Pittsburgh rocker Donnie Iris (aged 83), whose superhits include 1981 Billboard Hot 100 No. 29 “Ah! Leah!” and 1970s Hot 100 No. 2 “The Rapper,” passed away on Monday (October 26).

Donnie Iris & the Cruisers drummer Joe Vitale Jr. shared the news on social media. The cause of death is not yet known.

“Tonight, I have some very sad news to share. Many of you may already know about this, but today my boss and friend Donnie Iris passed away at the age of 83,” Vitale Jr. wrote on Facebook. “At the first full show I performed with them in 2021, right before we went on stage, Donnie turned to me and gave me a huge hug. He always had an infectious smile, incredible energy and a wonderous personality. After you meet him, you honestly just love him. You could just sit and talk with him, laugh with him. He was King Cool.”

Iris, who was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2023 shortly after his 80th birthday show, subsequently cancelled several shows but continued to perform until announcing his retirement from the stage earlier this month after a final gig at Citizens Live at The Wylie in Pittsburg on September 28.

“After much thought, and in light of recent health issues, I have made the difficult decision to retire from future concert performances,” Iris wrote on October 9. “Music has given me far more than I could ever put into words. From the earliest days to every chapter of my life, your support has been a constant source of joy and inspiration.”

Iris shot to fame with “The Rapper” playing for his group The Jaggerz. The song from the band’s sophomore album, We Went to Different Schools Together, rose all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. After The Jaggerz split, Iris joined the group Wild Cherry and performed on their 1979 album Only the Wild Survive, and then split the group with keyboardist Mark Avsec to form Donnie Iris & the Cruisers, which also featured guitarist Marty Lee Hoenes, drummer Kevin Valentine and bassist Albritton McClain.