Rick Cunha

Versatile musician Rick Cunha was born as Richard Dale Cunha on July 17, 1944 in Washington, DC and raised in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California. He graduated from Grant High School in 1962 and attended Valley College for one year. Rick studied Hawaiian steel guitar with Ernie Ball and switched from steel guitar to Spanish guitar during the early 60's folk music renaissance. Cunha moved to Hawaii in February of 1963 and began performing at a small Honolulu club called Hum-bums. He made a guest appearance as the Hawaiian Hootenanny Boy on the TV show "Lucky Luck" in 1964. Along with partner Dave Dawson Rick worked the Honolulu nightclub circuit through 1966. Cunha then moved back to Los Angeles and formed the folk-rock trio Hearts and Flowers with Dawson and Larry Murray. The group recorded two albums for Capitol Records before breaking up in 1968. Among the people Cunha has toured with are Jennifer Warnes (who had a Top 40 hit with Rick's song "When the Feeling Comes Around" in 1980), Mason Williams, John Stewart, and the Byron Berline and Sundance Band. Moreover, Rick has worked as a studio musician for such artists as Emmylou Harris, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, and Rose Maddox. The artists who have recorded his songs include Ian Matthews, Michael Johnson, and the Smothers Brothers (Tom Smothers has performed Cunha's song "Yo-Yo Man" both on television and in concert). In addition, Rick has performed in concert with such folks as Emmylou Harris, Jennifer Warnes, Mason Williams (he has also worked as a producer for Williams), Anne Murray, and the Smothers Brothers. In 1981 Cunha performed his composition "Rainbows" for the Hawaiian Song Festival in Honolulu (Rick is the grandson of noted "Hapa Hoale" Hawaiian music songwriter Sonny Cunha). He composed the catchy country-folk score for the offbeat road picture "Best Friends" and contributed to the soundtrack of the poignant indie drama gem "Stanley's Gig." Rick's albums include "Cunha Songs" and "Moving Pictures." Rick Cunha now works as the musical director for Wells Fargo Radio Theater and is the owner and operator of the Rainbow Garage, a recording studio in Van Nuys, California.