunder for Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Finals, 8:30pm Friday. The Pacers are up 2-1 in the series. 🎨 Groove to the sounds of 2025 Art & Soul featured artist Akili Ni Mali during the free Fridays at the Fort concert at Fort Ben Cultural Campus, 6:30pm Friday. ⚾ Enjoy America's pastime as the Indianapolis Indians host the St. Paul Saints at Victory Field for a weekend series. Games start at 7:05pm Friday and Saturday and 1:35pm Sunday. Tickets start at $15. 🥊 See local pugilists throw " Punches for Purpose" during the 3rd Annual Indy Juneteenth boxing showcase at Speedway Events Center, 3pm Saturday. Tickets start at $20 for adults and $5 for kids. 📚 Crack a book during the Center for Black Literature & Culture's free Book Fest and Juneteenth Celebration at Central Library, 10am Saturday. ⛹️ Root for the Indiana Fever as they take on the New York Liberty in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 3pm Saturday. Tickets start at $29. 📣 Cheer on some ultimate frisbee action when the Indianapolis Alleycats host the Chicago Union at Kuntz Stadium, 6pm Saturday. Tickets start at $15. 🎸 Rock out with the Wallflowers at Rock the Ruins at Holliday Park, 7pm Saturday. ⚽ Get loud for the Indy Eleven when they play the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at Carroll Stadium, 7pm Saturday.
Axios
32 minutes ago
- Axios
'Burb Bites: bb.q Chicken brings Korean fried chicken to Carmel
As many of y'all know, I've got a thing for wings. Why it matters: This week's bite is a fast-growing, fast-casual Korean fried chicken franchise that immediately shot to the top of my local wing recommendations. The bite(s): Spicy original, secret sauce, spicy galbi and wings of fire bone-in wings from bb.q Chicken. Cost: $16 for eight wings. The 'burb: Carmel. Driving the news: The grand opening of the Carmel location in late May gave Central Indiana its second bb.q Chicken location following its Castleton debut in December. But it became a must-visit for me when a former colleague with excellent wing opinions simply texted me "best wings I've ever had" out of the blue. Context: He's the same guy who introduced me to Ale Emporium's certified 10 out of 10 wings when I first moved to Indy, so I knew I had to place an order. My take: Love at first bite. It was so good that my wife and I had to make a quick return trip to try a few more of their 14 different wing flavors. The spicy originals were the only wings we ordered without sauce, but they were also our favorites. The crunchy breading synonymous with Korean fried chicken made every bite a joy, and they still pack plenty of punch without sauce. The wings of fire were my second favorite, but they absolutely live up to the name. Ten out of 10 on the heat scale. Don't bother unless you want some pain with your pleasure. Secret sauce and spicy galbi are easy recommendations for those who want a little less heat, but still crave bold flavor. The vibe: The eatery has a sleek, modern interior that makes it a cool spot to catch an afternoon game or grab a post-work beer. Fans of Korean R&B and K-Pop can add an additional point to this category. Music videos play on a loop alongside televised sporting events, but the tunes take priority on the house speakers. If you go: 12505 Old Meridian St., Suite 140, 11am-9pm daily.
