(January 10, 2010) - We have been informed that Woody Cunningham of the popular 80s group Kleeer has died. Cunningham was the group's drummer, writer, vocalist and co-producer. He will be missed.
Here is the bio from Woody's MySpace page:
(January 10, 2010) - We have been informed that Woody Cunningham of the popular 80s group Kleeer has died. Cunningham was the group's drummer, writer, vocalist and co-producer. He will be missed.
Here is the bio from Woody's MySpace page:
Woody Cunningham...of the 80s band " Kleeer "was drummer, writer, vocalist and co producer for some of " Kleeer's " most memorable hits...Keeep Your Body Workin', Winners, Get Tough and Intimate Connection to name a few...If you've heard the Jay Z Dynasty CD you've heard Woody on the intro music & vocals, if you've heard Tu Pac you've heard Woody track 12 California Love on the All Eyes On Me CD, Ice Cube's Peace CD and as a writer with Alicia Keys on Mario's first CD...Woody's voice can also be heard on the XM radio channels Soul Street and The Groove...Woody was born in Baltimore MD and when The Choice 4, from Washington DC, offered him a chance to go on the road as their drummer Woody left Baltimore...By the time The Choice 4 got to New York Woody and the back up band, which included Richard Lee on guitar, Norman Durham on bass and Gregory Talbot keyboards, were playing a set before the singers came on...Settling in New York the band added percussionist Paul Crutchfield and soon the band and The Choice 4 went their seperate ways...Jocelyn Brown introduced the band to Luther Vandross and Luther needed a drummer and percussionist to go on tour with him so Paul and Woody took the gig..Luther's band at one time or other had Nile Rodgers of Chic or Carlos Alomar, of David Bowie, on guitar...
When Charlie Smalls presented his songs, for 
The Wiz to potential backers of the show, he chose the members of Kleeer to perform them...Eventually Norman, Paul, Richard and Woody formed the band " Kleeer "... adding Isabelle Coles, daughter of the famous tap dancer Charles " Honey " Coles, Melanie Moore, (who suggested the group call themselves Kleer, Woody added the third E) and Yvette Flowers to help out on the singing and at times Terry Dolphin ,Eric Rohrbaugh, Louis Small, Kris Kellow and The System's David Frank keyboards...Kleeer recorded 7 albums for Atlantic Records, during which time they were guided on the business side of music by Bert Padell and on the legal side by Peter Matorin...Kleeer toured the world...
Today, with the help of Andy " Madhatter " Holmes, Si Brad, Joe, & Steve Christian of Manchester England and Bruce "Kool Aid " Gardner in the US, Woody has recorded with engineers Kool Aid, Debbie Stokes, Abijah & the 4 Matt projects, Ray Tilkens,on the Anna Nicholson project, Lionel Green, on the Matt Cunningham edits, Eugene Clark, Joe Postell, Steve Durham and Joe Hamilton in an effort to capture what he feels is the " Kleeer "tradition...Enjoy .........
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