Donnie Iris had his time in the One-Hit Wonder spotlight in 1980 with his #29 Billboard Chart hit “Ah Leah“.
I always liked this song and don’t know why it did not go higher on the charts.
Maybe it was Donnie Iris himself. Seeing the video for this song makes you see what Buddy Holly might have looked like if he branched out into “harder-edged” music back in his era.
After seeing the Video, my love for the song took a major torpedo hit. (But remained afloat)
Donnie Iris did actually have two other songs that hit the Billboard Top-40 charts, both in 1982, “My Girl” and “Love is like a Rock”. Those songs do not ring a bell at all in my idiot brain, unlike “Ah Leah” which has been stuck in my head for 30 years. So, give the man his due, he is officially “Donnie Iris..3 hit Wonder“.
He continues to record new music and frequently tours with his band, Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. When not on the road, he now works for a mortgage company in Pennsylvania.
I agree. I loved the song, then checked out his video on youtube. I thought for sure it was an actor, so I Googled him to see if that’s what he really looked like (which is how I ended up here) and that sealed it. Now every time I hear that song, the image of that nerdy guy will always be there. Damn you, youtube!