Donnie Iris

Donnie Iris
Iris performing live at the South Park Amphitheater near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 26, 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Dominic Ierace
Born	(1943-02-28) February 28, 1943 (age 74) New Castle, Pennsylvania, US
Genres	Rock Pop rock Power pop Hard rock
Instruments	Guitar, voice
Years active	1961–present
Labels	Midwest National Records (1979–80) MCA Records (1980–84) HME Records (1984–85) Seathru Records (1992–97) Primary Records (1997–present)
Associated acts	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
Website	www.donnieiris.com

Donnie Iris (born Dominic Ierace on 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. 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." He also achieved fame as a solo artist in the early 1980s with the # 29 hit "Ah! Leah!" and the # 37 hit "Love Is Like a Rock."

In addition to performing on the first three Jaggerz albums and the fourth and final Wild Cherry album, Iris with his solo band has released eleven studio albums, one EP, two live albums, and two compilation albums. He continues to release new material and tours throughout the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Youngstown and Cleveland, Ohio areas.

Dominic Ierace was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. The son of father Sam and mother Carrie Ierace, young Dominic began to learn how to sing at an early age from his mother, who had sung in Curly Venezie's orchestra. He practiced earlier on by singing along with his mother's favorite singers, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Per his mother's encouragement, Ierace began singing at weddings at age five, and by eight was performing on local television and entering talent contests.

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. The popularity of rock and roll inspired Ierace to become a self-taught guitarist. When his voice changed around age 12, he gave up singing and took up the drums.