Donnie Iris, ‘Ah! Leah!’ and ‘The Rapper’ Singer Dies at 83
Categoria: Musica
The Pittsburgh favorite announced his retirement from performance just weeks ago after his final gig on Sept. 28.
Por Billboard | 27/10/2026
Pittsburgh rocker Donnie Iris, best known for his 1981 No. 29 Billboard Hot 100 new wave hit “Ah! Leah!” and his 1970s Hot 100 No. 2 song “The Rapper” with the group the Jaggerz, has died at 83. Related Ryan Gosling's Dead Man's Bones Duo Creep Back With Romantic 'Lost in the Night' Video Starring Noah Jupe and Rain Spencer Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in 2026 Taylor Swift, George Strait, Lee Thomas Miller & More Celebrated During Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala The news was shared by Donnie Iris & the Cruisers drummer Joe Vitale Jr., who wrote, “Tonight, I have some very sad news to share. Many of you may already know about this, but today my boss and friend Donnie Iris passed away at the age of 83,” in a Facebook post on Monday (Oct. 26). “At the first full show I performed with them in 2021, right before we went on stage, Donnie turned to me and gave me a huge hug. He always had an infectious smile, incredible energy and a wonderous personality. After you meet him, you honestly just love him. You could just sit and talk with him, laugh with him. He was King Cool.” No cause of death had been announced at press time. A beloved staple of the Pittsburgh music scene, Elwood City native Iris was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2023 shortly after his 80th birthday show, later canceling several shows and continuing to perform until announcing his retirement from the stage earlier this month after a final gig at Citizens Live at The Wylie in Pittsburg on Sept. 28. “After much thought, and in light of recent health issues, I have made the difficult decision to retire from future concert performances,” Iris wrote on Oct. 9. “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.” Dominic Ierace was born on Feb. 28, 1943 in New Castle, Pa., and got his start in grade school singing at weddings and talent contests. The man who would grow up to be dubbed Pittsburgh’s King Cool of Rock and Roll first played with the doo-wop group The Fabutons in high school, then with the R&B/rock cover bands the Tri-Vels and Donnie and the Donnells while at Slippery Rock State College, before dropping out to pursue a music career. He found success pretty quickly with “The Rapper” from his group The Jaggerz, a swinging rock tune about a smooth-talking dude who uses a series of smarmy lines to pick up women at bars. The song he recorded for Gamble Records (formed by future Philly soul legends producers/songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff) for the band’s sophomore album, 1970’s We Went to Different Schools Together , rose all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. After The Jaggerz split a few years later, Iris joined the group Wild Cherry — two years after they scored their most well-known