Wild Cherry was an American

funk rock Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer stat ...

band formed in Mingo Junction, Ohio, in 1970 that was best known for its song " Play That Funky Music".

History

Early lineups (1970–1974)

Rob Parissi Robert Parissi (born 29 December 1950 in Mingo Junction, Ohio) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician, best known as frontman for the American funk group Wild Cherry. He also wrote the group's only hit, the 1976 chart-topping " Play T ...

(lead vocals and guitar) was raised in the steel-mill town of Mingo Junction, Ohio. He graduated from Mingo High School in 1968 and formed the band Wild Cherry in 1970 in

Steubenville Steubenville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Ohio River 33 miles west of Pittsburgh, it had a population of 18,161 at the 2020 census. The city's name is derived from Fort Steuben, a ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

.Bogdanov 2003, p. 746 The band's name, 'Wild Cherry,' was taken from a box of cough drops. The band played the

Ohio Valley The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illin ...

region, the Northern

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

panhandle, and

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, Pennsylvania. The original lineup included Ben Difabbio (drums and vocals) and Louie Osso (guitar, lead, and background vocals) from Steubenville, Larry Brown (bass, lead, and background vocals) from

Weirton Weirton () is a city in Brooke and Hancock counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located primarily in Hancock County, the city lies in the northern portions of the state's Northern Panhandle region. As of the 2020 census, the city's pop ...

, West Virginia, Larry Mader (keyboards, lead and background vocals) from East Springfield, Ohio, and Ron Vallera (guitar, background vocals) from Steubenville, Ohio). Over time, the band members changed; Osso, Brown, Mader and Vallera left the band and were replaced by Parissi's cousin, Coogie Stoddart (guitar, lead, and background vocals), and Joe Buchmelter (bass). Buchmelter was soon replaced by Bucky Lusk. In the early 1970s, several records were released under their own label, including "You Can Be High (But Lay Low)," and "Something Special On Your Mind," in 1971. The music at this stage was pure rock music. Wild Cherry eventually gained a record contract with Brown Bag Records, owned and operated by the late Terry Knight. Brown Bag produced several demos and singles that were later distributed by

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

, including "Get Down" (1973) and "Show Me Your Badge" (1973). The band broke up, and Parissi left the music scene temporarily. He reformed the band in 1975.

Later lineups (1975–1979)

The new lineup consisted of

Bryan Bassett Bryan Bassett (born August 11, 1954) is an American guitarist who has played with several notable bands but is best known as a member of Wild Cherry in the 1970s who had a hit with "Play That Funky Music". Early career Bryan was born on August ...

(guitar/vocals), Allen Wentz (bass guitar/synthesizer/vocals), Ronald Beitle (drums), and Parissi. As the group began to develop a following in the Pittsburgh area,

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...

was becoming increasingly popular, and they were repeatedly asked by listeners to play more dance music. While brainstorming for new song ideas, Beitle recounted hearing a fan shout, "Are you white boys gonna play some funky music?" Parissi was inspired to write a song based on the phrase, so he began writing on a drink order pad with a pen borrowed from the bartender. After the band recorded the song, studio engineer Ken Hamann brought the band to the attention of Sweet City Records, distributed by Epic/CBS, which signed the group. Parissi had intended to record the song as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

to a cover version of the

Commodores Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...

' "I Feel Sanctified," but the label suggested it as the A-side instead. "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. The band was named Best Pop Group of the Year by

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

and received an

American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...

for Top R&B Single of the Year as well as a pair of

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominations for Best New Vocal Group and Best R&B Performance by a Group or Duo. "Play That Funky Music" was the only hit on the album, although "Hot to Trot" was a minor follow-up hit in some non-U.S. markets. The album featured contributions from keyboardist

Mark Avsec Mark Avsec (born August 23, 1954) is an American rock keyboardist, songwriter, and producer. He was a member of the funk rock band Wild Cherry. Avsec was an original member of Donnie Iris & the Cruisers. He wrote or co-wrote all of the band's m ...

, who soon thereafter became a permanent member of the band. None of Wild Cherry's three subsequent albums were very popular. Neither ''Electrified Funk'' (1977) (which contained the "Play That Funky Music" soundalike single "Baby Don't You Know") nor ''

I Love My Music ''I Love My Music'' is the third studio album by Wild Cherry, released in 1978. 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. Also featured on ...

