DECEMBER 15TH, 2023 | JOHNNY’S 20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Johnny's Collection Donated to the School of Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh

The School of Scottish Studies Archives holds many recordings of folk and traditional music collected since the 1950s from Scotland and beyond. The Johnny Cunningham Collection fits well within our remit and is particularly valuable as it comprises the variety of work created by one individual. The Archives are still closely associated with the department of Celtic and Scottish Studies where, for a number of years, research has been ongoing on the folk music revival, the most recent study looking at composers in the New Traditional School in Scotland. At the present time the Johnny Cunningham Collection, held in our secure Archive Storage Area, is being processed and will then be catalogued and made more accessible to students and researchers.

Rachel Hosker
University Archivist
Research and Collections Manager

"The fastest way to learn of life’s fragility and brevity is the death of a friend. Johnny was my friend, a marvelous musician, and someone who represented the antithesis of indifference, selfishness, and boorishness, traits far too common in today’s world. Johnny loved people, and they loved him back. His stay was short but strong. We were lucky to have him for the time we did. He left this world a better place than when he arrived, giving us good times, great music, and vivid, lasting memories. And in memory he will continue to live: fiddling, laughing, and telling stories." - Earle and Nancy Hitchner

Johnny Cunningham and the 2003 Scotland at the Smithsonian Festival

As a folklorist with a long-standing interest in Scottish music, I knew who Johnny was long before I met him. His virtuoso performances on Silly Wizard recordings sparkled even in an ensemble of virtuosos. The speed and precision of his playing were remarkable; but it was the musicality of his slow airs that made me a fan.

When I finally saw Silly Wizard Live in New York sometime in the mid-1980s, I was delighted to discover that the ensemble also seconded as a comedy troupe. Between eloquently moving songs and astonishing instrumentals, the repartee – primarily between Andy M. Stewart and Johnny – was hysterical. Most of it was verbal, although I have a vivid recollection of Phil Cunningham being left by himself on the large Symphony Space stage to play an intricate set of, maybe, half-a-dozen reels. As he began the second reel – gaining in speed and intensity – suddenly, from stage left, there appeared a garbage can, which was slowly advancing from the wings pushed by a long poll and unseen forces. For the next five minutes, as Phil’s set became more and more virtuosic, the audience’s attention was rivetted on the advancing garbage can. Laughter increasing drowned out Phil’s amazing playing. I couldn’t swear Johnny was involved, but I wouldn’t bet against it.

But I digress: I set out to write about my only professional gig with Johnny. During the 1980s and ‘90s, I got to know Johnny as a friend. I also became acquainted with Phil during frequent trips to Scotland. Most of my work as a folklorist involved local New York research and programming, but that changed in 1999 when I went to work for the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (CFCH) – the Smithsonian division responsible for the annual two-week Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC. After several years as a staff curator, I convinced the powers-that-be to feature a program on the traditional music, crafts, and culture of contemporary Scotland at the 2003 Folklife Festival. And then, with Scottish funding and Smithsonian influence, I had the good fortune to book an absolutely stellar line-up of 60 or so Scottish musicians.

Top on my list to book for the Festival was Johnny – but for programmatic reasons, I wanted him to play with his brother Phil. The two of them hadn’t played together for quite a few years, and neither seemed to think the other would be interested in performing as a duo. Happily, after some discussion, both agreed. I think there was a very brief rehearsal the evening before their first appearance, but the years of not playing together were quickly erased. Their performances on the Mall over the next few days were magical and drew standing room only audiences.

Apparently, both had a good enough time playing together again that they set off on a short US tour a few weeks later. I hoped they would continue to tour as a duo, but Johnny’s tragic death a few months later ended that possibility. I will always be grateful that Johnny and Phil were kind enough to come to Washington for the Scottish Festival program. Their presence, artistry and good humor added enormously to the success of the event.

