However, it failed to produce any more hits for the group. While attending Slippery Rock State College, Ierace formed a band called the Tri-Vels with guitarist Jim Evans and drummer Dave Amodie, two fellow students at Slippery Rock. I'm succeeding at a slow pace. Then youd actually only be 15 or 16 years old today because you would have had only 15 or 16 birthdays. Who is the Girlfriend of Donnie Iris? With Donnie Iris. It was during this period that he became acquainted with Mark Avsec, then playing keyboards for Wild Cherry. He was inspired by many different artists, including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, and Ray Charles. That was the beginning of Donnie Iris for me. Born Dominic Ierace in Beaver Falls, PA, Iris began singing at weddings at age five, and by eight was performing on local television and entering talent contests. I came to Beaver Falls in 1968. "It's not real important for me to be rich and famous. This amateur hour was on TV at that time. Leah!" In 2017, D. X. Ferris (who has written two books about Slayer) wrote a book titled - "The Story of Donnie Iris and The Cruisers." Label : Rock Candy. When we had that intense two or three minutes when the tape was running and you were just testifying on that one pass. Between 1975 and 1976, most of the Jaggerz' longtime members left the group, including Ierace in 1976. "If it was someone I looked up to as a writer, it might affect me," he said. "If you call success a number one hit, then it would be when "The Rapper" came out. But a second single from the album flopped and the Jaggerz never had another big hit, though they continued to play in clubs until 1974. Particularly one like Donnie Iris. It started at the Ierace home in Ellwood City, where in his childhood Donnie would sit on the piano bench and sing while his mother, Carrie, played the piano. Aug 19, 2004. Will he still be throwing his body around a stage when he's, say, 52? I couldn't see us doing a tune like "Love is Like a Rock" and not getting into it. History of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers documentary, Ferris, D.X. On the album cover, he portrays a mechanic working on a car at Taylor's Pennzoil on Ross Hill, Patterson. I'm succeeding at a slow pace.". Mark: And youre February 28, 1943? Donnie: In the sound? Iris and the Cruisers, wanting to keep as much of their creative freedom and sound as they could, said no. 06/21/2023. Vincent is 5 7 (1.7 m) tall. [18] June 17, 2006 was recognized throughout Lawrence County, Pennsylvania as Donnie Iris Day by Ellwood City Executive Council President Glenn Jones and Mayor Roy P. Meehan. We found him at Slippery Rock (the college) and formed a four man band. "Then I learned to put the chords all together.". The first true compilation album from the band was released in 2001 by their former label at MCA: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Donnie Iris, featuring material from the band's four MCA-released albums from the early 1980s. SINGAPORE Lee Hsien Yang and his wife, lawyer Lee Suet Fern, are being investigated by the police for potentially giving false evidence in judicial proceedings over Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's will. Today, he sits at a Formica table in the crowded eating area at Waite's Ice Cream in Patterson Township, talking with a visitor. See all photos (1) Posters (1) See all posters (1) Past concerts. Posted 2023-03-01. "Well, accuse us of slobbering if you must, but as those of you in the Midwest are well aware, Donnie Iris and Company simply comprise one of the day's most talented acts and it's nothing short of amazing that massive success has not yet found it's way to them. Donnie Iris: Ah! Height . - [To Melody] Call my Mother, Mel. "All of us in the band have been itching to . I didnt want to do it any more. In the kitchen, photos of Patterson native Greg Best, a former Pittsburgh Steeler and Cleveland Brown and a friend of Iris', are attached to the refrigerator. Mark: I will look up who was born in 1943. J ] He wrote the #2 Billboard hit, "The Rapper", with the Jaggerz in 1970 and was a member of Wild Cherry after the group had a #1 hit with "Play That Funky Music." "The sound Iris puts out compares with anything that's out now," says Chris Shovlin, general manager at WBVP-WWKS in Beaver Falls. Iris shrugs it off. Mark: How does that make you feel? In fact, my favorite picture of you is the one when you were in the car with the ring on your finger; Marty and I included that photo on the disc itself. Bruce Springsteen, for example, enjoyed popularity for several years, but in 1985 he was doing the right thing at the right time and he became a mega-star. Really? [11] The combination of marketing and the promotion for its hit single allowed the album to chart higher than its predecessor. Melody (from a distance): Tell him milk costs 32 cents for a half-gallon delivered to your house in 1943. