Johnny Cunningham (27 August 1957 – 15 December 2003) was a Scottish folk musician and composer, instrumental in spreading interest in traditional Celtic music. Johnny Cunningham was born on 27 August 1957 in

Portobello, Edinburgh Portobello is a coastal suburb of Edinburgh in eastern central Scotland. It lies 3 miles (5 km) east of the city centre, facing the Firth of Forth, between the suburbs of Joppa, Edinburgh, Joppa and Craigentinny. Although historically it ...

. He was raised as a member of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The c ...

, but later became inactive. He was a founding member of

Silly Wizard Silly Wizard was a Scottish folk band that began forming in Edinburgh in 1970. The founder members were two like-minded university students— Gordon Jones (guitar, bodhran, vocals, bouzouki, mandola), and Bob Thomas (guitar, mandolin, mand ...

, as well as a member of Relativity, The Raindogs, and

Nightnoise Nightnoise was a music ensemble active from 1984 to 1997. Their original blend of Irish traditional music, Celtic music, jazz, and classical chamber music inspired a generation of Irish musicians. They released seven albums on the Windham Hill ...

. Throughout his career, Cunningham was a

fiddler A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Although in many ...

, composer, and producer. His younger brother, Phil Cunningham, also a former member of Silly Wizard, is a multi-instrumentalist best known for his piano-accordion and whistle playing. Johnny Cunningham died of a heart attack on 15 December 2003 in New York City at the age of 46.

Discography

* ''Thoughts from Another World'' (1981) * ''Fair Warning'' (1983) With Phil Cunningham * ''Against the Storm'' (1980) With Silly Wizard * ''Silly Wizard'' (1976) * '' Caledonia's Hardy Sons'' (1978) * '' So Many Partings'' (1979) * ''Live in America'' (1985) * ''Golden Golden'' (1985) * ''

A Glint of Silver ''A Glint of Silver'' is an album by Silly Wizard released in 1986 on the Green Linnet Records label. This is final studio album recorded by the band. Track listing #"Roarin' Donald/The Man Who Shot the Windmill/A Glint of Silver (4:19)" #"The ...

'' (1986) * ''

Live Wizardry ''Live Wizardry'' is an album by Silly Wizard recorded live in concert at Sanders Theatre, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1983. ''Live Wizardry'' was released by Green Linnet Records in 1988 and contained all but two of the tr ...

'' (1988) With Relativity * ''Relativity'' (1986) * ''Gathering Place'' (1987) With Nightnoise * '' Shadow of Time'' (1993) * ''

A Different Shore ''A Different Shore'' is the sixth studio album by Nightnoise. The album was released by Windham Hill Records on 9 May 1995. Track listing Musicians * Mícheál Ó Domhnaill – vocals, guitar, whistle, synthesizer * Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill ...

'' (1995) * ''

The White Horse Sessions ''The White Horse Sessions'' is a live album by Nightnoise. The album was released by Windham Hill Records (01934 11195-2) in 1997. Track listing # "Silky Flanks" by Brian Dunning (4:55) # "Shadow of Time" by Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (3:32) ...

'' (1997) With Celtic Fiddle Festival * ''Celtic Fiddle Festival'' (1993) * ''Celtic Fiddle Festival: Encore'' (1998) * ''Rendezvous'' (2001) With

Susan McKeown Susan McKeown (born February 6, 1967) is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, arranger and producer. Early years Susan McKeown was born on February 6, 1967 in Terenure, Dublin, Ireland. She briefly attended the Municipal College of Music, Chatham ...

* ''Peter & Wendy'' (1997), also with

Seamus Egan Seamus may refer to: * Séamus, a male first name of Gaelic origin Film and television * Seamus (''Family Guy''), a character on the television series ''Family Guy'' * Seamus, a pigeon in '' Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore'' * Seamus Mc ...

, Karen Kandel and

Jamshied Sharifi Jamshied Sharifi (born October 17, 1960) is an American composer and musician. He was born in Topeka, Kansas to an Iranian father and an American mother. At an early age, Sharifi was exposed to Jazz and Middle Eastern music by his father and t ...

* ''A Winter Talisman'' (2001) * ''Sweet Liberty'' (2004) ''With

Thomas Moore (spiritual writer) Thomas Moore (born October 8, 1940, in Detroit, Michigan) is a psychotherapist, former monk, and writer of popular spiritual books, including the ''New York Times'' bestseller ''Care of the Soul'' (1992), a "guide to cultivating depth and sacr ...

'' * ''The Soul of Christmas'' (1997), also with

Kathy Mattea Kathleen Alice Mattea (born June 21, 1959) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including four that re ...

Cathie Ryan Cathie Ryan is an Irish American singer-songwriter, who has released five CDs and tours steadily with her band performing at festivals, folk clubs, performing arts centers and with symphony orchestras. Known for "her crystalline vocals and ins ...

and

With The Raindogs * '' Lost Souls'' (1990) * '' Border Drive-In Theatre'' (1991) With others * ''To Warm the Winter's Night'', with

Áine Minogue Áine Minogue (born 27 May 1977, Borrisokane, County Tipperary) is an Irish harpist, singer, arranger and composer, now living in the Boston area. She has recorded thirteen solo albums in styles generally categorized as Celtic, world, folk, spiri ...

(1995) * ‘’Love and Loss’’, with Steve Payne (1999) * ''Live on 11th Street'', with

Casey Neill Casey Neill is an American musician. He leads Portland, Oregon-based band Casey Neill & The Norway Rats, singing with a raspy vocal quality and playing electric and acoustic guitars. Neill's style, folk-punk, mixes influences from punk, Celtic an ...

Band (2003)

Composer

In the 1990s Johnny worked with the New York-based theater company Mabou Mines on a theatrical production, "Peter & Wendy". He composed music and lyrics for this musical adaptation of J.M. Barrie's play "''Peter Pan''," which won two OBIE Awards. The soundtrack album from this innovative production was recorded and released nationally in 1997. Productions of "Peter & Wendy" have been presented and revived numerous times.

References

External links

Official Johnny Cunningham website's "In Memoriam"

Kennedy Center videotapes of Johnny Cunningham performances

Scotsman.com obituary

World Music Central bio
*https://www.maboumines.org/production/peter-and-wendy/ 1957 births 2003 deaths People from Portobello, Edinburgh Scottish fiddlers British male violinists Scottish folk musicians British record producers 20th-century violinists 20th-century Scottish musicians Silly Wizard members The Raindogs members Relativity (band) members Nightnoise members 20th-century British male musicians Green Linnet Records artists Musicians from Edinburgh {{Scotland-musician-stub