With Top 40 hits like “Ah! Leah!” and “Love Is Like A Rock”, rock musician Donnie Iris was a fixture on classic-rock radio stations, particularly in his hometown of Pittsburgh, where he was a beloved icon. Iris formed a few groups in his younger days, but it was bands like The Jaggerz and The Cruisers that led to multiple Top 40 hits.
The Jaggerz
Iris scored his first hit with his band The Jaggerz and their song “The Rapper”, which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. But the band wasn’t able to replicate that success. “‘The Rapper’ was unlike anything else on the album and the band was pegged with a sound they didn’t feel really represented what they were all about,” Iris later explained.
Wild Cherry
After The Jaggerz broke up in 1975, Iris joined Wild Cherry as a guitarist and backup vocalist in 1978, two years after they topped the charts with “Play That Funky Music”. During his time with the band, he met keyboard player Mark Avsec, who would become a longtime collaborator.
Donnie Iris and The Cruisers
Iris formed The Cruisers in the 80s with Avsec, and the band released their debut album, Back on the Streets, in 1980, which hit No. 57 on the charts. They also opened for some of classic rock’s biggest names, including Bob Seger, U2, and more, and released a total of 11 albums.
Top 40 Hits
Back On The Streets gave Donnie Iris and The Cruisers their first hit with “Ah! Leah!”, which peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. They also had a few other Top 40 hits, including “Love Is Like A Rock” at No. 37 and “My Girl” at No. 25—the band’s biggest hit—in 1981. Four other songs cracked the Top 100.
King Cool
After a show in 1980, a reviewer described Iris as the “new king of cool.” And the nickname “King Cool” stuck. Iris used the moniker for the title of his second album. That record was released in 1981 and included “Love Is Like A Rock” and “My Girl”.
Retirement
Iris continued to perform into his 80s. His final show was on Sept. 28, 2026, for the grand opening of Pittsburgh’s newest concert venue, and he officially announced his retirement on Oct. 9. Just over two weeks later, he died at age 83 after battling bladder cancer for three years.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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