Wild Cherry (band)
Encyclopedia
Wild Cherry was a funk
/rock band best known for their funk
song "Play That Funky Music
".
. Parissi graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. Rob formed the band Wild Cherry in 1970 in Steubenville, Ohio
, one mile north of Mingo Junction along the Ohio River. The band's name "Wild Cherry" was taken from a box of cough drops while Rob was recuperating from a brief hospital stay. The band played the Ohio Valley region, Wheeling, West Virginia
and the rest of the Northern West Virginia panhandle, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. The original lineup included: Ben Difabbio (drums and vocals), Louie Osso (guitar, lead and background vocals) from Steubenville, Ohio
, Larry Brown
(bass, lead and background vocals) from Weirton, West Virginia
, Larry Mader (keyboards, lead and background vocals) from East Springfield, Ohio
, and Rob Parissi
(lead vocals and guitar). Over time, the band members changed, with Osso, Brown, and Mader leaving the band, and Rob's cousin, Coogie Stoddart (guitar, lead and background vocals), Joe Buchmelter (bass), and Buckie Lusk (bass) joining (with Buchmelter leaving again in the 1970s).
Several records before Play That Funky Music were released under their own label during the early 1970s, including You Can Be High (But Lay Low), date unknown, and Something Special On Your Mind, 1971. The music at this stage was pure rock music, not funk. Wild Cherry eventually gained a record contract with Brown Bag Records, owned and operated by the late Terry Knight of Terry Knight And The Pack fame, who later on without Terry became Grand Funk Railroad, who Terry also produced at the time for Capitol records. Several demos and singles on Knight's Brown Bag label distributed by United Artists were produced including Get Down, 1973, and Show Me Your Badge, 1973.
The band broke up when a disillusioned Parissi left the music scene to become the manager of a local steakhouse. Rob quickly realized that the steakhouse gig was not going to cut it. As his enthusiasm for the music eventually returned, Rob decided to give the business one last shot.
Parissi re-formed the band with new musicians. The new lineup consisted of Bryan Bassett
(guitar/vocals) Ron Beitle (drums) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, and Allen Wentz (bass guitar/synthesizer/vocals), who hailed from Detroit, Michigan
. As the quartet began to perform non-stop and build a huge, devoted following in the Pittsburgh area, they were repeatedly asked by listeners to play more dance music. Disco
was beginning its rule on the radio and the dance floor. At the 2001 Club in Pittsburgh, a table full of black fans kept coming to the stage and teasing: "Are you white boys gonna play some funky music?" One night during a break between sets, drummer Ron Beitle, in a group meeting in the dressing room, uttered phrase: "Play That Funky Music, White Boy". On the way back to the stage to play the next set, Rob Parissi was immediately inspired to write a song around the phrase, on a drink order pad with a pen borrowed from the bartender. The song took a total of 5 minutes to write. When the band went into the studio to record the song, studio engineer Ken Hamann was blown away by the potential hit and brought the band to the attention of Sweet City Records, distributed by Epic/CBS, which then immediately signed the group. Parissi had intended to record the song as the B-side to a cover version of the Commodores
' "I Feel Sanctified", but the label suggested it as the A-side. During the recording of the first album, Mark Avsec
was hired as a session keyboardist on two of the album's tracks, "Nowhere To Run" and "The Lady Wants Your Money", and was asked to join the band after the album was released and the group was about to embark on its first tour.
"Play That Funky Music" became a huge hit when released in 1976, peaking at number one on both the Billboard R&B and pop charts. Both the single and Wild Cherry's self-titled debut album went platinum. Play That Funky Music was #1 on the Billboard charts for 3 weeks. The band was named Best Pop Group of the Year by Billboard, and received an American Music Award for Top R&B Single of the Year, as well as a pair of Grammy nominations for Best New Vocal Group and Best R&B Performance by a Group or Duo that year, adding to their success.
Their 1977 album, Electrified Funk and 1978 album I Love My Music did not produce any top 20 hits, While their 1979 album Only the Wild Survive didn't produce a top 100 single.
U.S. billboard chart placements for singles from their 3 other albums:
"Hot to Trot" was a minor followup hit in some non U.S. markets.
Although it was never a chart hit, the song "1 2 3 Kind Of Love" had the right feel for the beach music
clubs along the North and South Carolina coasts; it continues to be popular there today, and the song is included in the beach music anthology series by Ripete Records.
