April 09, 2008
Fashion for a cause
Fox 6 News personality Jeh Jeh Pruitt and his wife, Kerri, closed out the LadyBUGS Fashion Show luncheon Tuesday afternoon with a performance of “Unforgettable.” The LadyBUGS annual fashion show was held at Cedar Grove Baptist Church and local favorites the Monkey’s Uncle and the Straw Hat provided the fashions. The fashion show raises enough money to provide $1,000 in scholarships to both Leeds and Moody High Schools
November 15, 2007
Cunningham Returns as Part of Livery Stable Concert Series
by Lora Carroll
Singer and songwriter Austin Cunningham will be making his way back to Leeds this Saturday. Cunningham will be performing for the Old Livery Stable Concert Series held at The Straw Hat.
Cunningham is a country boy who grew up in Garland, Texas, but like so many other musicians, found his way to Nashville to pursue his dreams.
“If I had to choose between singer and songwriter, it would have to be songwriter, but I hope I never have to choose because I love to write and perform,” said Cunningham. Cunningham has written songs for artists such as Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, Kenny Rogers and Jason Michael Carroll and that only scratches the surface.
Cunningham is excited about traveling back to Leeds. He got to visit once before and said it’s almost like a second home. He even wrote a song about Leeds called “Take Me Home to Leeds, Alabama.” He said he wrote the song while performing and joking around and he loved the way it turned out, so it stuck.
Cunningham has been writing music for over 20 years and has written over 900 songs. Only 60 to 70 have been major label songs. He still tries to get the rest of his music to the public by playing them himself. He would like to see as many songs as possible recorded.
Cunningham says he has to give credit to his manager, Tammy Nance for introducing him to the city of Leeds. She knows people from Leeds and got Cunningham to play a gig here.
“My first show I fell in love with the place and the people and in turn they seemed to fall in love with me,” said Cunningham. “I feel something special about Leeds and the people who live there.”
“It’s like performing a scientific experiment,” said Cunningham. “I’ve never met anybody from Alabama I didn’t like.”
He jokes that some of the folks from Alabama said to give them a little while and they could introduce him to a few. All and all Cunningham feels right at home in Alabama.
Whether his music is heart wrenching or happy-go-lucky his strong voice and acoustic sound always seem to captivate his audience.
“His songs aren’t the only thing that resonates,” says Meredith Frye, an events coordinator in Kentucky. “It’s his down-to-earth-I-know-you-from-somewhere personality. If you’re a writer looking for inspiration, a music buff, or just someone wanting to be entertained for a while, don’t miss the chance to hear and meet this shining star from Texas,” said Frye.
Austin Cunningham will perform at The Straw Hat on Thornton Avenue on Saturday, Nov. 17th, at 7 p.m. For more information on Cunningham, visit austincunningham.com.
