10/21/2026
**Remembering Jack Cawthon (1946–2026) | A Nashville BBQ Legend**
With heavy hearts, the National Barbecue & Grilling Association (NBBQA) and *Barbecue News Magazine* mourn the passing of Jack Cawthon, founder of Jack’s Bar-B-Que in Nashville, Tennessee, following a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 80 years old.
Jack was more than a restaurateur. He was a visionary who helped put Nashville barbecue on the map and left an enduring mark on our industry.
His barbecue journey began in 1976 with Cawthon’s Caterer/Bar-B-Que. When Jack opened his first Jack’s Bar-B-Que location at First and Broadway in 1991, he helped transform Nashville’s food scene, creating a destination where locals and visitors from around the world could experience authentic barbecue and Southern hospitality.
As *Barbecue News Magazine* highlighted in our July 2019 article, **“Jack Cawthon puts Nashville BBQ on the map,”** Jack was the first to bring smoked brisket to Nashville—a menu favorite that helped distinguish his restaurant. He looked beyond his hometown, drawing inspiration from barbecue traditions in Texas, the Carolinas, Kansas City, and Memphis while helping Nashville develop its own barbecue identity.
Jack’s creativity extended to his sauces, offering flavors inspired by barbecue regions across the country, including Tennessee Original, Kansas City Style, Texas Sweet Hot, Carolina Style, and ### 911. His **Music City White Sauce** earned recognition in the NBBQA Awards of Excellence, celebrating the innovation and craftsmanship that made Jack’s Bar-B-Que special.
**Jack’s connection to NBBQA runs deep.**
In 1993, his Trinity Lane location hosted the first-ever NBBQA annual conference restaurant tour. When the association returned to Nashville in 2015 and 2026, Jack’s remained part of the city’s barbecue story. These milestones reflect a relationship built over decades and a shared appreciation for the people and traditions that make our industry extraordinary.
Jack also understood something important about barbecue: it brings people together. In our 2019 article, he spoke about Nashville’s barbecue restaurants not as enemies competing for customers, but as neighbors with their own cooking styles, recipes, and specialties. That spirit of camaraderie and Southern hospitality is at the heart of our barbecue family.
As Jack’s Bar-B-Que celebrated 50 years of serving the Nashville community, we celebrated a remarkable legacy of hard work, entrepreneurship, innovation, and hospitality.
Jack welcomed generations of guests, built lasting relationships with employees and fellow barbecue professionals, and helped make Nashville a destination for barbecue lovers everywhere. His influence reaches far beyond his restaurants, and his contributions will continue to inspire those who follow in his footsteps.
On behalf of NBBQA and *Barbecue News Magazine*, we extend our deepest condolences to Jack’s family, friends, employees, and the entire Jack’s Bar-B-Que team. We hold you in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Rest in peace, Jack. Thank you for the meals shared, the traditions created, the friendships built, and the lasting mark you made on Nashville and the barbecue industry. It was our privilege to tell your story, and we will remember you as part of ours.
**Your legacy lives on in every plate served, every sauce shared, and every person brought together by barbecue.**
With deepest sympathy,
The National Barbecue & Grilling Association
*Barbecue News Magazine*
Read our July 2019 feature, *“Jack Cawthon puts Nashville BBQ on the map”*:
https://www.barbecuenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Nashville-BBQ-JULY2019-web.pdf
