Peter Cunnah

Peter Cunnah
Birth namePeter Cunnah
Born (1966-08-30) 30 August 1966 (age 58)
Derry, Northern Ireland, UK
GenresPop, synthpop, dance
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, keyboards, guitar
Years active1990–present
LabelsMagnet Records

Peter Cunnah (born 30 August 1966 in Derry, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish singer and lead singer and songwriter of 1990s dance-pop duo D:Ream.[1][2][3][4]

D:Ream

Further information: D:Ream

Prior to forming D:Ream, he was lead guitarist with Belfast-based band Tie the Boy, who were briefly signed to the Mother Records label, owned by U2. When that deal foundered soon after the band's move from Belfast to London, in-fighting amongst the members led rapidly to its split.

Finding himself in the heart of London's clubland, Cunnah, already a producer, originally conceived D:Ream as a way of re-using songs from his previous band. With little by way of support in London, he teamed up with DJ Al Mackenzie on a series of dance records by a 'faceless' dance act which would be fronted live and on-record by a diva, leaving Cunnah free to concentrate on songwriting and production and Mackenzie on building a DJ reputation.

However, after a live date when Cunnah stepped up to sing, he found himself enjoying the experience and rapidly remodelled the D:Ream concept around his own vocals. Initially performing as a duo, they received acclaim in clubs and found management and record and publishing deals.

Solo work

Cunnah subsequently developed solo and collaborative material while working as a writer and producer behind the scenes, including singles and album tracks for the pop groups Steps and A1. He sang lead vocals on Chicane's 2003 single "Love on the Run", which reached No.33 in the United Kingdom and No.43 in Ireland. Cunnah also helped compose music for the anime InuYasha.

Cunnah returned to live performances with guitar-based band Shane, whose debut single "The Weight of This" was released in May 2006. Shane sees Cunnah going back to his roots. He has two old friends in the band – Paul Greendale on guitar and Mark Roberts on drums. Cunnah knew Roberts from their time in the rock band Tie The Boy. Cunnah has also produced the YouTube star Ben Kelly, a contestant on The Voice UK.

References

  1. ^ Coyle, Colin (30 August 2008). "Bono fans fill Obama coffers: The presidential hopeful has found just what he's looking for in U2 devotees as they swell his campaign reserves". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  2. ^ "D:Ream start for Sunday's Hospice Male Walk". Derry Journal. 26 September 2008. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Peter makes a cautious return to the limelight". The News Letter. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 16 May 2006.
  4. ^ Starrett (14 July 2000). "From Derry: Cunnah talks of his new D:Reams". The News Letter. Belfast, Northern Ireland.