Donnie Iris was a member of the group The Jaggerz (the one-hit wonder responsible for 1970's #2 hit "The Rapper"). After the Jaggerz broke up, Iris toured with Wild Cherry, whose 1976 smash "Play That Funky Music" had made them a hot property into the end of the decade. It was during this period that he became acquainted with his future partner Mark Avsec, then playing keyboards for Wild Cherry. Unfortunately, Wild Cherry was another one-hit wonder, and Iris was out of a job by 1980.

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