In 1966 they played the entire summer at the Sunken Bar at Geneva on the Lake, Ohio. The Jaggerz began their career playing 6 nights a week at Club Natural in Beaver, Falls. Guitarist Bill Maybray and organist Tom Davies joined a few months later. When Koorich and Sabol quit the band, Donnie and Benny recruited bassist Jimmie Ross and drummer Jim Puguliano into the Jaggerz. They played frat parities and at a bar called 'Guy's'.Īround 1964, Donnie and The Donnelles merged with members of another band called Gary and The Jewel Tones to form the Jaggerz. At Slippery Rock he formed a band called the Trivelles that was latter renamed Donnie and The Donnelles. He took drum lessons when his voice changed around age 12.ĭonnie began singer again while in college at Slippery Rock State and taught himself the guitar. He performed on local televisions shows and won the Paul Whitehead television talent contest at age eight. Donnie began his career as a wedding singer at age five. His mother Carrie DiCola Ierace, who had been a big-band singer, made Donnie practice singing at an early age.

In Pittsburgh Donnie is an icon: King Cool.ĭonnie Iris was born Dominic Ierace in 1943 in the small steel town of Elwood City, Pa. and Canada and have toured with Hall & Oates, Bon Jovi, and many others.

Donnie and the Cruisers headlined concerts around the U.S. Iris has released ten albums with the Cruisers, five of which made it to the Billboard top 200 list. He has recorded and performed with the Jaggerz, Wild Cherry, and his own band Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. Donnie has landed 10 singles in the Billboard top 100 lists. Singer and gold record winning song writer Donnie Iris is known nationally for his hit songs “The Rapper”, “Ah Leah”, “Love is Like a Rock”, and “I Can’t Hear You”.

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