Nancy Groce, Senior Folklorist, Library of Congress

Nothing Compares: Review of Sinéad O’Connor Documentary, by Casey Neill

Sinéad O’Connor possesses a voice powerful and rare, one that emerges from someplace completely out of time. Her music cuts to the emotional core of her personal experience while carrying the beauty and rage of centuries of Irish women. When O’Connor rose to stardom, her songwriting and public activism reached far into the future. She was truly revolutionary and the machinery of mainstream culture simply couldn’t handle it. The new documentary, Nothing Compares, speaks from that place, with O’Connor herself providing narration along with a cavalcade of admirers and friends. The film focuses on the trauma the singer suffered from her abusive mother and moves through the first six years of her meteoric career.

Seamlessly directed by Kathryn Ferguson, Nothing Compares contains dreamlike reenactments of moments in O’Connor’s childhood to drive the narrative. Archival footage of punks in Dublin, rastas on Portobello Road and historical news events from the ‘80s help set the scene. Clips of O’Connor often pause on her expressions, allowing her face to carry the moment to stirring effect. She was just 20 years old when she released her first record, The Lion and the Cobra, in 1987 to widespread acclaim. The stunning centerpiece of that album, “Troy,” was written for the mother who used to lock her outside in the back garden for days. The lyrics to “Troy” reference W.B. Yeats’ poem ‘No Second Troy’ and the film places O’Connor squarely in the tradition of other great Irish poets and activist artists. As O’Connor says, “I come from a country where there used to be riots in the streets over plays. That’s what art is for.”

Both her sophomore album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990) and the single “Nothing Compares 2 U” went number one and made O’Connor a bonafide global superstar. The ensuing dramas of her tearing up the picture of the Pope on SNL, and then being booed at Bob Dylan’s tribute show in New York are well known but it’s jarring to see the footage again. The irony of being jeered for speaking truth to power at a Dylan birthday concert is staggering, even more so since not a single one of the artists who followed her said a thing on stage in her defense.

Lost in all the public conflagration was the point she was trying to make. It was about the widespread sexual abuse within the Catholic church that was systematically and willfully covered up. It was about the fight for the rights of women against patriarchal moralists the world over, and the horrifying history of the Magdalene laundries in Ireland. O’Connor’s activism for the right to abortion access, candid discussion of child abuse and support for the LGBTQ+ community are now commonplace for modern pop stars but at the time she was seen as a petulant troublemaker who had somehow been allowed into the rarefied ranks of celebrity. Other pop stars, actors, late night hosts and comedians trashed her repeatedly in the aftermath. Yet as more information has come to light on the abuses of the priesthood, the documentary draws on the reporting of these scandals to show how very right she was.

In Nothing Compares we hear from an array of voices clearly picked for their relevance as opposed to notoriety. There are interviews with people close to O’Connor like her longtime musical collaborator and first husband, John Reynolds, and her childhood best friend, Clodagh Latimer. Chuck D of Public Enemy weighs in, as do Peaches, Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and the songwriter John Grant (O’Connor covers his song “Queen of Denmark” on 2012 record How About I Be Me (And You Be You?). They all provide insight into how inspiring she was to so many outsider artists at the very same time the mainstream culture was eviscerating her.

Nothing Compares effectively goes up to 1993 when O’Connor’s pop star era ended and only at the closing titles do we hear a contemporary performance from Shuhada Sadaqat (her current name) singing “Thank You for Hearing Me.” But her career was hardly over. In 1994, she followed with the album Universal Mother and its ferocious single “Fire on Babylon.” She has toured extensively ever since and released six fantastic records – the trad Irish one, the reggae one, the one of adapted psalms. My only quibble with this compelling documentary is that it leaves out these 25 years of excellent music, but for that there is O’Connor’s excellent 2021 memoir, Rememberings, to fill in the gaps. Sadly, O’Connor has been in the news more lately for health reasons and the tragic death of her son, Shane, than her music. Nothing Compares thankfully doesn’t include her more recent struggles. After the pop world spit O’Connor out, what she had left was what she had painstakingly earned – a more reasonably scaled global audience that would listen to every recording and come to see her in the tradition of the traveling singer she always wanted to be.


