Jerry Lee Lewis Sideman Shot to Death in Memphis
A member of Jerry Lee Lewis’ band was shot and killed in Memphis over the weekend, WMC-TV reports. Bassist B.B. Cunningham, 70, had a night job as a security guard for an apartment complex. Police told Memphis’ Commercial Appeal that Cunningham heard a gunshot in a neighboring complex and went to investigate. Witnesses say they heard multiple gunshots. Cunningham was found dead at the scene, along with an unidentified 16-year-old male.
Cunningham was a member of Memphis group the Hombres and co-wrote the band’s 1967 hit “Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out).” He moved to Los Angeles in 1971 and worked as chief engineer at Independent Recorders, working with Billy Joel, Elton John, Lou Rawls and others. Cunningham returned to Memphis a few years later and was a fixture in the city’s music scene, joining Jerry Lee Lewis‘ band in 1997 and releasing a solo album, Hangin’ In, in 2003.