Regional music fixture Donnie Iris dead at 83
New Castle native and Pittsburgh-region music icon Donnie Iris has died, according to news reports from outlets across the region. He was 83.
Iris, known for hit songs with the Jaggerz and Donnie Iris & The Cruisers, announced his retirement from performing recently in a letter posted to social media Oct. 9.
“After much thought, and in light of recent health issues, I have made the difficult decision to retire from future concert performances,” the post reads. “Music has given me far more than I could ever put into words. From the earliest days to every chapter of my life, your support has been a constant source of joy and inspiration.”
The announcement came during a yearslong battle with cancer.
His first hit came in 1970 when the Jaggerz had a number 1 song with “The Rapper.” He later worked with Wild Cherry in the late 1970s before scoring another hit with “Ah! Leah!” in 1980 as part of Donnie Iris & The Cruisers.
Donnie Iris & The Cruisers went on to tour with acts such as Journey, Loverboy, Bryan Adams, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, The Romantics, Eddie Money, UFO, Nazareth, Ted Nugent, Joan Jett, Hall & Oates and the Michael Stanley Band, according to information on the band’s Facebook page.
Iris remained a part of the regional music landscape. His final concert was at Citizens Live at the Wylie in Pittsburgh on Sept. 28.
Local outlets cited one of Iris’ bandmates and music promoter Rich Engler as confirming the news.