One musician who played with the band was guitarist/vocalist Donnie Iris
(ex-The Jaggerz
). Donnie was credited on their fourth and final album. Mark Avsec partnered up with Donnie following the demise of Wild Cherry to form The Cruisers, and also released a solo project under the moniker Cellarful of Noise
in 1985.
Coogie Stoddart returned to perform with Wild Cherry beginning with the tour to support Electrified Funk. Coogie recorded the third album, I Love my Music, with the band. On that album is recorded one of Coogie's original songs, If You Want My Love, on which Coogie shares lead vocals with Rob Parissi. (The album jacket for I Love My Music incorrectly states that all songs were written by Rob Parissi; the album's label is correct.) Coogie Stoddart toured with the group in support of I Love My Music, but left before Only the Wild Survive was recorded.
Allen Wentz moved to NYC after leaving the band, and became a session synthesist playing on many records and jingles. He has produced a number of indie projects over the years, scored a few indie films, and has had some song placements. He still composes and records under different aliases, as well as under his own name. Over the years he has worked with artists ranging from Luther Vandross
and Roberta Flack
, to Cyndi Lauper
.
Guitarist Bryan Bassett went on to a successful producing/engineering career at King Snake Studio in Sanford, FL working with many great blues artists. His guitar playing easily earned him a spot with Foghat
and Molly Hatchet
in the '90s. He continues to tour with Foghat and work in his studio as a freelance engineer/producer. Bryan Bassett has also served as a Board Governor and Board Advisor for the Florida Chapter of NARAS.
Rob Parissi moved to Miami in 1979 after Wild Cherry disbanded, met Bobby Caldwell there, and they worked together forming a band for Caldwell to tour Japan and the United States. In 1980, Parissi moved to New York City, met members of Billy Squire's band, and did recording sessions with them and at the same time, also met Ellie Greenwich and together with Jeff Kent, they wrote songs, one of which was recorded by Ellen Foley (Boys In The Attic) and became a hit in England and other parts of Europe. He also was a co-producer along with Gary U.S. Bonds and Bruce Springsteen on Gary's "Dedication" album in 1980 that produced the hit, "This Little Girl Is Mine", selling over 500,000 copies for which Rob was awarded another gold album. In early 1982, Rob moved back to his home town of Mingo Junction, Ohio to be close to his family and in the late 1980s while living in that area, went into radio becoming a program director and morning air personality briefly in Wheeling, West Virginia
. He now resides between homes in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida, and is currently writing and recording in the Smooth Jazz genre.
There is an edited version of Play That Funky Music without "white boy" that was released for radio airplay around the Boston area, as the original version was briefly banned in that area upon its original release. Instead of "white boy", the words, "yeah, funky music" were substituted. That version is now a collectors item.
Play That Funky Music was covered by the rock group ROXANNE
in 1988 and was sampled by Vanilla Ice
in 1990 (for which Parissi was not credited; he later won $500,000 in a copyright infringement lawsuit), and it continues to be a hit in dance clubs to this day. Play that Funky Music is regularly included on funk and disco compilations, and has been included in numerous movies, television shows and was the theme song for Craig Kilborn's late-night TV show. Taylor Hicks sang Play That Funky Music on American Idol a week before he won. On March 31, 2009, Adam Lambert sang this song on the American Idol television show. It is the 73rd biggest song of all time on Billboard's list of top 100 songs.
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
/rock band best known for their funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
song "Play That Funky Music
Play That Funky Music
"Play That Funky Music" is a funk song written by Robert Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry. The performers on the classic recording included the members of the band at the time: lead singer Parissi, guitarist Bryan Bassett, bassist Allen Wentz, and drummer Ron Beitle, with session horn...
".
History
Rob Parissi (lead vocals & guitar) was raised in the steel mill town of Mingo Junction, OhioMingo Junction, Ohio
Mingo Junction is a village in Jefferson County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,631 at the 2000 census. In 1900, its only manufacturing plant was a steel mill owned by Carnegie Steel Company...
. Parissi graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. Rob formed the band Wild Cherry in 1970 in Steubenville, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, one mile north of Mingo Junction along the Ohio River. The band's name "Wild Cherry" was taken from a box of cough drops while Rob was recuperating from a brief hospital stay. The band played the Ohio Valley region, Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and the rest of the Northern West Virginia panhandle, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. The original lineup included: Ben Difabbio (drums and vocals), Louie Osso (guitar, lead and background vocals) from Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville is a city located along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio on the Ohio-West Virginia border in the United States. It is the political county seat of Jefferson County. It is also a principal city of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Larry Brown
Larry Brown
-Athletes:* Larry Brown , former NHL ice hockey player* Larry Brown , , NCAA, ABA and NBA player and coach-American football:* Larry Brown , NFL cornerback and Super Bowl MVP...
