Pittsburgh Rock Legend Donnie Iris Dies on October 26 at 83
Word came on October 26 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, that Donnie Iris, the rock musician known to everyone in the Pittsburgh area, has died at 83. Iris, an Ellwood City native known as “King Cool,” died after a three-year battle with bladder cancer; just earlier this month he had formally announced his retirement from performing. The Beaver County Times said that to Pittsburgh-area residents he was simply “Donnie,” no other name needed. Iris was a fixture of the concert scene in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio for six decades and one of the most popular rock musicians the area ever produced. He gained national fame in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of hits, including “The Rapper” with the Jaggerz and his signature songs “Ah! Leah!” and “Love Is Like a Rock.” He also performed with Wild Cherry, of “Play That Funky Music” fame. His final performance was on September 28, at the grand opening of Citizens Live at The Wylie, Pittsburgh's newest concert venue. He was also a regular in a golf group at the Beaver Valley Golf Club, and in 2015 he was enshrined as a Pittsburgh Rock 'N Roll Legend, the city's equivalent of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honor, the Beaver County Times said.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 资料图：匹兹堡市中心（Wikimedia Commons：Downtown Pittsburgh from Duquesne Incline in the morning.jpg，授权 CC BY-SA 4.0，作者 Dllu）
