Donnie Iris, the Pittsburgh rocker whose voice powered“The Rapper”and“Ah! Leah!,”has died at 83. Cruisers drummer Joe Vitale Jr. announced the news in a Facebook post on Monday. No cause of death was shared.
Born Dominic Ierace in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Iris first broke through in 1970 with the Jaggerz and“The Rapper,”which climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. He later joined Wild Cherry before forming Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, whose 1980 debut album delivered“Ah! Leah!”and the No. 25 hit“My Girl.”Fans knew him simply as King Cool.
Iris was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2023 but continued performing, playing his final show at Citizens Live at The Wylie on September 28 before announcing his retirement on October 9.“Music has given me far more than I could ever put into words,”he once said. Which Donnie Iris song is on your forever playlist?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.