Today in Ireland, there is marriage equality regardless of who you love and abortion is legal in the Republic. While one of the most historically conservative countries moves closer to an era of inclusion and freedom the very same puritanical forces that once boycotted Sinéad are taking away women’s autonomy over their own bodies in the United States. Nothing Compares connects these threads and is never anything short of riveting. It does an excellent job providing context for O’Connor’s actions while never losing sight of the brilliant, sensitive and truly prescient artist at the center. As O’Connor herself says, “They tried to bury me. They didn’t realize I was a seed.” - RIP Sinéad O’Connor

DECEMBER 15TH, 2022 | JOHNNY’S 19-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

'The Realm of Froud' tribute for Johnny featuring 'Peter & Wendy' score

Artistic Tribute to Johnny

DECEMBER 15TH, 2021 | JOHNNY’S 18-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Casey Neill’s 1998 album, Skree!, produced by Johnny

Casey shares: "In the late 90s, I was performing with a Trio featuring Zak Borden on mandolin and Anthea Lawrence on fiddle. Johnny Cunningham had agreed to produce a new album for us and flew out from New Bedford to Seattle in December of 1998. We lived and worked at Sage Arts Studios in Arlington, WA for a week of concentrated recording and mixing. Johnny's goal was to capture our sound with no fuss. Quick and gritty. Rough like skree. Apart from the three of us, we had banjo virtuoso Danny Barnes drop in, Jason Montgomery on dobro, some percussion from Bob Conger, accordion from Nova Devonie, and flute and shakuhatchi from Hanz Araki who would later join the band. The results capture the pace we worked at and focus and intent and Johnny had. The album features a healthy pile of my original songs, one trad Irish song, two instrumental sets of tunes (Destitution Road composed by Brian McNeill of Battlefield Band is one). Zak and Anthea's harmonies and playing had been honed from a year of near constant touring with me. There were antics of course. There was the folkpunky "Scrounge Around" (aka Scroonge Aroond) where Johnny conspired to have flashing disco lights in the recording room in order to coax the proper energy out of me. One of the more magical moments was when Hanz put shakuhatchi on the album closing version of the Scottish song 'Mingulay Boat Song' and we all sat in the control room with goose bumps. We had friends come cook meals, we watched Barbarella, we laughed a lot. "Skree" was a moment in time and I will remember it forever."

SKREE! It was 1999 and it was my second record for the socially conscious folk label Appleseed Recordings. The previous album (the self-titled one) featured extensive fiddle parts played by Irish fiddler Martin Hayes. So Anthea Lawrence joined up on fiddle and along with Zak we formed the Casey Neill Trio and added three part vocal harmonies to the mix as well. We toured hard and worked up the new songs alongside the old. I had set aside the rock band format (for the moment) and took inspiration from the trad music we were all obsessed with - bluegrass, old-timey, Irish, and Scottish. One of the bands we loved was Scotland's Silly Wizard and their fiddler Johnny Cunningham had become a well respected producer in the USA. He had seen me play in Portland at the old East Avenue Tavern and I wrote him a letter to ask if he'd work with us. He said yes and for one week we all lived at Sage Arts Studios in Arlington, WA. We were joined by banjo player Danny Barnes, Irish flute player Hanz Araki (who would later join the band), Jason Montgomery on dobro, Nova Devonie on accordion, and our pal Bob Conger on percussion. It was a lively and hilarious week and to this day I hear that spirit in the music. It was my first music produced by Johnny Cunningham which began a fruitful partnership over the following years.

There are some party songs (A Mighty Love), a few love songs (Love is a Killing Ting), instrumental pieces (Destitution Road), songs about city life (Emma's Garden'), rural life ('Okanogan County') and two traditional songs. While sailing on the Clearwater Sloop in New York, Pete Seeger had taught me his version of the Scottish ballad 'Mingulay Boat Song' which to this day is the most important song in the world to me. It has never left my sets and it closes 'Skree'. Other songs were very much inspired by environmental activism. I had done a tour around the Rockies with a group called Ancient Forest Rescue to raise awareness about a campaign to oppose logging in the Sangre de Christo Mountains in San Luis, Colorado. The protests were in solidarity with the local Hispanic farming community whose water rights dated back to the Mexican-American wars. The song "Saints of the Ditches" is about this history. We'll be talking about all this in the show. Come join us as we try to get it under our fingers again.