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. A native of Ellwood City, Iris is one of the most well-known rock stars to come out of Pittsburgh. "If you call it having all your records hit the charts, then it would be now. I like things simple.". Donnie Iriss age is 79. Despite Fortune 410 charting higher than The High and the Mighty, MCA was displeased that both albums didn't chart as high as Back on the Streets and King Cool had. It Isnt Fair. Mark: I thought it was a Paul Whiteman thing. Its really good I think. JUMP TO: Donnie Iriss biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos, net worth, and popularity. Low 33F. "Once you're done, it's pretty much out of your hands. I have to ask my Mother. Throughout the 1970s, Ierace was credited by various names on Jaggerz and Wild Cherry albums: by his birth name, Dominic Ierace; Don Ierace; and a stage name he had adopted to make it easier for people to remember his name, Don Iris. Lauren Davidson. Since the band seemed to have hit a road block, Iris partnered with Avsec on the second Cellarful of Noise album, Magnificent Obsession, which was released in 1988. How many . What is the physical condition of Donnie Iris? Iris has been friends with The Clarks for over 15 years. Wearing an AC/DC shirt and torn jeans, Iris defied age . In the years following, Iris played as a sideman for Wild Cherry and The B.E. Mark: Tell your Mom I said hello. Zodiac Sign: Donnie Iris is a Pisces. In the kitchen, photos of Patterson native Greg Best, a former Pittsburgh Steeler and Cleveland Brown and a friend of Iris', are . [12], Shortly after being let go from MCA, the band signed with the small HME Records label. It started at the Ierace home in Ellwood City, where in his childhood Donnie would sit on the piano bench and sing while his mother, Carrie, played the piano. Donnie Iris was born on February 28, 1943 (age 80) in Elwood City, Pennsylvania, United States He is a celebrity rock singer His genres are Rock,pop rock,power pop,hard rock You can find His website below: http://www.donnieiris.com, Reference: Wikipedia, FaceBook, Youtube, Twitter, Spotify, Instagram, Tiktok, IMDb. Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, United States, Midwest National Records (1979-1980), MCA Records (1980-1984), HME Records (1984-1985), Seathru Records (1992-1997), Primary Records (1997-present), Midwest National Records (197980), MCA Records (198084), HME Records (198485), Seathru Records (199297), Primary Records (1997present), The Fabutons, The Tri-Vels/Donnie and the Donnells, The Jaggerz, B. E. Taylor, Wild Cherry, Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, Cellarful of Noise, Nina Sainato. In 2023, His Personal Year Number is 1. There's no other way of doing it. As Mrs. Ierace talked, the children returned home from school: 11 year old Addie, bright-eyed and perpetually smiling, wearing a "Donnie Iris and the Cruisers" button on her denim jacket, and Erin, at 16 becoming a lovely young lady. Mark: OK, the folks can go get the Cold Nectar documentary to learn more on this subject. "This is great," said Iris, who lives in Coraopolis. [Pause] Sat 7:00pm. In an attractive brick-and-cedar Patterson Township home, the man who once appeared on stage wearing nothing but his briefs leads the life of a middle-class father. [Smacking himself in the head] Im so stupid! [More laughter suffice it to say, the laughter never stops, it wont be mentioned again] Later, she softened her stance. One living room wall is lined with family photographs; another with gold records, a copy of Billboard's Hot 100 list and Iris, dressed in a pale yellow suit, on the cover of Cashbox magazine. Great! High 42F. Mark: I was struck, in helping to put together the web site, as I went through the old pictures, how much you looked like Donnie Iris as a young man. His good humor makes him the member of the family called on to teach nervous 16-year-olds how to drive. Two other songs from the album received significant AOR airplay; "My Girl" at #25 and "Sweet Merilee" at #31, charted on the Rock Tracks chart. Donnie: That definitely is a motivator. Luckily for the family, he is attentive and easygoing. What is the Networth of Donnie Iris? As you are curious to know about Donnie Iris. The album itself has still not been released as of 2020, although six tracks from it appeared on 1992's Out of the Blue and a cover of "Reach Out" recorded during the Cruise Control sessions appeared on the 1989 compilation WDVE Pittsburgh Rock & Roll '89. "He seems to be issuing