Meet Sam Cunningham— an in-demand L.A. drummer with roots in the heart of Tulsa. Yeah, that’s right, Tulsa, the same place that gave us legends like Jim Keltner, Jamie Oldaker, and David Teegarden. Sam? He’s a natural. Started drumming at five, long before the internet could make a kid an overnight star. By ten, he’s gigging with seasoned gospel players while other kids are just trying to get through fourth grade.
Sam learned drums by ear at first, but joining the school band opened up a whole new world—learning to read music and diving deep into the craft, studying all the drumming giants.
By high school, he’s already getting paid to play—a production of Grease, national tours at seventeen. While his buddies are stressing over prom, he’s out on the road, living the dream.
In ’95, Sam jumps in with punk icons N.O.T.A., opening for heavyweights like Suicidal Tendencies and The Vandals. They even made it into the punk doc *Oil Capital Underground*. But after years of rocking Tulsa’s scene, California called in 2000. In L.A., Sam dives headfirst into alt-metal with Overcome by One, co-founds punk-soul project The Ape Code, and launches the indie rock duo Stop Revolt, touring nationally. His records are streaming everywhere you look.
Sam’s worked with Zander Schloss (Circle Jerks, Joe Strummer), Arthur Barrow (Frank Zappa, The Doors), and even spent time with Norwood Fisher’s Trulio Disgracias. He helped kick off the L.A. Soul Project too.
His roots? Pure Tulsa Sound—where country, gospel, R&B, and rock blend like nothing else. Sam’s beats are solid as a rock, no matter the genre. He’s pulling 100+ shows a year, from concert halls to dive bars, flipping styles like he’s cooking up breakfast.
What’s he up to now? Performing in three tribute acts—Always Tina (Tina Turner), The Obscure (The Cure), and Start Me Up (Rolling Stones)—and leading his own R&B band, Mighty Love. And somehow, he still finds time to hit the studio and take on extra gigs. Does this man ever sleep?
That’s Sam Cunningham for you. An L.A. drummer who lives life on his own beat.