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Showing posts from October 15, 2012

Jerry Lee Lewis devastated by band member's murder

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Music legend Jerry Lee Lewis is mourning the loss of his bass player, who was murdered early Sunday morning in Southeast Memphis. B.B. Cunningham was shot to death while working as a security guard at the Cherry Crest Apartments. Lewis’ longtime manager, J.W. Whitten , says Lewis is devastated and says he lost a friend and companion in the music industry. Cunningham began playing for The Jerry Lee Lewis Band in 1997. Cunningham, who was also a singer and keyboardist, began his music career performing on his fathers record label, ‘Cover Records,’ in Memphis. He found fame in 1967 when he wrote and recorded the hit song, ‘Let It All Hang Out,’ with the Hombres . Jon Hornyak , the executive director of The Recording Academy in Memphis , played in bands with Cunningham and spent time with him in the studio. He says it’s hard for the music community to see a beloved figure go out that way, “Part of it is musicians get older and there are not enough gigs to make a living just a

Dock Britt's mom denies her son killed BB Cunningham

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Dock Britt is charged with one count of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder for the death of 70-year-old musician B.B. Cunningham.Detectives said they found the bodies of Cunningham and 16-year-old Henry White in the courtyard of the Cherry Crest Apartments. According to police, Britt was one of two men who shot at a female security guard at an apartment complex near Cherry Road and Kimball Avenue.They say Britt ran across the street and in to the Cherry Gate apartment complex.Los Hombres lead singer and Jerry Lee Lewis band member B.B. Cunningham , who was also working as a security guard at the time, went after the two shooters. Britt with his grandmother  Police said they are still awaiting the results to determine which bullet killed the teen.  Britt's mother denies her son killed anyone. She would not do a full interview with Action News 5. "I'm already going through enough. And I'd appreciate if you guys just back off. I can tell

George Klein remembers BB Cunningham

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (FOX13) - Satirically penned by Memphis songwriter and producer B.B. Cunningham , 1967's "Let It All Hang Out" not only rhythmically noted the pleasures of regaling in your favorite vices can often bring, it served as a personal anthem for a man who lived life to its fullest as a musician, songwriter and producer. Family, admirers and long time friends, such as legendary, Memphis disc jockey, George Klein, who often called on Cunningham's talents during the 40 years of his annually hosted Charity Christmas Concert, reflected on a man whose shooting death Sunday morning in Southeast Memphis left more than a musical void. "I you called him, you'd say, Hey, we got a charity affair here B.B..Could you get the Hombres together and bring it one more time? He said, sure. There was no check my calendar," recalls Klein. Memphis Police announced the arrest on Monday of Dock Cedric Britt , accused of shooting Cunningham and woundin

More details on the shooting death of BB Cunningham

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Dock Britt has been arrested and charged with First Degree Murder.On Sunday, October 14, 2012 at approximately 2:12 a.m., officers received a Shooting call to 1460 Cherry Road.Upon arriving on the scene, officers located two victims that had suffered from an apparent gunshot wound. Victim#1, 70-year-old Blake Cunningham and 16-year-old Henry White were both pronounced deceased on the scene. The preliminary investigation revealed that Cunningham was working in a nearby apartment complex as a uniformed security guard when two unknown suspects fired shots at a second security guard which was also working at the nearby apartment complex. After the shots were fired, Cunningham pursued the suspects across the street into the rear of the Cherry Crest Apartments. Additional shots were heard moments later by the second security guard. After checking the area, both Cunningham and White were found dead lying in the courtyard. The second suspect, which fled the scene after the shoo

Dock Britt charged with murder of BB Cunningham

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Memphis Police have arrested a suspect in a double shooting in East Memphis that left a well-known Memphis musician and a 16-year-old dead. 22-year-old Dock Britt was arrested late Sunday night and charged with First Degree Murder and Attempted First Degree Murder. Right now, he's only facing murder charges for B.B. Cunningham's death. He is not charged with the murder of the 16-year-old. The shooting happened early Sunday morning at the Cherrycrest Apartments on Cherry Rd. near Kimball Ave. "The whole area was taped off. I don't know what was going on," said resident Irran Davis. Investigators say 70-year-old Memphis musician B.B. Cunningham was working as a security guard when he came out to the courtyard to help after he heard gun shots sound off. BIM: We have been informed that Dock has been released for quite some time. I have been in touch with some who know him and from their comments to me, he seems to be a nice person and loved by h

BB Cunningham killed in Memphis

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WMC-TV – Memphis police are looking for clues in what led to a shooting that left two people dead. One of the victims was a teenager, another well known Memphis musician. The shooting happened at the Cherry Crest Apartments in East Memphis. Resident Judy Baladez told our crew they heard lots of shots. "I just like kind of stayed down in my bed and laid quiet and still because I didn't know if more shooting was going to continue," said Baladez. "Like, very loud, like they were very close by they didn't sound like they were being shot in the air. They sounded close by like they were being shot at somebody," she added. A 70-year-old security guard and 16-year-old male were killed in the gunfire. You can still see places where there were pools of blood. Crime Scene tape illustrates the spot where the men were shot. What investigators want to know is: what happened? While our crews were on the scene, a woman carrying a torn piece of crime sc

BB Cunningham has been murdered

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BB & Keith Richards Memphis musician B.B. Cunningham , 70, a member of Jerry Lee Lewis' band, was shot in Southeast Memphis early Sunday morning, family members confirm. "I can't believe that that's the way he went out because of ... because of some teenager that wanted to rob a store," says his granddaughter Maria Cunningham . Memphis police say they are investigating the shooting deaths of a 16-year-old male and a 70-year-old male security guard at the complex; MPD says they have not positively identified the victims at this time. Officers responded to the call at approximately 2:12 a.m. at the Cherrycrest Apartments where they found the bodies in the courtyard of the complex. MPD says both victims suffered apparent gunshot wounds. "It was devastating at first but the more we think about it, the more reality kind of hits us and it hurts. It hurts a lot," says Maria. "He was a legend. He really was. Memphis lost a really great