His professional music career dates back to his early 1970s roles in groups Cheyenne and Bittersweet,[1] and he performed with bands fronted by artists Pat Travers, Joe Lynn Turner, and Yngwie Malmsteen in the 1980s.
[6] At the age of 15 Dunaway played with his brother Don Oja-Dunaway in the bands Cheyenne and Bittersweet, performing at local venues like Raven Gallery and Bistro.
[7] Separately from his family, Dunaway played bass guitar in the Atlanta folk rock group Silverman at age 17.
Writing for the Columbia Record, Pat Berman noted “folk, pop, blues and occasional jazz” influences in the songs on the effort.
[26] He also played with the supergroup Voices of Classic Rock, featuring singers from Loverboy, Deep Purple, Toto and Jefferson Starship.
[28] In conversation with former MTV video jockey Alan Hunter, Dunaway said that he initially filled in for Larry Junstrom while he had knee surgery in 2011 but then joined the band full time by 2013.