DECEMBER 15TH, 2013 | JOHNNY'S 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
It's hard to believe that it's been ten years since Johnny Cunningham passed away in New York, NY. We want to thank all of you - Johnny's friends, family and fans who have honored and celebrated his life with your stories, memories and music. Here's to Johnny...
BBC Radio Scotland Honors Johnny Cunningham and Silly Wizard, 12 December 2013
BBC Radio Scotland's "Travelling Folk" honored Johnny on Thursday with this beautiful tribute hour. Click here to listen
Kathleen Biggins from the WFUV radio show, A Thousand Welcomes, dedicates 'Auld Lang Syne' from The Winter Talisman to Johnny
'Johnny was a wonderful Scottish fiddler and founder of Silly Wizard. Johnny was all round fun guy to be around. In this song, Auld Lang Syne, two different versions are melded together. This one is going out to Johnny, in his memory 10 years tomorrow." ~ Kathleen Biggins
The Wilson Family, Performing with Sting on his latest album "The Last Ship": 22 December 2013
The Wilson Family and many other musicians from the North East of England (Kathryn Tickell, Peter Tickell, Julian Sutton), with actor and singer Jimmy Nail, join Sting on his latest album and Broadway play "The Last Ship." The songs are influenced by local music traditions - from pub-like folk tunes to a wall of sound from the full band. After the show at the Public Theater in New York, Chris Wilson went to Swifts and shared this memory of Johnny: "Johnny Cunningham was a great character and I feel privileged to have met this extraordinary human being, who at such an early age managed the best electric folk group that I can recall over my years of being involved in folk music. The Silly Wizard concert with Johnny, in the Coatham Bowl, Redham, when he was about 17 years old was the best concert I ever saw in my life. Johnny was electric. Incidently, we are still in touch with Gordon Jones (ex-Silly Wizard) who is currently issuing The Wilson Family album onto CD."
Check out The Wilson Family's performance with Sting on BBC, 22 December 2013, here.
Congratulations to Séamus Connolly, Awarded a NEA National Heritage Fellowship
We would like to take a moment to congratulate the talented Irish fiddler, Séamus Connolly, for being awarded the USA's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts, a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellowship in 2013.
Click here to read about Séamus on the NEA website. And don't miss this wonderful film about him on folkstreams.net, "The Music Makers: Séamus Connolly and Friends" by Jim Higgins and Joan Ross.
Congratulations to Casey Neill, of the Casey Neill Band, on his Marriage
Friend of Johnny's and the 11th Street Bar community, Casey Neill of the Casey Neill Band, was married to beautiful Tracy in Hawaii, on 4 February 2013. In other good news from the Casey Neill Band, they've just released their latest album on 12 November, which includes a song called Sainted Streets about New York City's Lower East Side. It features a number of characters loosely based on people the neighborhood has lost - one of them, Johnny ... ("Here comes Davey with his scarf rapped 'round his throat / smoking and laughing in that famous black peacoat").
Thanks Casey, and we wish you and Tracy a lifetime of happiness and love!
Exciting News for the New Bedford Whaling Musuem
A new building for the Educational Center and Research Library at the New Bedford Whaling Museum is being constructed on Water Street where Johnny use to live. Learn more about the Museum and this great project
A New Bedford Treasure
A New Bedford treasure, Johnny's 1981 album "Thoughts from Another World", given to the Band Dancing Dogs.
Rest In Peace Ruth Maleczech, Co-Founder of Mabou Mines
Johnny and Ruth were great artists and dear friends. She had only loving words to share of him. May the light be with them both. Click here to read words honoring Ruth by Gerald Thomas, on his blog. Her obituary on Playbill.com states, "Ruth Maleczech, who co-founded the influential and sui generis experimental theatre troupe Mabou Mines and helped shepherd it through four decades of productions, becoming arguably its most visible member, died in her sleep Sept. 30 at her home. She was 74. As co-creator of Mabou Mines, Ms. Maleczech directed and/or appeared in many of the company's productions. A regular presence in the downtown theatre scene in the 1970s and 1980s, she became something of an earth mother figure not only to her own outfit, but to the New York avant garde theatre community in general—a role only buttressed by her warm, matronly aura."
Ruth was a supportive friend to Johnny during his collaboration with Lee Breuer and Liza Lorwin during the creation of "Peter and Wendy", a magical performance rich with puppets and music.
Rest In Peace Chris Maguire, Dear Friend of Johnny's and of the 11th Street Bar, New York
It's been a difficult year. A dear friend of Johnny's and of the entire 11th Street Bar family, Chris Maguire, passed away after a tragic accident. Chris and Johnny go way back, and we know they are up there together jamming and watching over all of us. Click here to listen to Chris performing "These Boots are Made for Walking" at the 11th Street Bar in New York's East Village, with Maria Arenlind.
In this photo, Chris plays guitar with friend Danny Barnum. Here, Danny shares his touching memories of both Chris and Johnny. Click to read the full story...
