Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to EDDIE LEROY CUNNINGHAM. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
EDDIE LEROY, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.
Michael Douglas, son of actor Kirk Douglas, is one of the most awesome businessmen I have ever worked with. Michael loved my music and I was honored that his publishing company, Third Stone/Warner Chappell, allowed me to co-publish my music, Eddie Cunningham Music BMI.
I was recommended to Third Stone by my guitar player Danny Pinnella from Amber Band, a country rock band we started together with Barrie Dempsey in San Diego. When Danny and his band were signed to Third Stone, Betty Rosen in their A&R Department was looking for a country artist to sign and Danny told her about me. Michael’s president of Third Stone was Dick Rudolf, they offered me a writers contract and had me start writing songs to pitch to artists and songs for movies. I turned in a bunch of songs. I was and still am so very grateful for this hook up from Dan. He runs a big company in Burbank called Matter Music and I was a session singer there. I also wrote some songs with Dan and Matter including the Mac vs. PC “VISTA BLUES” for a TV commercial.
In this business, one thing leads to another, things trickle down and success comes as a chain reaction like an avalanche effect. There is more to my story of working for Michael Douglas which I will share later, but he excels as both an actor and a world class businessman.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
My name is Eddie Leroy Cunningham, a singer songwriter from Los Angeles, California now living in Nashville, Tennessee. I have co-written many songs with legendary multi-award-winning songwriters and artists. I am also a recording artist with many releases and my songs are recorded by numerous other artists as well.
After winning “The Jim Beam Country Band Search” at The Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville and being named “The Best Unsigned Country Artist in America,” I won “Best Gospel” at The Independent Music Awards for “JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME.” It was one of two songs I had featured on The Gram Parsons Notebook “The Last Whippoorwill” CD on Shellpoint/Echo Records, the three time Grammy nominated Gram Parsons tribute album that topped The Americana charts. I was also awarded “Songwriter of the Year” and “Male Vocalist of the Year” by C.C.M.A. (California Country Music Association). Those are a few highlights of my early music career. “JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME,” one of my legacy songs that I am most proud of, is described in its press release below.
“JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME”
In these extremely troubled times when our world is steeped in crisis and life is changing at a very rapid pace, Eddie Leroy Cunningham’s heart-blasting power gospel triumph “JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME” is both an invocation of healing and a stirring reminder of the role faith can play in the world transformation which is now at hand.
Anyone who has ever felt broken or at the end of their capacity to cope can relate to an anguished cry for help in the darkness. When all things human appear to be failing, we call out to The Divine hoping that our prayers will be answered. Prayers are not just words repeated by rote, they are a direct request for the illuminating and transforming power of Holiness to enter our lives and to change them. Through openness, humility and self-surrender, we may receive comfort, endurance and clarity on how to proceed.
Winner of The 8th Annual Independent Music Award for Best Gospel in worldwide competition, “JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME” was conceived and recorded as part of The Gram Parsons Notebook “The Last Whippoorwill” CD on Shellpoint/Echo Records. The song was co-written by Eddie Cunningham, Mike Ward, Ed Berghoff and, from the grave, the legend Gram Parsons who helped found the Country Rock and Alt-Country genres and popularized Cosmic American Music, a hybrid of Country, R & B, Soul, Folk and Rock.
“Producing The Gram Parsons Notebook was a total joy and an experience I’ll never forget,” said Grammy Award winning producer Carl Jackson. “Eddie poured his heart and soul into his performance on ‘JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME’ and I’m proud to be a small part of the emotion captured on that record forever for all to hear.” At the recording session, blind piano player Johnny Neel complimented Eddie’s performance saying, “You sing like a blind man.”
Prior to winning The Independent Music Award and three Grammy Award nominations, “JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME” earned The Southern California Music Award for Best Gospel, two nominations by The Los Angeles Music Awards for Best Gospel and Best Male Vocalist, The West Coast Songwriters International Award for Top Gospel, Honorable Mention in The Billboard World Song Contest, inclusion on The Top Ten Americana CD for The Gram Parsons Notebook, Top Christian Artist on Independent Gospel Online Radio and First Place on Broadjam.com’s Top Ten Country List.
The gospel powerhouse continues to win awards on Top Americana and Faith Based charts with no sign of stopping. The Independent Music Awards “Now Hear This” compilation CD including “JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME” made its debut on e-Music and immediately landed on the site’s Power Chart of The Top Ten Downloaded Albums in its vast catalog. More recently “JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME” earned Eddie Cunningham The Multi-Platinum Award for Worldwide Radio and DJ Downloads from The Gospel Charts at Airplay Express www.airplayexpress.com
Eddie Leroy Cunningham is a highly awarded Los Angeles and Nashville singer, songwriter and producer whose music is original, eclectic, multi-genre and aligned with the new heart of America and the world. As certain songs are identified with one particular artist, “JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME” is identified with the prolific, inspired and dynamic artist Eddie Leroy Cunningham. He owns “JESUS IS MORE THAN A NAME” with this very personal, passionate and soulful recording. He sings it from the heart and you know he has been there. It is a beautiful and hope-filled gift that one can benefit from receiving again and again, in the depth of darkness or in the clear light of day. ~ Two Poets Music & Media
“IF YOU NEED A MIRACLE” – A Song and It’s Journey
This is the story of the song I wrote with Dennis Knutson when I was signed to Third Stone Music, owned by Michael Douglas.
