His students included singer Kate Davidson, producer/engineer Peter Francovilla, pianist John Ellis, and Berklee Press editor-in-chief Jonathan Feist.
Cunningham began composing music at the age of 12, which he performed with his jazz band.
In 1951, the National Association of Negro Musicians held a concert featuring his works.
[citation needed] Between 1963 and 1973, Cunningham wrote seven large-scale stage works, incorporating a wide range of popular musical styles, including jazz, gospel, and rock.
Some of his compositions bear similarities to, and even predate, the concept of rock opera.