Post by Rob Durkee on Oct 16, 2012 19:41:48 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
Blake Baker Cunningham Jr., better known as B.B. Cunningham, formerly of the group the Hombres, died Sunday, October 14, 2012. He was 70. He was the organist for the Hombres and co-wrote their only Top 40 hit, "Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)." Cunningham was shot and killed while working as a security guard in the Memphis area. He was coming to the aid of a fellow security guard.
Henry White, age 16, also was shot to death in the incident. Dock Britt, age 22, was arrested shortly after the incident while trying to flee. Britt has been charged with first degree murder in the death of Cunningham, according to the Associated Press.
Cunningham had been a member of Jerry Lee Lewis' band since 1997 while working on the side as a security guard to make ends meet financially. He was part of a musical family as his brother, Bill Cunningham, was an original member of the Box Tops of "The Letter" fame.
According to writer Wayne Jancik ("The Billboard Book Of One-Hit Wonders"), B.B. Cunningham's Memphis musical roots go back to the mid-50's. While still in his teens, he played drums on at least one Elvis Presley session at Sun Records. Later in the 60's, Cunningham joined guitarist Gary Wayne McEwen (who co-wrote "Let It All Hang Out") and drummer Johnny Will Hunter to form the corp of the Hombres. Bassist Jerry Lee Masters would round out the group's lineup after "Let It All Hang Out" got released on the Verve Forecast label.
The group was the touring edition of Ronny and the Daytonas of "G.T.O." fame traveling to Houston for a gig when it came up with the idea for its only hit record. "I'd heard the phrase from someone that I was staying with at a boarding house," Cunningham told Goldmine's Stu Fink. "I didn't invent the phrase. It was just in the wind. What got us to put it into a tune was when we heard Bob Dylan's 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' on the radio. We thought that Dylan was putting the kids on. So we figured, 'If that sold records, then we could do something crazy, and really put the kids on."
An unknown number of labels turned down the song but producer Shelby Singleton liked it. He hooked up the group with fellow producer Huey P. Meaux. "Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)" peaked at #7 on the Cash Box pop chart in the fall of 1967.
The song's most mysterious aspect was what Cunningham mutters at the beginning of the record. Wikipedia, however, came up with the answer: "A preachment, dear friends, you are about to receive on John Barleycorn, nicotine and the temptations of Eve." That line came from a 1947 novelty record entitled "Cigareetes, Whuskey And Wild, Wild Women" by Red Ingle And His Natural Seven.
"Let It All Hang Out" was part of the "Nuggets" compilation LP and would become popular again as part of the soundtrack of the 2005 movie, "Elizabethtown."
B.B. Cunningham had been working on an album with his son, Joseph. The younger Cunningham explained why his dad got into security work, noting, "He loved protecting people and standing up for people's rights and watching their back. Music was his life. He was given a God-given talent. He not only played, but he helped young musicians. He was loved and well respected."
Blake Baker Cunningham Jr., better known as B.B. Cunningham, formerly of the group the Hombres, died Sunday, October 14, 2012. He was 70. He was the organist for the Hombres and co-wrote their only Top 40 hit, "Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)." Cunningham was shot and killed while working as a security guard in the Memphis area. He was coming to the aid of a fellow security guard.
Henry White, age 16, also was shot to death in the incident. Dock Britt, age 22, was arrested shortly after the incident while trying to flee. Britt has been charged with first degree murder in the death of Cunningham, according to the Associated Press.
Cunningham had been a member of Jerry Lee Lewis' band since 1997 while working on the side as a security guard to make ends meet financially. He was part of a musical family as his brother, Bill Cunningham, was an original member of the Box Tops of "The Letter" fame.
According to writer Wayne Jancik ("The Billboard Book Of One-Hit Wonders"), B.B. Cunningham's Memphis musical roots go back to the mid-50's. While still in his teens, he played drums on at least one Elvis Presley session at Sun Records. Later in the 60's, Cunningham joined guitarist Gary Wayne McEwen (who co-wrote "Let It All Hang Out") and drummer Johnny Will Hunter to form the corp of the Hombres. Bassist Jerry Lee Masters would round out the group's lineup after "Let It All Hang Out" got released on the Verve Forecast label.
The group was the touring edition of Ronny and the Daytonas of "G.T.O." fame traveling to Houston for a gig when it came up with the idea for its only hit record. "I'd heard the phrase from someone that I was staying with at a boarding house," Cunningham told Goldmine's Stu Fink. "I didn't invent the phrase. It was just in the wind. What got us to put it into a tune was when we heard Bob Dylan's 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' on the radio. We thought that Dylan was putting the kids on. So we figured, 'If that sold records, then we could do something crazy, and really put the kids on."
An unknown number of labels turned down the song but producer Shelby Singleton liked it. He hooked up the group with fellow producer Huey P. Meaux. "Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)" peaked at #7 on the Cash Box pop chart in the fall of 1967.
The song's most mysterious aspect was what Cunningham mutters at the beginning of the record. Wikipedia, however, came up with the answer: "A preachment, dear friends, you are about to receive on John Barleycorn, nicotine and the temptations of Eve." That line came from a 1947 novelty record entitled "Cigareetes, Whuskey And Wild, Wild Women" by Red Ingle And His Natural Seven.
"Let It All Hang Out" was part of the "Nuggets" compilation LP and would become popular again as part of the soundtrack of the 2005 movie, "Elizabethtown."
B.B. Cunningham had been working on an album with his son, Joseph. The younger Cunningham explained why his dad got into security work, noting, "He loved protecting people and standing up for people's rights and watching their back. Music was his life. He was given a God-given talent. He not only played, but he helped young musicians. He was loved and well respected."
