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Donnie Iris has canceled his upcoming performance due to his cancer diagnosis (Image via Paul Natkin/Getty Images)

What happened to Donnie Iris? Singer cancels Youngstown performance amid cancer diagnosis

Musician Donnie Iris has recently revealed his cancer diagnosis and also underwent surgery for the same. He has now canceled his performance that was scheduled to take place on June 21, 2023, at The Foundation Amphitheater in Youngstown. The news was disclosed on the official Facebook page of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers.

The official statement on the page revealed that Iris' cancer was discovered during his 80th birthday in March this year, and he has been getting the best care so that he can recover soon. The post mentioned that although he has undergone surgery, his recovery will take time. It further stated:

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"Donnie is looking forward to resuming a regular schedule on July 24 at Blossom Music Center with Foreigner and Loverboy."

The post stated everything else about the REO Speedwagon concert which will be held on June 21 and that the tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster. The post added that Iris will be replaced by Levon which includes three singers – Michael David Hall, Jake Singleton, and Ryan Holloway.

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The Cruisers have previously canceled three of their shows in May 2023 due to Donnie's health problems. The news was announced through Facebook on April 14, 2023, and Donnie was recommended by his doctor to avoid performing for around six weeks.


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Donnie Iris played with different bands over the years and later pursued a successful solo career

Donnie Iris developed an interest in music when he was a child and he soon started to participate in competitions alongside performing at weddings and TV shows. He formed a group called Fabutons when he was in high school but it disbanded later.

He then formed another band called Tri-Vels which remained active until 1964. He established the Jaggerz the same year and their last projects were released in 2014. He worked with B.E. Taylor and came in touch with Mark Avsec, following which he played for Wild Cherry.

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After Wild Cherry disbanded, Iris and Avsec started to write songs and although their first project failed, they were joined by a few more band members. They were eventually named Donnie Iris and the Cruisers.

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They have released many albums over the years like King Cool, The High and the Mighty, Out of the Blue, and Poletown. They were also popular for their fourth album, Fortune 410, which had 10 singles and reached the 127th spot on the Billboard 200.

The band's latest album, Ah! Leluiah! was released back in 2010 and it had 17 singles in total. The band released two EPs that include Live at the Paradise, Boston in 1981 and You Can't Really Miss Me If I Never Go Away in 2008. They also released two compilation albums in 2001 and 2004 alongside three live albums in 1998, 2009, and 2014.

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Edited by
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