Memory of Johnny, by Virgina Dell'Olio

We have all come across people who in some small subtle way change our lives. Maybe it’s their approach to life or their charm, kindness or talent. And more often than not, when we think about them we often smile. That’s how I feel about Johnny. Whenever I was around him I was struck by his sense of humor, his warmth & his kindness not to mention his incredible talent. And because of that I learned to love the music he created with his fiddle. I learned to first appreciate the fiddle & then eventually I came to love it. That’s how he changed my life. His music was unapologetically raw yet soulful. To listen to him play was like getting in touch with one’s soul. To this day, I cannot listen to the fiddle being played without smiling & remembering him always.

In Memorium, Lee Breuer 1937 - 2021

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mabou Mines co-founder Lee Breuer on January 3, 2021. He died peacefully at home surrounded by love and loved ones. Lee is survived by his wife and artistic partner Maude Mitchell, daughter Clove Galilee, sons Lute Ramblin Breuer, Alexander Tiappa Klimovitsky, Mojo Lorwin, and Wah Mohn and grandchildren Bella, Ruma and Jack Breuer.” Johnny worked for years with Lee Breuer on the creation of Peter & Wendy, a show he was most proud of.

Numberless are the world's wonders
But none more wonderful than man
Words and thought rapid as air
He fashions for his use
And his the skill that deflects the arrows of snow
The spears of winter rain

From every wind he has made himself secure
From every wind he has made himself secure
From all but one ... all but one
In the late wind of death he cannot stand

Sophocles, Adapted by Lee Breuer for The Gospel at Colonus

A Lukey Tale! By Beth Telford, Vermont

One autumn day in 2003, an email arrived at my house from Johnny, addressing my dog Lukey. In the email, Johnny asked Lukey to bring his pets Clint and Beth to his upcoming concert in Nelson, NH. Lukey’s pets were delighted to attend, as was Lukey. (At the door, we explained to the organizers that Lukey was invited by Johnny, and he was welcomed with opened arms, and many pats). As events transpired, Lukey helped to make the performance extra special…

Trisha was so happy to see Lukey, that she took over the care of him for the evening. They sat together in the back of the hall, while Clint and I opted for front row seats. At some point during the concert, the sound system began to malfunction, resulting in the sound cutting out and then coming back on at intervals. This led to some very funny improv between Johnny and the audience in which Johnny would mime playing and talking, and the audience would mime applauding. At one point, Johnny asked “Are you doing this, Lukey?” And, as we all later found out, it was indeed Lukey - stepping on and off the extension chord - who contributed to an extra-memorable performance that night!

Dear Johnny, I miss your impish behavior, the laughs, the snow angels, the “miracle of birth”, and, oh yeah, the amazing tunes. I hope you’re doing all of that to an appreciative audience somewhere…

Johnny and Phil Cunningham

The tunes are: "The Laird of Drumblair" - strathspey, with a reel version played by Johnny "Jean's Reel" - Phil's solo "The Musical Priest" - final reel played by both.

DECEMBER 15TH, 2020 | JOHNNY’S 17-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Remembering Johnny, from Ken Hartnett (former Editor of The Standard-Times)

Johnny left so many memories: his instant parties often with visiting musicians, his lush musicianship, his quicksilver wit: Johnny on the outdoor stage at the summer fest celebration and the wind comes up suddenly tearing the tent from its moorings as Johnny was in the middle of a set: he stops suddenly picks up the mic and says: welcome to the set of twister.

He mixed brilliant artistry and sensitivity with a comic zaniness. Whether on stage or off, telling his favorite stories again and again but never in the same style. The narrative always stayed the same but the details he stressed could vary with mood and audience. He always respected who he was conversing whether a child or an old man and he was amazing with children and young people and could enter their world as easily as he entered his own. He could see into the other world too, the world of the dead. Once he entered a New Bedford restaurant but got no further than a few feet from the door before he turned and walked out before he was ever seated. He said he saw an assembly of the dead inside and felt and practically smelled their spilled blood.

But I remember how he loved life and squeezed every bit of juice from the grape every precious day.