(bass, lead and background vocals) from Weirton, West Virginia
Weirton, West Virginia
Weirton is a city located in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. Most of the city is in Hancock County, with the remainder in Brooke County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 20,411...
, Larry Mader (keyboards, lead and background vocals) from East Springfield, Ohio
East Springfield, Ohio
East Springfield is a census-designated place in northwestern Salem Township, Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43925. It lies along State Route 43 northwest of the county seat of Steubenville...
, and Rob Parissi
Rob Parissi
Rob Parissi is an American singer and guitarist of the American funk group Wild Cherry, under which he had his biggest, and so far only hit Play That Funky Music.He was raised in the steel mill town of Mingo Junction, Ohio. He graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. Rob formed the band Wild...
(lead vocals and guitar). Over time, the band members changed, with Osso, Brown, and Mader leaving the band, and Rob's cousin, Coogie Stoddart (guitar, lead and background vocals), Joe Buchmelter (bass), and Buckie Lusk (bass) joining (with Buchmelter leaving again in the 1970s).
Several records before Play That Funky Music were released under their own label during the early 1970s, including You Can Be High (But Lay Low), date unknown, and Something Special On Your Mind, 1971. The music at this stage was pure rock music, not funk. Wild Cherry eventually gained a record contract with Brown Bag Records, owned and operated by the late Terry Knight of Terry Knight And The Pack fame, who later on without Terry became Grand Funk Railroad, who Terry also produced at the time for Capitol records. Several demos and singles on Knight's Brown Bag label distributed by United Artists were produced including Get Down, 1973, and Show Me Your Badge, 1973.
The band broke up when a disillusioned Parissi left the music scene to become the manager of a local steakhouse. Rob quickly realized that the steakhouse gig was not going to cut it. As his enthusiasm for the music eventually returned, Rob decided to give the business one last shot.
Parissi re-formed the band with new musicians. The new lineup consisted of Bryan Bassett
Bryan Bassett
Bryan Bassett is an American guitarist who has played with several notable bands but is probably best known as a member of Wild Cherry in the 1970s who had a huge hit with "Play That Funky Music."-Early career:...
(guitar/vocals) Ron Beitle (drums) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, and Allen Wentz (bass guitar/synthesizer/vocals), who hailed from Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. As the quartet began to perform non-stop and build a huge, devoted following in the Pittsburgh area, they were repeatedly asked by listeners to play more dance music. Disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
was beginning its rule on the radio and the dance floor. At the 2001 Club in Pittsburgh, a table full of black fans kept coming to the stage and teasing: "Are you white boys gonna play some funky music?" One night during a break between sets, drummer Ron Beitle, in a group meeting in the dressing room, uttered phrase: "Play That Funky Music, White Boy". On the way back to the stage to play the next set, Rob Parissi was immediately inspired to write a song around the phrase, on a drink order pad with a pen borrowed from the bartender. The song took a total of 5 minutes to write. When the band went into the studio to record the song, studio engineer Ken Hamann was blown away by the potential hit and brought the band to the attention of Sweet City Records, distributed by Epic/CBS, which then immediately signed the group. Parissi had intended to record the song as the B-side to a cover version of the Commodores
Commodores
The Commodores are an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour...
' "I Feel Sanctified", but the label suggested it as the A-side. During the recording of the first album, Mark Avsec
Mark Avsec
Mark Avsec is an American rock keyboardist / songwriter / producer, and most recently copyright lawyer who is best known for being a member of Donnie Iris & the Cruisers since 1979...
was hired as a session keyboardist on two of the album's tracks, "Nowhere To Run" and "The Lady Wants Your Money", and was asked to join the band after the album was released and the group was about to embark on its first tour.
"Play That Funky Music" became a huge hit when released in 1976, peaking at number one on both the Billboard R&B and pop charts. Both the single and Wild Cherry's self-titled debut album went platinum. Play That Funky Music was #1 on the Billboard charts for 3 weeks. The band was named Best Pop Group of the Year by Billboard, and received an American Music Award for Top R&B Single of the Year, as well as a pair of Grammy nominations for Best New Vocal Group and Best R&B Performance by a Group or Duo that year, adding to their success.
