Donnie Iris, whose real name is Dominic Ierace, is an American singer who began his career quite early since he was found at the age of 8 to sing on local television sets as well as in young talents competitions.
The artistic career, the real one, began in 1964 at the age of 21 when he formed 'The Jaggerz', a group with which he produced several albums with considerable success between 1969 and 1975. A group that would know its hour of glory with the title "The rapper" in 1970...
We will also find him in the 'Wild Cherry' at the end of the 70s, a group with which he produced the album "Only the wild survive", an album that will go a little more unnoticed...
New group 'Donnie Iris And The Cruisers' at the beginning of the 80s, a group with which he produced a first album "Back on the streets" in 1980. And for a first try it was rather successful since the album was to be more than certain successful and produce the super high-caliber single “Ah! Leah! ".
A year later in 1981 it was the turn of the album "King Cool" to come out, an album with less success but which was to come out on top thanks to the flagship Single "Love is like a rock".
At the rate of one album per year, it was the album "The high and the mighty" which was released the following year in 1982. The album will be classified in the depths of the Charts but will save the furniture in extremis with the title "Tough world".
The album "Fortune 410" was released in 1983, an album carried at arm's length by the Single "Do you compute ?", Single highlighted by the cross-promotion campaign of the label MCA and the game company Atari.
A success that will not bring them more than that since the label will try to impose new songwriters on the group, an unacceptable condition for the latter. A refusal which will result in a pure and simple dismissal of the label in 1984...
New label HME Records in the process, label with which they released the album "No muss...No fuss" in 1985. Album which will be the last major of the group because other albums will be released later but will only know a very limited level of success…
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others…) :
(That's why) Baby I love you (The Jaggerz) 1968
Together (The Jaggerz) 1969
Higher and higher (The Jaggerz) 1970
The rapper (The Jaggerz) 1970
I call my baby Candy (The Jaggerz) 1970
What a bummer (The Jaggerz) 1970
Gotta find my way back home (The Jaggerz) 1975
Try a piece of my love (Wild Cherry) 1979
Starlight (Wild Cherry) 1979
Keep on playin' that funky music (Wil Cherry) 1979
Ah ! Leah ! 1981
You're only dreaming 1981
I can't hear you 1981
Sweet Merilee 1981
Love is like a rock 1981
My girl 1982
Tough world 1982
The high ant the mighty 1982
This time it must be love 1983
Do you compute ? 1983
Injured in the game of love 1985
State of the heart 1985
Love whispers 1992
Be still my heart 1992
The best possible world 1993
Poletown 1997
How you gonna mend it ? 1997
Little black dress 2006
Let's go 2006
No rest for the wicked 2006
This child 2010
Ave Maria 2010
Pittsburg made 2016
Clips :
1968...the very first steps in grouped mode. Beginnings for the less successful and which will serve as an ideal launching pad for the rest of the events...
1969...in a perfectly trendy style and sound, the band shows straight away that he's not just there to do extras. So we are eagerly awaiting the sequel...
1970...the year 1969 will have allowed them to hatch and reveal themselves to the general public. But it is the year 1970 that will allow them to win the timpani. Not on this track but on the next one...
1970...it is therefore THIS title that will allow the group to enter in a remarkable way in the musical history of this end of the 20th century. The job is done as they say. HU-GE !
1970... the success will be lesser on the following titles but the group has done the hardest part of recognizing its talent. Just a good job...
1970...in just 2 years the group will have established himself as one of the sure values of the moment, which is not given to everyone. Afterwards, not sure that the adventure will last for decades...
1975... we will lose sight of them for almost 5 years and here they are back in this new year 1975. A return which will not allow them to return to the race unfortunately...
1979...change of group at the end of the decade and arrival in the Wild Cherry. All in a style that has nothing to do with what he was able to do with the Jaggerz, that's for sure...
1979...despite certain quality titles, the group will not be able to reproduce their exploits of the middle of the decade. The artist will therefore have missed the right train at first sight...
1979...this Wild Cherry adventure will still have allowed him to evolve in a Dance field which will necessarily serve him later. One way or another...
1980...the proof with this title ! First solo title and already huge success. He delivers here quite simply one of the biggest titles of his entire discography and sees himself projected in a way that is, to say the least, sensational on the front of the stage. HU-GE !
1981...paradoxically, he will be unable to capitalize on the enormous suction effect created by the previous title. Too bad because the solo career started in the best way...
1981...he will manage to come back a little bit in the race with this title but nothing more. It remains to be seen whether this slight air hole is only temporary or more durable than expected...
1981... passenger at first sight. He came back in force with this title and rejoined the leading pack without too much damage. The worst has therefore been avoided...
1981...a comeback that is confirmed with this new title. The artist was able to react in time and the result in the Charts was immediate...
1982...and it is with THIS title that he will obtain his best ranking in the Charts. A just reward for years of effort that was bound to pay off one day or another !
1982...a start of the decade on top speed where everything smiled on him. Let him take advantage of it because not sure it will last for years and years...
1982...the proof with this title which will not really know the same level of success as its predecessors. Be careful not to deviate too much from the trajectory...
1983...what we feared is happening with a violent drop in the Charts, to say the least. But what happens to him...?
1983... he will succeed in raising the bar in extremis with this title but it could well be one of the last times. Attention danger...
1985...we will lose sight of it during the year 1984 and here he is back in a form that we will describe as relative in this year 1985. Relative but sufficient to see him get a new hit, that's for the good news. For the bad, it will be his last...
1985... the relapse will be at the very least violent behind with a pure and simple disappearance on the Charts side. Who could have imagined that the adventure would turn so short...
1992... new disappearance of the radars for nearly 7 years and return in this new decade in a form that will not allow him to reverse the course of time unfortunately...
1992... him in any case believes in it and he says to himself that in music, everything is always possible. In principle, he is absolutely right but it will not succeed more than that...
1993...he will therefore continue the adventure at all costs and regardless of the lack of results in the Charts. A desire to believe in it that commands respect, no matter what...
1997...new 4 years air hole. The air holes follow one another but he comes back again and again. Afterwards, what are his motivations, good question...
1997...a decade of the 90s which did not really succeed for him despite all the efforts made. It remains to be seen whether it is worth coming back the following decade...
2006...in any case, he considers it worth it at first sight. Admittedly, almost 10 years will pass between this title and its predecessor, but he in any case thinks it was worth a try...
2006... it is clear that he will do more some figuration than anything else during this decade 2000. Afterwards, as long as he takes pleasure in doing what he does, isn't that the main thing...
2006...you still have to remember that he started his career in the 60s. And few artists of his time are still active, which underlines performance all the same...
2010...and as so often in these cases, when things go wrong, we release a good old Christmas album. And on this one, the result will not be without interest, it is clear...
2010...he will revisit in his own way ultra-known and above all ultra-traditional titles and will make personal versions of them, to say the least successful. Like it was worth a try...
2016...we thought the case was definitely over but here he is back again, he doesn't let go as they say. We therefore imagine that this title will surely not be the last concerning him...
Wiki :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :