Tommy Cunningham
Encyclopedia
Thomas "Tommy" Cunningham (born 22 June 1964, Drumchapel
, Glasgow
) is a Scottish
musician, best known as the drummer
for Wet Wet Wet
.
Cunningham's father, Tom Sr., bought his son his first drum kit
in 1977, "down the Social Club for £
15". Shortly thereafter, a chance meeting with Graeme Clark
on the school bus brought the two together.Over the next few years the two recruited fellow school friends Mark McLaughlan and Neil Mitchell and concentrated on writing their original songs and perfected their song writing craft
Cunningham acrimoniously left the band in 1997 after a dispute over royalty
payments, and the band went on tour in 1998 without him. At its conclusion, the three remaining members went their separate ways. In 2004, however, they reunited.
Cunningham owned a taxi
firm in Glasgow but sold it in 2008 to concentrate again on music. He still owns his local pub
, The Village Tavern in Duntocher
. In 2010 Cunningham along with Billy Sloan (DJ journalist) put on a benefit show for their friend Tim Steven (Tiger Tim, DJ ) Stevens suffers from multiple sclerosis and due to his illness had been forced to quit his job at Radio Clyde. On the same bill were Midge Ure, Jim Diamond, Gerard Kelly, Marti Pellow, Paulo Nutini and many more.
Tommy plays on Jim Diamond’s latest album “City of Soul” released by Camino Records (catalogue number CAMCD40, release date 3 October 2011). All proceeds from this album of Soul covers benefit the children's charity Radio Clyde Cash For Kids.
Drumchapel
Drumchapel , known to locals and residents as 'The Drum', is part of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, having been annexed from Dunbartonshire in 1938. It borders Bearsden to the east and Clydebank to the west . The area is bordered by Knightswood and Yoker in Glasgow. The name derives from the...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
) is a Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
musician, best known as the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
for Wet Wet Wet
Wet Wet Wet
Wet Wet Wet are a Scottish pop rock band that formed in the 1980s. They scored a number of hits in the British charts and around the world. The band is composed of Marti Pellow , Tommy Cunningham , Graeme Clark and Neil Mitchell...
.
Cunningham's father, Tom Sr., bought his son his first drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
in 1977, "down the Social Club for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
15". Shortly thereafter, a chance meeting with Graeme Clark
Graeme Clark (musician)
Graeme Clark is a Scottish musician, best known as the bass guitarist for Wet Wet Wet.In 1977, at the age of 12, Clark, a pupil at Clydebank High School, bought his first guitar for £10. Shortly thereafter, a chance meeting with Tommy Cunningham on the school bus brought the two together.-External...
on the school bus brought the two together.Over the next few years the two recruited fellow school friends Mark McLaughlan and Neil Mitchell and concentrated on writing their original songs and perfected their song writing craft
Cunningham acrimoniously left the band in 1997 after a dispute over royalty
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
payments, and the band went on tour in 1998 without him. At its conclusion, the three remaining members went their separate ways. In 2004, however, they reunited.
Cunningham owned a taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
firm in Glasgow but sold it in 2008 to concentrate again on music. He still owns his local pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, The Village Tavern in Duntocher
Duntocher
Duntocher is a village in Dunbartonshire, Scotland.Although it is a far older settlement and still considered a village in its own right, it is administratively part of nearby Clydebank along with the neighbouring village of Hardgate and is now part of the West Dunbartonshire local authority area...
. In 2010 Cunningham along with Billy Sloan (DJ journalist) put on a benefit show for their friend Tim Steven (Tiger Tim, DJ ) Stevens suffers from multiple sclerosis and due to his illness had been forced to quit his job at Radio Clyde. On the same bill were Midge Ure, Jim Diamond, Gerard Kelly, Marti Pellow, Paulo Nutini and many more.
Tommy plays on Jim Diamond’s latest album “City of Soul” released by Camino Records (catalogue number CAMCD40, release date 3 October 2011). All proceeds from this album of Soul covers benefit the children's charity Radio Clyde Cash For Kids.