Austin Cunningham will be appearing live at The Weisman Center Saturday September 11th, 2004.

Austin Cunningham, September 11th, 2004

Exploring the lives and emotions of the characters he brings to life is how Austin Cunningham describes his formula for success. "When I write a heartbreak song, for example, I don’t want to just say, ‘oh so and so broke my heart,’ and leave it at that," he says. "I want to get behind the motivation of the breakup…what was going on in the character’s mind and heart… there’s always more to the story than meets the eye, and that’s something I want to try to capture when I write. I also like to try to put a positive spin on things…maybe add a little inspirational twist." His interpretations of life have appealed to such artists as The Judds, Dolly Parton, Tracy Byrd, Kathy Mattea, Tanya Tucker, and Reba McEntire among others who have cut his songs. His last two singles have been featured in motion pictures. The Where The Heart Is soundtrack includes the single "Grow Young With You" (Coley McCabe), and his song "Beautiful" (Jennifer Paige) was featured in the Winona Ryder/Richard Gere movie, Autumn In New York. Other cuts include "From The Ashes" (Martina McBride), "I’m Your Man" (Jason Sellers), and "Dancin’ With Angels" (SHeDAISY). His Christian cuts include recordings by Susie Luchsinger, Roy Clark, Ken Hollaway, and Lisa Daggs among others. Cunningham is a recipient of the coveted Johnny Mercer Award for "Emerging American Songwriters," which is given annually to one writer each from New York, LA, and Nashville.