He loved the vintage Lincoln he bought in the last year of his life. A big bomb of a luxury car that guzzled gas voraciously. I drove from New Bedford to Newport in that living room on wheels with Johnny to go Christmas shopping and he was never happier than behind that wheel and limping down the holiday streets that day before what would prove to be the last Christmas of his life. He bought a few nonsense gifts to put in. A few stockings while breathing deep of the smells and sounds of the season. He knew life was fleeting and death was nigh but that didn’t seem to frighten him. Rather it made him more keenly attuned to make each moment count. He did that till the end.

Johnny Memories by Holly Graybill

Johnny was all about the story, no one’s was too small or too trite. Whether you were his long time dear friend or had just met him, he wheedled one out of you only to regale you in return with his own. He had that gift of connection, not only through his music but with his relentless wit and daily mystery and myth-making.

Upon one of his group’s trip to the deep south, they had stopped at a convenience store. Upon chewing the shit with the proprietor, as only Johnny could, they got to the door whereupon the storekeeper called out, “Y’all come back now!” So they all turned around and chatted some more. After the third time or so Johnny got the gist. He could make us laugh with his stories. “Johnny y’all come back now.” Your presence is missed!

Johnny and Casey During the Making of Album Skree

By Ari

Johnny and Trisha, Thanks for teaching me to always fly free like a seagull amongst the sand dunes of Horseneck Beach. I have many memories of laughter and jokes. From dancing at Candleworks, to writing about the adventures of Alligator Buddy and Scooter. My childhood had many special moments with you both. I am saddened that I did not get to know you as an adult, I know that we would have got into some fun mischief. Fly free like a seagull always, Johnny. All my love.

New Bedford Whaling Museum Calls for Stories as Part of the Common Ground Community Project

New Bedford is an extraordinary place of infinite possibilities where different paths from around the world have intersected and defined the city’s character. The Museum is collecting and sharing the stories of the Greater New Bedford community – in your own words. Community members have the opportunity to lend their voice to the collective story of Greater New Bedford using writing, audio, video, and other means of recording. The initiative will culminate in an exhibition that shares the lived experiences of our enduring and dynamic communities.

From its beginnings as a part of Wampanoag territory to its early Azorean and Cape Verdean immigrants, and more recent Central American and Caribbean immigrants, the common thread throughout New Bedford’s history has been migration and ethnic and cultural diversity—the heartbeat of this port city. Like a mosaic, this exhibition will highlight how the diverse identities and individual stories intersect to create a singular picture of New Bedford – finding the common ground. Visit the website for more information.

Rest In Peace, Justin Townes Earle

Drum strumming his acoustic guitar at the back of 11th Street Bar, Justin filled our world with songs and stories.
A true troubadour whose constant greeting was "Hello, goodbye, I must be traveling."
May his sojourn into the Otherworld bring peace to his weary soul. Forever lad, you are our star.

NYC "Collective Pause" Outdoor Art during the pandemic of 2020

DECEMBER 15TH, 2019 | JOHNNY’S 16-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Silly Wizard (Reissue of their 1976 Debut)

by Peter Shaw, 21 May 2019

Just when I thought I had the story of 70s British folk tied up, along comes a release to help re-write my musical history book.

The incredibly influential Scottish folk band Silly Wizard was formed in Edinburgh 1970 around a nucleus of Gordon Jones (interviewed here by Folk Radio) and Bob Thomas who were both at university and a little later by Johnny Cunningham who was still at school which must have made touring a challenge. Gordon recalls the band picking up Johnny at the school gate “to be driven to Sutherland for a gig and be decanted from the van at the school gates next morning!” They kept themselves busy as the band also ran the Triangle Folk Club in Edinburgh on Saturday nights. Their first tour abroad was in 1972 and maybe not so well known is that they also toured around Britain along with a female singer for a while – Maddy Prior. It was around this time that they were approached by Transatlantic Records and recorded an album in two days which has never been seen or heard since… So catch this wonderful piece of wizardry, and don’t be deceived, there’s very little here that could be classed as silly. Classy, yes. Magical, aye. Silly, nae danger.