"First off I would like to thank Trisha McCormick for establishing this forum for those of us who seek to pay tribute to two unique and individual men. And so tonight I have been asked to share two anecdotal occurrences as happened to me shared alongside my brother, my friend – Chris Maguire. And so, to him personally before I begin, I just want to say – buddy, thank you for the honor of being my friend. You will be sorely missed. My name is Danny Barnum. To those of you that knew Chris Maguire and Johnny Cunningham, respectively, hopefully what I am about to share will touch your heart in some way and give you the Lord’s peace as we go through this difficult time together. These two stories establish a connection, an everlasting connection, I believe, between me, my friend Chris, and a man who I never had the privlege of meeting in his life, but who I feel like I know - Johnny. Chris Maguire is still with us. No man as good as he was can ever truly be gone. Johnny Cunningham will never truly be gone. I would just like to say, if you are looking for guidance as to what to do, I can tell you this: Chris Maguire would have said never retreat; never back down. Live life to the fullest. To finally wrap up my statement, I will tell you this: I love Chris Maguire, and if there is a heaven that we all are promised, we know we will see Chris again in that eternal bright white city because deep down I know that Chris and Johnny are getting together and arranging music. Gentlemen, I will see you there some day." ~ Danny Barnum
Rest In Peace Ray Kelly, Lead Singer of the Mickey Finns
"The Irish American rock and roll community was gutted to its core this week [17 January 2013] with the news of the sudden death of Ray Kelly, 46, former singer and guitarist on some of the best Prodigals albums and lead singer of the Mickey Finns. Kelly, a carpenter in the construction industry, was injured while at work and passed away suddenly. Read more about Ray and his life on the Irish Central, here. I saw Ray in the Fall of 2012 at the infamous 11th Street Sunday Session. We were gathered outside the front door having a good crac, Ray standing on a rock engraving in honor of Johnny, telling us all about his time working with Johnny, producer of Dreaming in Hell's Kitchen; by The Prodigals. Ray, in his childlike heartfelt wonder, exclaimed that working with Johnny on that album was the most influential musical moment of his career and how much he loved and missed the man. That was the last time I saw Ray, and a most memorable moment at that... ~ Trisha
Click here to watch Ray perform "Leaving": Ray Kelly of the Mickey Finns sings Leaving at a seisun in the hotel lobby after the Fox Valley Irish Fest in West Dundee, IL.
Support for The Andrew Grene Foundation
Gregory Grene established the Andrew Grene Foundation for his twin brother, who lost his life while working for the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti during the tragic earthquake on January 12, 2010. Click here to watch an update on the foundation three years later - January 2013. Hear Matt Damon and Clint Eastwood, along with Gregory Grene, speak about Andrew's service. Andrew was both a friend and devoted fan of Johnny's. Please be a fan of Andrew's fund. Visit www.andrewgrene.org for more information and donation links. Donations go toward the education of Haiti's children and Microfinance for small businesses in Haiti. Best Wishes to Gregory on the outstanding success of the first school in Andrew's honor: Andrew Grene High School!
MEMORIES
Johnny met this lovely lady in New Mexico when he toured with The Winter Talisman, and accepted her invitation to join her Native American family in their Tipi sweat lodge.
AMY G: We are celebrating Johnny today, and here is a photo of Johnny's summer vacation view 2003; Fire Island. Much love to you!
JENN: For you, Johnny, on the 10th anniversary of your passing... A magnificent Cape Town sunset peeks out from behind a mountain of clouds - with a lamppost saying hello!
Thank you for your spirit, heart and music. Inspired by you over the years, I learnt to play your moving ballad, "Night in that Land". You've inspired many over the years and across the world!
I greatly admire Johnny, from when I discovered I was always fascinated by his music and his personality ... a BRILLIANT musician and a great man. I'm a fiddler too and I always listen Johnny's stuff - from Silly Wizard to Winter Talisman - and I always try to look like him. I always keep it in mind as a reference... He was not a fiddler like everyone else, he was an artist, a musical genius, he had his own style and a voice that no one else ever will. I feel deeply connected to Johnny's music - his fiddle and Johnny as a man. He is one of my great musical heroes and idols. From Rome, condolences. RIP Johnny, you will be forever immortal, thank you. All best to your family and friends, from the biggest Italian Johnny fan. ~ Gianluca
It is Johnny's 10th years anniversary soon. It must be still very hard for his family and friends to miss him! I only knew Johnny from a live performance long time ago and I still listen to his magnificent music. Every now and then I play a videotape of the last performance of Silly Wizard. The music touches me, even more now I have grown older. The beautiful sound of the fiddle played by Johnny strikes me every time. Although I am not a fiddle player he has inspired me in my humble career as a musician. I play the guitar and banjo in a Celtic Band (Skibbereen) in the Netherlands. I am sure that Johnny is missed by thousands of people. Not only the ones that knew him personally. To me, he will always be the excellent musician with a great sense of humour. He was and still is undoubtedly a very special person to me. "A lot of people cross your path but only a few touch your heart!" ~ Twan Masala. Kerkrade, The Netherlands.