DECEMBER 15TH, 2014 | JOHNNY'S 11-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Remembering Johnny this 11th year of the anniversary of his passing, and celebrating his life and music with all of you.

The Last Ship

Sting's exceptional musical, The Last Ship, has the honor of having three musicians in the orchestra who were all dear friends of Johnny: Christopher Layer on pipes, flutes, whistles; Mick McAuley on melodeon and Lisa Gutkin on fiddle.

The show is spectacular! If you are wondering if you should go, go now.

Sting joins the cast for a short run, and then Jimmy Nail will return to his role as Jackie White. Both men are incredible singers. Jimmy, an unknown in America and a star in Europe, carries a shipyard resonance in his voice, a hard-earned warmth and steel barrow strength.

Hear him sing his own composition, Show Me Heaven.

Sting, risking it all, bares such heartache in his lyrics and melodies that I couldn't help but think of Johnny's score for Broadway's 'Peter and Wendy,' once described as having "music that could make a grown man cry."

Bursting with soul and talent, both shows deserve the words, 'Heart-wrenchingly beautiful!'

Congratulations to Chris, Mick and Lisa. That's a helluva a ship to be out on!

'Remembering Johnny' by Mick McAuley

I got to know Johnny after I joined SOLAS, for whom he had produced the first couple of albums. I then had the pleasure of working with him on a Susan McKeown album called Bushes and Briars and then on the beautiful project called “Peter and Wendy”. The beauty of Johnny’s music speaks for itself and there is, therefore, no need for me to attest to it. But it was on downtime (usually about 4.30pm by Johnny's watch!!) during the assembly of a dance show called Dancing on Dangerous Ground that I really got to know him on a one-to-one basis. I’ll always remember our many conversations over various poet-worn counter tops of Dublin with great fondness. I learned a lot from him. As a person, I found him to be so generous of spirit, so encouraging and for a man who could talk for Scotland, he was a great listener. He could hear through the babble and listen for the essence of a thing. In music, this made him a great player and producer. In his writings, this made him genuinely unique. In life, it made him a great friend to have. I think of him often these days, now that I’m spending time on Broadway, because I would chance to say that nowhere was Johnny artistically happier than in and around the world of theater. He was made for it. And as amazing, wonderful and exciting a place as New York City is, it’s just not quite the same without him.

'Captain Morgan'

New Bedford welcomed back the ship, Captain Morgan, after a 100 year hiatus. It was originally built by the New Bedford workers and now docks at Mystic Seaport. The summer of 2014 marked it's first return in 100 years to the home where it was built.

This is a fantastic website where the documentary, 'Big Ocean', written by Kevin Kertscher, describes the whaling town of New Bedford. Johnny lived on Water Street in New Bedford, where he had a magnificent view of the working harbor. The first video is the Captain Morgan sailing from the New Bedford harbor, a view Johnny would have seen from his balcony on Water Street. At the 12" and 49" marks, see Water Street where Johnny lived.

The Last Wooden Whaleship in the World

The Charles W. Morgan is the last of an American whaling fleet that numbered more than 2,700 vessels. Built and launched in 1841, the Morgan is now America’s oldest commercial ship still afloat – only the USS Constitution is older.

The Morgan was launched on July 21, 1841 from the yard of Jethro and Zachariah Hillman in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She typically sailed with a crew of about 35, representing sailors from around the world. The whaleship measures 106 feet, 11 inches length on deck with her beam measuring 27 feet, 9 inches. Her main truck is 110 feet above the deck; fully-rigged, and she carries 7,134 square feet of sail. The huge try-pots used for converting blubber into whale oil are forward; below are the cramped quarters in which her officers and men lived.

Over an 80-year whaling career, the Morgan embarked on 37 voyages with most lasting three years or more. Built for durability, not speed, she roamed every corner of the globe in her pursuit of whales. She is known as a “lucky ship,” having successfully navigated crushing Arctic ice, hostile natives, countless storms, Cape Horn roundings and, after she finished her whaling career, even the Hurricane of 1938.

After her whaling days ended in 1921, the Morgan was preserved by Whaling Enshrined, Inc. and exhibited at Colonel Edward H.R. Green’s estate at Round Hill in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, until 1941. In November of that year, theMorgan came to Mystic Seaport where she has since dominated the waterfront at Chubb’s Wharf.

The whaleship was designated a National Historic Landmark by order of the Secretary of the Interior in 1966, and she is also a recipient of the coveted World Ship Trust Award. Since her arrival at Mystic Seaport more than 20 million visitors have walked her decks. Where once she hunted and processed whales for profit, her purpose now is to tell an important part of our nation’s maritime heritage and the lessons that history has for current generations.

Mountain Folk Vault Interview

Take a listen to this unedited, uncut radio interview with Johnny from 1983. An archival Tribute to Johnny.

"Recorded in November, 1983, this interview features the great Scots-Celt fiddler Johnny Cunningham. Warning: This is an uncut, unedited studio recording and there are just a wee few curse words. Johnny Cunningham was in the studio with concert promoter Nina Mollica and show host "East Side" Dave Kline for the purpose of promoting a concert on 11/16/83, recording a commercial and creating a few short interview segments. The original version of the Mountain Folk radio, TV & Internet show with producer / host "East Side" Dave Kline went on the air during the summer of 1980 as "East Side Dave's Bluegrass Festival," which later evolved to the Mountain Folk Show and has been promoting bluegrass, folk, mountain and outdoor-themed acoustic music ever since. The show was one of the very first radio shows to be podcast around the world on the Internet out of Penn State University. This series of Mountain Folk Vault Interviews goes back in time to the vault of archives from the many guests who were interviewed on the show. The interviews are offered here as a contribution by the show and producer to the archive of information regarding the artists and music that the show was created to promote."

MEMORIES: Thoughts for Johnny in 2014

So there I was, standing outside of Symphony Space awaiting the start of the very first Celtic Fiddle Festival in New York. I was minding my own business when a cab stopped in front of the venue and a bearlike but very happy individual proceeded to exit from the back of the cab. After he had thanked the driver a number of times, he seemed like he needed the love fest to continue... I was in his line of site so he made straight for me in a slightly hunched manner. How are you? Smiles and more smiles. The bear hugs continued... I knew who he was-the king of the Scottish fiddle, the man who after all made "Fair Warning" and played with Silly Wizard. Gobsmacked I was, I was here to see him but it seemed he was here to see us. 'Twas always that way from future fiddle festivals to the 11th Street Bar. Johnny, we hardly knew ye... ~ Felex

Night in this land. I sure love this music. I'm sure Johnny is playing this song in heaven. ~ Jim S.

Casey's 10th Year (2013) Anniversary Tribute. For those of you who missed Casey Neill's heartwarming tribute to Johnny last year:

Thoughts on Johnny Cunningham, December 15, 2013 at 11:46am

Ten years ago this Sunday, Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham passed away in New York City from a heart attack at the age of 46. A decade later, his friendship and music continue to have a profound impact on my life. He was a giant soul - the kind of man who could walk into a bar full of strangers and in ten minutes everyone would be talking to him and laughing hysterically. He was a presence, usually clad in some combination of leather jacket, motorcycle boots, and scarf with long red hair, greying beard, and tattoos. I am no spiritualist but he had one foot in this world and one foot, or maybe just his big toe, somewhere else. And wow could he play the fiddle.