Read the full article on FolkRadio.co.uk

New Bedford Summer Folk Festival’s Celtic Extravaganza

‘Songs of Love and Struggle’: Casey Neill & The Norway Rats Push Through Changing Times

“…With the maturation of his voice came a development in his music. For Brooklyn Bridge, Neill teamed with producer Johnny Cunningham, an internationally recognized Scottish fiddle player. Cunningham felt the songs Neill was playing would be better suited with backing from an Americana rock band rather than the Irish trio he had in mind with Hanz Araki on flute. “I’ve seen your record collection. All you do is listen to the Clash!” Cunningham said to him. So he moved to New York for three years and they began to assemble a new electric-leaning band. The group they formed planted the seeds for The Norway Rats. But Cunningham died in December 2003 of a heart attack at age 46. Brooklyn Bridge would eventually be released in 2007, but Neill admits he was lost after Cunningham’s death. “I spent the next few years trying to figure out what the hell to do,” he said. “King Neptune” and Subterrene’s “In The Swim” pay tribute to Cunningham’s effect, but Neill decided his best move was to return to Portland and start another band…”

Read about Casey Neill’s journey through music here and here

The Passing of Len Leone

This past year, Johnny's friend and artist, Len Leone passed away.

Len had made a number of paintings and watercolors after Johnny's death. R.I.P. Len.

A Tribute to Kelley Looney Fundraiser at the 11th Street Bar, December 15th from 7-10pm

Years back, Kelley had shared a tribute to Johnny at Usher Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland. Many blessings to him on his Afterlife sojourn. His compassion and generous spirit lives on within us.

On December 15, 2019, the anniversary of Johnny’s passing, there will be a celebration of the wonderful life of Kelley Looney at the 11th Street Bar in New York, from 7-10pm. Please join us for some live music by his numerous incredible friends, and be generous. Donations will go towards the Kelley Looney Children’s Fund. Help us help his children, Camille and Julien. If you can't join us please consider donating to the GoFundMe.

THE PRICKLE: Chris Thile Brings the 11th Street Bar Irish Session to Carneige Hall, March 2019

NY TIMES: Traditional Irish Sessions Are Thriving. Try Not to Spill the Beer.
Sessions are the lifeblood of a centuries-old musical tradition. In New York bars, musicians are showing up, unpacking their instruments and diving in.

By Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, July 23, 2019

“The Tradfather was holding court at the 11th St. Bar in the East Village during a pause between jigs when his mood temporarily darkened. Amid the small cluster of regulars who flock to this live Irish music session on Sundays was a newcomer who, beer in hand, was flirting with one of the musicians.

“She’s playing,” the Tradfather cut in, jabbing his fiddle bow in the air. “We’re not talking,” he added, inserting an expletive for good measure. Then he put bow to string and started on a jaunty hornpipe.

The fiddler’s real name is Tony DeMarco. In a former life, he was a commodities trader, but over the past 30 years he has become the central figure of the Irish traditional music scene in New York and one of its few members to pursue this art full time. Brooklyn-born, of mixed Italian and Irish descent, DeMarco is one of the foremost practitioners of Sligo fiddle playing, a regional style characterized by busy fingerwork, baroque ornamentation and frequent blue notes. Among fellow musicians, who revere his technique and fear his tongue, he is known as the Tradfather of the New York sessions scene.” Read more…

DECEMBER 15TH, 2018 | JOHNNY'S 15-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

"Snow Pome" written by Johnny for Winter Talisman Album

Casey Neill Remembers Johnny at the 2018 Faerieworlds Festival

Spoken Memories of Johnny Cunningham, with Kevin Burke

Blarney Star Bar on Murray Street Where Johnny Performed

Johnny on Board the Gazela Ship When it Visited New Bedford, MA

Silly Wizard Fiddler Johnny Cunningham to Have a Street Named after Him

Field of Lilies, by Lee Bone Smith in Memory of JC

Johnny's Dear Friend, Barry Crimmins Passed Away in February 2018

Barry Crimmins Remembers Bill Morrissey and Johnny Cunningham on his Blog: Requiem Friday, November 18, 2011

“NOTE: I had several requests for a copy of the remarks I made at the 11/17/11 Bill Morrissey tribute concert. What a night! And here ya go:

Bill Morrissey and I were friends before we ever shared a stage together. Every time we did a show, it was something we drummed up, always with the help of Ellen Karas, so we could introduce ourselves to one another's audiences -- but mostly so we had an excuse to hang out together. There was nothing better than hanging with Bill.

