View source for Abe Cunningham

{{Short description|American drummer}}
{{BLP sources|date=May 2010}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Abe Cunningham
| image           = Deftones - Rock am Ring 2016 -2016156214257 2016-06-04 Rock am Ring - Sven - 1D X - 0105 - DV3P9764 mod.jpg
| caption         = Cunningham performing with [[Deftones]] in 2016
| landscape       = yes
| birth_name      = Abraham Benjamin Cunningham
| birth_date      = {{Birth date and age|1973|7|27}}
| birth_place     = [[Long Beach, California]], U.S.
| death_date      =
| genre           = {{flatlist|
* [[Alternative metal]]
* [[nu metal]]
* {{nowrap|[[post-metal]]}}
* [[experimental rock]]
* [[alternative rock]]
}}
| years_active    = 1988–present
| occupation      = Musician
| instrument      = Drums
| current_member_of = [[Deftones]]
| past_member_of = {{flatlist|
* [[Phallucy]]
* Daycare
* [[Destroy Boys]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Flowers |first1=Dillion |last2=Welliver |first2=Mellisa |title=Submerges 10 Year Anniversary Party |journal=Submerge Magazine |date=February 12, 2018 |issue=259 |pages=28}}</ref>
}}
| website         = 
}}

'''Abraham''' '''Benjamin Cunningham''' (born July 27, 1973) is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the [[alternative metal]] band [[Deftones]].<ref>{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p168233/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Deftones|last=Prato|first=Greg|access-date=May 1, 2010}}</ref> Cunningham is known for his frantic, pounding rhythms and clever usage of tempo, while at the same time refusing to indulge in the double bass drum setup of many metal traditionalists. A [[BBC]] reviewer has praised his style for displaying "the assured expressiveness of a musician whose abilities stretch further than most metal-scene sticksmen".<ref>{{cite web |last=Diver |first=Mike |title=BBC - Music - Review of Deftones - Diamond Eyes |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/jd28/}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Abe Cunningham was born in [[Long Beach, California]]. When he was young, his family moved to [[Sacramento]]. Cunningham still lives in Sacramento with his family, and he has two sons, Sidney and Daniel, with his ex-wife, Annalynn Seal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abe Cunningham |url=https://members.tripod.com/harland_net/deftones/id9.html |access-date=2025-11-15 |website=members.tripod.com}}</ref>

== Career ==
He first started drumming in his early teens playing the drums for the band [[Phallucy]] in the early 1990s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Abe Cunningham - DRUMMERWORLD |url=http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Abe_Cunningham.html |access-date=2025-11-15 |website=www.drummerworld.com}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Drummer |first=Modern |date=2011-06-24 |title=Deftones’ Abe Cunningham |url=https://www.moderndrummer.com/2011/06/deftones-abe-cunningham/ |access-date=2025-11-15 |website=Modern Drummer Magazine |language=en}}</ref> During this time, he also drummed for [[Deftones]] on the side, when the band was having problems landing a permanent and dedicated drummer. At the time when he started learning drums, he also learned how to play guitar, but growing up with a stepfather (Neil) who played the drums, he took a deeper passion with the drums.<ref name=":0" /> Abe's father, Sid, was also a musician and an early influence for Abe before his untimely passing. His influences include [[Stewart Copeland]], [[Ginger Baker]] and [[Mitch Mitchell]].<ref name=":1" />

Cunningham has been a long time endorser of [[Tama Drums]] and [[Zildjian|Zildjian Cymbals]], and for most of his career, has played the same setup. He has been featured in various ads for [[Tama Drums|Tama]] and [[Avedis Zildjian Company|Zildjian]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Abe Cunningham’s Cool Breeze |url=https://www.vater.com/product/vater.com |access-date=2025-11-15 |website=www.vater.com |language=en}}</ref> He is an endorser of [[Vater Percussion|Vater]] drumsticks, and at the 2017 [[NAMM Show]] revealed his new signature Vater drumsticks, the model is called "Cool Breeze", which is Abe's nickname for them.<ref name=":2" />

==Discography==
[[File:Abe Cunningham, 2007.jpg|thumb|Cunningham playing the drums in 2007]]
===With Deftones===
{{main|Deftones discography}}
* ''[[Adrenaline (album)|Adrenaline]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Around the Fur]]'' (1997)
* ''[[White Pony]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Deftones (album)|Deftones]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Saturday Night Wrist]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Diamond Eyes]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Koi No Yokan]]'' (2012)
* ''[[Gore (Deftones album)|Gore]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Ohms (album)|Ohms]]'' (2020)
* ''[[Private Music (album)|Private Music]]'' (2025)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
* [http://www.deftones.com Official website]
* [http://www.upvenue.com/article/1365-deftones-interview.html Deftones Interview With Abe Cunningham and Frank Delgado]

{{Deftones}}

{{Authority control}}{{US-drummer-stub}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, Abe}}
[[Category:Drummers from California]]
[[Category:Deftones members]]
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American heavy metal drummers]]
[[Category:Nu metal drummers]]
[[Category:20th-century American drummers]]
[[Category:American male drummers]]
[[Category:21st-century American drummers]]