Their 1977 album, Electrified Funk and 1978 album I Love My Music did not produce any top 20 hits, While their 1979 album Only the Wild Survive didn't produce a top 100 single.
U.S. billboard chart placements for singles from their 3 other albums:
- Baby Don't You Know (1977; peaked at #43)
- Hot To Trot (1977; peaked at #95)
- Hold On (1977; peaked at #61)
- I Love My Music (1978; peaked at #69).
"Hot to Trot" was a minor followup hit in some non U.S. markets.
Although it was never a chart hit, the song "1 2 3 Kind Of Love" had the right feel for the beach music
Beach music
Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, is a regional genre which developed from various musical styles of the forties, fifties and sixties. These styles ranged from big band swing instrumentals to the more raucous sounds of blues/jump blues, jazz, doo-wop, boogie, rhythm and blues,...
clubs along the North and South Carolina coasts; it continues to be popular there today, and the song is included in the beach music anthology series by Ripete Records.
One musician who played with the band was guitarist/vocalist Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris is an American rock musician known for his work with The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo albums during the 1980s...
(ex-The Jaggerz
The jaggerz
The Jaggerz are a pop/rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, often considered a one-hit wonder because their only major success was the single "The Rapper", written by Donnie Iris...
). Donnie was credited on their fourth and final album. Mark Avsec partnered up with Donnie following the demise of Wild Cherry to form The Cruisers, and also released a solo project under the moniker Cellarful of Noise
Cellarful of Noise
Cellarful of Noise was a 1980s rock band featuring Mark Avsec and Kevin Valentine, both members of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. They released two albums...
in 1985.
Coogie Stoddart returned to perform with Wild Cherry beginning with the tour to support Electrified Funk. Coogie recorded the third album, I Love my Music, with the band. On that album is recorded one of Coogie's original songs, If You Want My Love, on which Coogie shares lead vocals with Rob Parissi. (The album jacket for I Love My Music incorrectly states that all songs were written by Rob Parissi; the album's label is correct.) Coogie Stoddart toured with the group in support of I Love My Music, but left before Only the Wild Survive was recorded.
Allen Wentz moved to NYC after leaving the band, and became a session synthesist playing on many records and jingles. He has produced a number of indie projects over the years, scored a few indie films, and has had some song placements. He still composes and records under different aliases, as well as under his own name. Over the years he has worked with artists ranging from Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
and Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
, to Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
.
Guitarist Bryan Bassett went on to a successful producing/engineering career at King Snake Studio in Sanford, FL working with many great blues artists. His guitar playing easily earned him a spot with Foghat
Foghat
Foghat are a British rock band that had their peak success in the mid- to late-1970s. Their style can be described as "blues-rock," or boogie-rock dominated by electric and electric slide guitar. The band has achieved five gold records...
and Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet is an American southern rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1975. They are widely known for their hit song "Flirtin' with Disaster" from the album of the same title. The band, founded by Dave Hlubek and Steve Holland, took its name from a prostitute who allegedly mutilated...
in the '90s. He continues to tour with Foghat and work in his studio as a freelance engineer/producer. Bryan Bassett has also served as a Board Governor and Board Advisor for the Florida Chapter of NARAS.
Rob Parissi moved to Miami in 1979 after Wild Cherry disbanded, met Bobby Caldwell there, and they worked together forming a band for Caldwell to tour Japan and the United States. In 1980, Parissi moved to New York City, met members of Billy Squire's band, and did recording sessions with them and at the same time, also met Ellie Greenwich and together with Jeff Kent, they wrote songs, one of which was recorded by Ellen Foley (Boys In The Attic) and became a hit in England and other parts of Europe. He also was a co-producer along with Gary U.S. Bonds and Bruce Springsteen on Gary's "Dedication" album in 1980 that produced the hit, "This Little Girl Is Mine", selling over 500,000 copies for which Rob was awarded another gold album. In early 1982, Rob moved back to his home town of Mingo Junction, Ohio to be close to his family and in the late 1980s while living in that area, went into radio becoming a program director and morning air personality briefly in Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He now resides between homes in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida, and is currently writing and recording in the Smooth Jazz genre.
There is an edited version of Play That Funky Music without "white boy" that was released for radio airplay around the Boston area, as the original version was briefly banned in that area upon its original release. Instead of "white boy", the words, "yeah, funky music" were substituted. That version is now a collectors item.