When we met, we were both Boston-based acts making our first serious forays onto the national scene, We had a lot in common. We crossed paths all over the country. We shared information…” Read Barry’s full blog post

Remembering Bill Morrissey and Johnny

"The pipes, the pipes are calling" August 1, 1993, Charlotte Observer Article on Swannanoa Gathering

R.I.P. Brendan O'Reilly 1959-2018, Founder of the 11th Street Bar

Leslie Mendelson from the 11th Street Bar Shares Her Beautiful Song, Happy New Year, Released December 13, 2018

Johnny’s favorite watering hole, the 11th Street Bar, is host (and home) to many musicians, and also has the joy of Leslie Mendelson hosting their annual Christmas party. Listen to her newly released song, Happy New Year.

DECEMBER 15TH, 2017 | JOHNNY'S 14-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

The Dark of Winter (Reflections on a Scottish Christmas), by Johnny Cunningham

The dark of winter wraps around us tight.
The lamps are fired, and flickering light
beats time to the fiddle as notes float softly down, like the years' first snow.
While outside the window a blast of late December wind
whistles harmony to the drone of the pipes.
We push the old year back against the wall
so we can dance a jig for Christmas and welcome in the new.

Maeve Gilchrist recited Johnny's poem at the Zeiterion Theater on December 15th, 2016.

New Bedford's Zeiterion Theater: Seamus Egan Music Director, A Christmas Celtic Sojourn

New Bedford's Zeiterion Theater will again present A Christmas Celtic Sojourn on December 19 2017, with music director and friend of Johnny's Seamus Egan.

Last year's show was held on December 15th, the anniversary date of Johnny's passing. The show opened with the poem written by Johnny Cunningham and spoken by Maeve Gilchrist. A beautiful tribute, at a beautiful theater, around the corner from where Johnny lived.

"Brian O’Donovan’s A Celtic Sojourn has entertained and enlightened radio audiences since 1986. Now celebrating a decade and a half of holiday performances, the Christmas-time live version of the show draws on Celtic, Pagan, and Christian traditions to celebrate the music of the season. A Christmas Celtic Sojourn reflects the compelling and diverse offerings of the weekly national radio program plus the excitement of a live show featuring the Celtic world’s best performers. The 2017 iteration of the show promises once again to be one of the chestnuts of the region’s Christmas offerings.

About the Show's Music: Solas Music Director Seamus Egan of Solas and Assistant Music Director Maeve Gilchrist from Edinburgh lead a phenomenal fiddle section of Liz Knowles, Jenna Moynihan and 15-year old phenom Haley Richardson. In the rhythm section, percussionist Ben Wittman rejoins the cast after a three-year hiatus and Chico Huff returns on bass. Virtuosic Uilleann piper Joey Abarta makes his debut with A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, along with fellow first-timer and celebrated guitarist Owen Marshall. The show is delighted to welcome back the extraordinary cellist Natalie Haas to complete the Christmas Celtic ensemble."

For more information email celtic@wgbh.org.

Happy Holidays from all of us at johnnycunningham.com

Season's greetings and festive wishes from Johnny's archive to fans and friends around the world - a new website!

While it looks suspiciously similar to Johnny's original website, trust us that behind the scenes it is running quicker, works with a new content management system, is mobile responsive, and will stand the test of time and software updates :)

Enjoy!

Duncan Chisholm Plays Johnny's Classic "Night In That Land"

Artist Len Leone Brings Johnny to the Salmagundi Club, August 2017

Len Leone had one of his paintings of Johnny selected for the Salmagundi Club's Annual Non-Juried Members' Summer Exhibition in August 2017. Congratulations Len!

Leonard Leone was a former art instructor at Marymount Manhattan College of Continuing Education, and is now a Life Member of The Art Students League and an Artist Fellow of The American Society of Aviation Artists.

