Cunningham, Don

Don Cunningham, Jazz musician and Las Vegas resident was born in 1931 in St. Louis, Missouri. As a child he was heavily influenced by blues and jazz musicians such as BB King, Count Basie, and Ella Fitzgerald. Growing up in St. Louis Cunningham worked shining shoes and cleaning steps going to white neighborhoods working inside taverns. He received saxophone lessons from a family friend and joined the band attending a segregated high school.

In this Oral History Cunningham discusses his life growing up in St. Louis and joining the military during the Korean War and serving in segregated units the slowly integrated over the course of his military service. He discusses his efforts to be transferred from an artillery division to the 63rd army band and having switch from the saxophone to the clarinet. He explains being sent to the 8th Army Band in Seoul Korea and playing for Syngman Rhee and General Maxwell Taylor among other dignitaries as well as his decision to transfer to the 21st T Car Company to avoid being sent to the front lines where he transported dignitaries and confidential documents. Upon returning to St. Louis from Korea Cunningham went to work at a series of jobs including: a bronze alloy factory, steel mill, and Falstaff brewery mailroom. While working in the mailroom Cunningham began attending Washington University on the GI Bill.

Cunningham discusses the launch of his music career from picking up gigs while working to a chance audition with Johnny Mathis when he was hired to play the conga drum. Cunningham toured with Mathis for four years where he discusses the lifestyle of living on the road and compensation disputes with other musicians. After touring he started his own group and moved to California in 1969. Cunningham shares the story of how women were added to his group to better sell the band in Las Vegas and Tahoe. Cunningham continues to discuss touring the world, Bahamas, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, playing the Stardust, Northern Nevada Casinos, and marital troubles at home. He recounts the emergence of disco and needed to pick up day jobs. Until he began traveling to Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore to perform in hotels and dance clubs. The Japanese tours brought attention from American record companies.

Cunningham ends the interview with a discussion of Las Vegas, coming to Las Vegas for the affordable housing market, encountering prejudice from realtors. He discusses becoming involved with the Las Vegas Jazz Society and performing at the Strip casinos as well racial discrimination he and his wife Alicia experienced across the United States. He concludes with by speaking about his various rewards, what music has meant to him, and expressing gratitude for all the talented musicians he has had the honor of performing with over his career.