a continuing invitation to party," said one reviewer. Iris' fans are clustered in the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley and Cleveland-Youngstown area, also in Columbus, Detroit, Tampa-St. Petersburg, and New York, where his most recent single "Injured in the Game of Love" reached number nine on the charts of WNEW, New York City's major rock station. With each album, there is hope that it will shoot to number one with a bullet, as they say. How does that make you feel? Live streams; Wichita concerts. Date First Available : May 20, 2021. "All of us in the band have been itching to get back on stage. Ierace helped to engineer their third album, I Love My Music. People have been asking me if we have gotten together in the . Mark: 1943? Born Dominic Ierace in middle class Pennsylvania, he got his first real start as a member of the pop group The Jaggerz (the one-hit-wonder responsible for 1970's #2 hit "The Rapper"). Sing The Songs Of Summer (All Night Long)", "Sideshow Network:: Jim Krenn: No Restrictions", "Pittsburgh Rock 'N Roll Legend Awards nominees announced", "Legends do Pittsburgh proud at Hard Rock", "Donnie Iris Back on the Streets (2021, CD)", "Donnie Iris the High and the Mighty (2021, CD)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Donnie_Iris&oldid=1141847513, "Sing the Songs of Summer (All Night Long)", Scott Alan Williamson, bass and background vocals, Ferris, D.X., The Story of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, (2017), This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 03:30. "Never," he says, shaking his head and smiling. Now here it is, my 80th birthday, we are still performing. [19] King Cool Light was unveiled on November 20, 2009, at Club Diesel in Pittsburgh during the band's 30th anniversary concert. Donnie: The Jaggerz. The Vindys are wonderful. He doesn't like to go out and do a lot of things." We thought that it was a passionate kind of tune." I just couldn't believe it, man." Many people couldn't. They had difficulty grasping that those longtime residents Also known as "boomers", are the result of the end of World War II, when birth rates across the world spiked. Just prior to the release of No MussNo Fuss, the band began to split into different directions. It has been rough. We were putting together the Back On The Streets album, and I mentioned Elvis Costello to you as a cool look. Donnie: Purple, like Prince. Ierace and the Jaggerz first came to national prominence in 1970 for the #2 hit "The Rapper," written by Ierace and included on their second album, We Went to Different Schools Together, released on the Kama Sutra label. Donnie Iris (born Dominic Ierace, February 28, 1943) is an American rock musician known for his work with the Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo career beginning in the 1980s with his band, the Cruisers. Mark: What is your favorite guitar? At that point we called ourselves Donnie and the Donnelles. Mark: Hey, Donnie We need a bio for the web site. READ MORE: Is Donnie Iris dating? Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mark: There probably wasnt much on TV at that time. The album contained the single "Tough World," but only charted at #180, marking a decline in his success, but the band still was determined to release new material. At the time the two were just hoping to get a record deal, Iris said. That would be stupid.". "I thought we were on our way," Iris said. GZA, Donnie Iris, John Mayer among top concerts to see around Pittsburgh in March. which was used by their label MCA and the computer company Atari to form a cross-marketing promotion. [Laughter] 9:00 PM. [25] However, this project has turned into a special release to celebrate the thirty-fifth anniversary of the formation of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, which was expected to be released in 2014. CelebsMoney has recently updated Donnie Iriss net worth. He has his detractors, too. Thats a great place to play, he said. ", and in a Playboy magazine poll of disc jockeys, "Leah" was named the second best single of 1981. Drummer Kevin Valentine and bassist Albritton McClain left to join a new group, the Innocent, whose members included future Nine Inch Nails main man Trent Reznor. Mark: What made you want to play the guitar at 15? He earned a No. "What is success?" Youngstown, OH. Donnie: Im about eight years old in that photograph. Over time, Ierace began to develop his own interests in music with the advent of rock music, drawing inspiration from Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly and later from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and even R&B and soul artists Marvin Gaye and Ray Charles in addition to other Motown acts.