Play That Funky Music was covered by the rock group ROXANNE
Roxanne
Roxanne may refer to:* Hurricane Roxanne, a major hurricane in October 1995* "Roxanne" , a 1978 song by The Police* A main character and love interest in Edmond Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac'...
in 1988 and was sampled by Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
in 1990 (for which Parissi was not credited; he later won $500,000 in a copyright infringement lawsuit), and it continues to be a hit in dance clubs to this day. Play that Funky Music is regularly included on funk and disco compilations, and has been included in numerous movies, television shows and was the theme song for Craig Kilborn's late-night TV show. Taylor Hicks sang Play That Funky Music on American Idol a week before he won. On March 31, 2009, Adam Lambert sang this song on the American Idol television show. It is the 73rd biggest song of all time on Billboard's list of top 100 songs.
Studio albums
- Wild CherryWild Cherry (album)Wild Cherry is the first studio album by Wild Cherry, released in 1976.-Track listing:All songs written by Rob Parissi except when noted.# "Play That Funky Music" - 5:01# "The Lady Wants Your Money" - 4:13# "99½" - 3:00...
(1976) - Electrified FunkElectrified FunkElectrified Funk is the second studio album by Wild Cherry, released in 1977.- Track listing :# "Baby Don't You Know"# "Are You Boogieing Around On Your Daddy"# "Dancin' Music Band"# "Put Yourself in My Shoes"# "Closest Thing to My Mind"...
(1977) - I Love My MusicI Love My MusicI Love My Music is the third studio album, released in 1978 by Wild Cherry. It includes "Don't Stop, Get Off," a single with no lyrics outside the title itself, sung in a strident voice, backed by horns playing a funky riff...
(1978) - Only the Wild SurviveOnly the Wild SurviveOnly the Wild Survive is an album by Wild Cherry, released in 1979. Their fourth studio album, this would be their last before breaking up the same year.- Track listing :# "Try a Piece of My Love" - 4:28...
(1979)
Compilation albums
- Play the FunkPlay the FunkPlay the Funk is an album released in 2000 by Wild Cherry.-Track listing:# "Play That Funky Music"# "Baby Don't You Know"# "99½"# "Don't Go Near the Water"# "Electrified Funk"# "Hot to Trot"# "It's All Up to You"# "It's the Same Old Song"...
(2000) - Super HitsSuper Hits (Wild Cherry album)Super Hits is a 2002 compilation that shuffles most of Wild Cherry's charting hits and combines them with a larger number of album cuts. Play That Funky Music, along with the other singles that almost no one remembers -- Hot to Trot, Hold On, I Love My Music -- are included...
(2002)
Singles
- "Get Down/Livin' & Lovin' (1972)
- "Show Me Your Badge/Bring Back the Fire" (1973)
- "Play That Funky MusicPlay That Funky Music"Play That Funky Music" is a funk song written by Robert Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry. The performers on the classic recording included the members of the band at the time: lead singer Parissi, guitarist Bryan Bassett, bassist Allen Wentz, and drummer Ron Beitle, with session horn...
" (1976) - "I Feel Sanctified" (1976)
- "Baby Don't You Know" (1977)
- "Hold On (With Strings)" (1977)
- "Hot to Trot" (1977) – also released as part of a double A-side with "Play That Funky Music" in 1977
- "123 Kind of Love" (1978)
- "This Old Heart of Mine" (1978)
- "Try a Piece of My Love" (1979)
Sheet music
Several pieces of sheet music were published. In particular the whole of the first album was available published as one book. The original 1976 "Hold On" was also available as sheet music and featured the band on the cover.Band members
- Rob Parissi – lead vocals, guitar (1970–1979)
- Allen Wentz – bass (1975–1978)
- Bryan Bassett – guitar (1975–1978)
- Ronald Beitle – drums, percussion (1975–1979)
- Mark AvsecMark AvsecMark Avsec is an American rock keyboardist / songwriter / producer, and most recently copyright lawyer who is best known for being a member of Donnie Iris & the Cruisers since 1979...
– keyboards (1975–1979) - Coogie Stoddart – guitar, vocals (1973–1975) and (1977–78)
- Donnie IrisDonnie IrisDonnie Iris is an American rock musician known for his work with The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo albums during the 1980s...
– guitar, vocals (1978–1979)
External links
- http://www.RobParissi.com
- [ Allmusic Entry]