Words and music by Eddie Cunningham and Dennis Knutson
Published by Eddie Cunningham Music BMI and Major Bob Music ASCAP
Produced by Nick Martinelli
Vocal Performance by Ben E. King
For the motion picture Made In America starring Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Danson and Will Smith
Directed by Richard Benjamin
Michael Douglas first presented me to his staff at a round table meeting saying, “This is my new country artist, Eddie Cunningham. He will be our Nashville connection and is an award winning vocalist and songwriter. Eddie, would you tell everyone about yourself?” I said, “Well, I’m a California native and I have been writing songs with some great writers, going back and forth to Nashville, performing there, in Los Angeles and San Diego and recording a lot of my songs.” Michael said, “Would you play us a song Eddie?” and I said, “Sure, this is a song I performed at The Opry House on TNN for a show called You Can Be A Star hosted by Jim Ed Brown. It’s called ‘FOREVER AND ALWAYS IN LOVE’ and I wrote it for my parents.” I sang it, they all loved it and applauded and Michael smiled at me and said, “Stick around, I want to talk with you in my office.” That’s when he asked me to write a song for an upcoming movie.
Third Stone sent me to the screening of Made In America starring Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Danson and a young Will Smith. They wanted me to write a song to replace the Eric Clapton song “RUNNING ON FAITH” and so I did. I went to Tennessee to write with Dennis Knutson, a Hall of Fame writer who wrote many cuts for Buck Owens in Bakersfield and was signed to Major Bob Music on Music Row. Garth Brooks was also signed there.
I met Dennis through Lana Thrasher who hired me to sing demos of some of his songs. Dennis and I hit it off, we started writing together and we became good friends. Whenever I would come to town, Dennis would pick me up at the airport, I’d stay at his place in Gallatin and we would write a mess of songs.
When I was asked to write a song for Made In America, I immediately thought of Dennis. Third Stone flew me into Nashville and Dennis came to pick me up. On our way over to his double-wide in Gallatin, we passed a car lot called MIRACLE FORD. I already had an idea in mind for a verse chorus melody but when we passed that car lot, the word MIRACLE stayed with me. I thought, “If I ever needed a miracle, I need one right now.”
So I asked Dennis, “How ’bout a song called “IF YOU NEED A MIRACLE” and he said, “Okay, let’s write that.” The original first line was JESUS HAD A WHOLE LOTTA TROUBLES TOO, A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN ME AND YOU. That got changed to EVERYBODY’S GOT THEIR TROUBLES TOO, AND IT DON’T MATTER WHY YOU’RE FEELING BLUE. Soon we had all the verses and the chorus and Dennis nailed the bridge with I CAN’T HIDE THIS HURTIN’ FEELIN’, IT’S AS PLAIN AS BLACK AND WHITE, WE’RE BOTH PRISONERS OF OUR FREEDOM, AND THE CHAINS ARE WAY TOO TIGHT. Dennis is such a genius to come up with that perfect lyric. I am always blown away when we write.
Lana Thrasher was in charge of the demo session and she set it up at Bill Hullett’s studio. The recording of “IF YOU NEED A MIRACLE” was very magical and quite simple really, just piano, dobro, guitar and bass with some nice stacked harmonies. That demo caught the attention of Dick Rudolf at Third Stone. Originally we all thought of Garth Brooks to sing it but we couldn’t get a deal done with Bob Doyle, so Dick got Bobby Womack in line but that didn’t happen either. Dick asked Ben E. King, he was up for it and we recorded it at Victory Studios in Studio City, California. Nick Martinelli was the producer and that experience was amazing! Ben E. King had never heard the song so I had to teach it to him in the sound booth. I fed it to him line by line and he nailed it with his full heart and soul.
You know, it’s funny. When we wrote “IF YOU NEED A MIRACLE” I wasn’t even thinking about the outcome. It was my first song for a movie, I had no preconceived notions and I just placed it in God’s hands. I wasn’t worried about failing, I just moved forward and did the best I could. I didn’t even think about it really, it just happened. Looking back on it now, I see how blessed I was to work for Michael Douglas, for the legend Ben E. King to sing our words and to have a song in a movie with Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Danson and Will Smith.
Sometimes you don’t realize or see how cool stuff is when you’re in the middle of it or until years later. Unplanned things that are placed in God’s hands can unfold in ways that are better and more beautiful than anything you ever thought of. I believe that is the essential nature of both faith and miracles. I am forever grateful.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Getting positive feedback and approval from the listeners and the wonderful comments that just keep inspiring me to write more. The success of a song is great and having a million-seller platinum award on my wall is financially rewarding and a definite pat on the back, but to have an impact on someone’s life in a beautiful way is an incomparable experience.
To write a song from your heart, from your own personal life circumstances, happy or sad, to have it impact someone you don’t even know, and they come up to you and say, “That song changed my life and touched my heart.” That’s the fuel that burns my fire to write more. There is nothing better than that.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I want to leave a legacy of songs that help make this world a better place for everyone to live in, and for those songs to live on forever in the history of music and continue to do their job.
In closing I’d like to mention my new co-writers. Bob Monroe (Better Together Music SESAC) and I have been writing a bunch and we are very proud of our new recording “WISHES ROAD” that we wrote for Justin Bowman. I am writing a bunch of country and gospel songs with Bernie Faulkner, formerly with The Exiles. I’m also writing with my long time friend Les Browning. We are working on gospel songs and he is a fantastic guitar player.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://eddieleroycunningham.c
om - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddi
ecunninghammusicbmi - Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/eddiecu
nningham7 - Twitter: https://twitter.com/badcowboy7
- Other: ecunninghamsongs@yahoo.com