Paintings of Johnny are for now available for purchase. See more of Len's paintings of Johnny, or contact len@lenleone.com

Artist Renee Maloof McCormick Remembers Johnny

Renee, now 92, has been a long time supporter of Johnny's website and preserving his collection. Many thanks to her continued support and affection for Johnny. She drew these black and white sketches the last time she saw Johnny perform in NYC.

Mabou Mines opens after renovation with Lee Breuer's Glass Guignol: The Brother and Sister Play

This fall Mabou Mines defied the odds. In October, the venerable theatre company returned to its longtime home base, a space, now renovated and expanded, in the East Village of Manhattan's cultural hub, 122 Community Center (122CC). Lee Breuer, now 80 years old, still continues to create with his new play conceived along with his muse Maude Mitchell. The play is a fantastical mix of Beckett, Fellini and the Marx Brothers, with a tour de fore performance by both Greg Mehrten (Brother) and Maude Mitchell, (Sister).

"In conversation, Breuer effortlessly reveals himself as a philosopher, a man of thought with the uncanny ability to announce incisive edicts on the nature of art, theatre, and aesthetics with the candor of any old off-the-cuff remark: 'I’m rather convinced of the sociobiological take on theatre,' Breuer casually noted during our phone call. 'I see culture as mimetically Darwinian; it perpetuates itself in images and proliferates throughout history. Quantum truth is nothing unless it is observed and measured. It is a scientific process, and culture essentially becomes an evolutionary force.'”

Johnny spent many years working with the members of Mabou Mines on the production of Peter and Wendy. He had this to say about the importance of culture, "The Celts were always travelling, but wherever they travel, they take what's important: music, poetry, dancing, storytelling and humour. Those are the most portable of cultural items."

Seamen’s Bethel, Mariners’ Home Restoration Officially Complete, by Steve Urbon & Southeast Today

"The New Bedford Port Society made some history Friday as it officially opened the like-new Seamen’s Bethel and Mariners’ Home on Johnny Cake Hill. It has taken about $3 million and a few years, but the 1832 Bethel has been brought back from the brink of destruction thanks to heroic preservation and fundraising efforts.

The Bethel and Mariners’ Home “are part of the core history of this city,” Montigny said. “These two buildings needed to be saved.” Walker observed that were it not for whaling, Herman Melville would be without a story to tell in “Moby-Dick.” The Bethel and Mariners’ Home are open during the Whaling Museum’s regular hours. Admission is free with the Whaling Museum admission. Admission without the museum’s ticket has been free, but a small donation is welcomed. The Bethel being a church, it cannot sell tickets but can accept donations."

View of the New Bedford Harbor from Johnny's Apartment Terrace

Johnny, a longtime lover of the maritime, would often find relaxation in watching the continuous activity of the New Bedford Harbor, one of the treasures on the East Coast.

Special Memory from Johnny's Friend, hh

Dec 15, 2017

Hope all are well. Missing my friend Johnny today. Aye……….and of course he would’a been 60 this year. It’s been a very long time since he left us. And I’ll be thinking of him when I’m playin’ a set later tonight. As I tend to do sometimes when playing anyway. Miss ye.

Slainte Johnny. hh

Farewell to Friend of Johnny's and Manager for The Pogues, Frank Murray

"Live and enjoy the present. Now is where it's at." - Frank

"The Pogues manager Frank Murray passed away on December 22, 2016, of a suspected heart attack. He was 66. 

Murray began working with the legendary Celtic punk band in the mid-1980s after seeing them play at the Hope & Anchor in London at the urging of late guitarist Phil Chevron, who joined the band soon after. He had previously been the tour manager for Thin Lizzy, Elton John and The Specials."

Read Frank's full obituary on Billboard

Sarah Poten, Dana Gerson and Kenny O'Conner attended Frank's memorial service in Dublin, and shared these images.

Keep Fighting the Madness and Make Your Own Path

"Create your own Universe..." and other words of wisdom from a young YouTube artist, Maximus Thor. We end our 2017 memorial news with this funny video and poignant message that Johnny would have loved.

Click here to read news and memories of Johnny from years past:

• 2005-2010

• 2011-2012

• 2013

• 2014

• 2015

• 2016