'' (1978) produced any top 40 hits, and ''

Only the Wild Survive ''Only the Wild Survive'' is the fourth and final studio album by Wild Cherry, released in 1979. Their fourth studio album, this would be their last before breaking up the same year. It contains the single "Keep On Playin' That Funky Music" a se ...

'' (1979) did not even produce a top 100 single. The band broke up in late 1979. Coogie Stoddart returned to perform with Wild Cherry, beginning with the tour to support ''Electrified Funk'', and recorded ''I Love My Music'' with the band. Stoddart toured with the group, in support of ''I Love My Music'' but left before ''Only the Wild Survive'' was recorded.

Post-breakup (1980–present)

*Mark Avsec partnered with

Donnie Iris Donnie Iris (born Dominic Ierace, February 28, 1943) is an American rock musician known for his work with the Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo career beginning in the 1980s with his band, the Cruisers. He wrote the ...

(of

the Jaggerz The Jaggerz are an American rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They came to national attention with their single " The Rapper" which was released on the Kama Sutra label. "The Rapper" was No. 1 in the Record World Charts and No. 2 in th ...

) in the early 1980s to form Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. Iris had played with Wild Cherry on their fourth and final album. Their hit singles included "

Ah! Leah! "Ah! Leah!" is a song by Mark Avsec and American rock musician Donnie Iris from the latter's 1980 album '' Back on the Streets''. The song has been described as Iris's signature song, as well the unofficial anthem of the city of Pittsburgh and We ...

". Avsec also teamed up with fellow Cruiser Kevin Valentine to record under the moniker Cellarful of Noise in 1985, releasing two albums with this project. Another of Avsec's compositions, " She Don't Know Me," originally written for the band La Flavour (who later evolved into "Fair Warning"), became one of the first hits for the then-fledgling band,

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...

. A lawsuit related to "Ah! Leah!" inspired Avsec to become a copyright lawyer. *Allen Wentz moved to New York City and became a session synthesizer specialist, playing on many records and jingles. He has worked with artists ranging from

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

and

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles " The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", " Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", " W ...

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

. *Bryan Bassett became a producer and engineer at King Snake Studio in

Sanford Sanford may refer to: People *Sanford (given name), including a list of people with the name *Sanford (surname), including a list of people with the name Places United States * Sanford, Alabama, a town in Covington County * Sanford, Colorado ...

, Florida. He has played with

Foghat Foghat are an English rock band formed in London in 1971. The band is known for the use of electric slide guitar in its music. The band has achieved eight gold records, one platinum and one double platinum record, and despite several line-up ...

and

Molly Hatchet Molly Hatchet is an American rock band formed in 1971 by guitarist Dave Hlubek in Jacksonville, Florida. They were a popular band during the late 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s among the southern rock and hard rock communities. The band released ...

, and he has also served as a board governor for the Florida Chapter of

NARAS The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...

. *Parissi moved to

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, Florida in 1979 and formed a tour band with Bobby Caldwell. In 1980, Parissi moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, met members of

Billy Squier William Haislip Squier (, born May 12, 1950) is an American rock musician and singer who had a string of arena rock and crossover hits in the early 1980s. His best-known songs include " The Stroke", " Lonely Is the Night", "My Kinda Lover", " I ...

's band, and did recording sessions with them. At the same time, he also co-wrote songs with Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Kent and co-produced the album ''

Dedication Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church, or other sacred building. Feast of Dedication The Feast of Dedication, today Hanukkah, once also called "Feast of the Maccabees," is a Jewish festival observed for eight days f ...

'', along with Gary U.S. Bonds and

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

in 1980/81. The album produced the hit "This Little Girl (Is Mine)," which sold over 500,000 copies, for which Rob was awarded another gold album. As of the 2010s, Parissi resides in Florida and is writing and recording in the adult contemporary and

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. History Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the ...

genres, as in his CD "The Real Deal," an all-vocal album. : On August 11, 2013, the people of Parissi's hometown in Mingo Junction, Ohio renamed the longest street there as Rob Parissi Boulevard and declared August 11 as Rob Parissi Day. He and his wife, Ilona, established a scholarship endowment for his former consolidated high school, now named Indian Creek High School, and he returns every year to do a charity fundraiser for that scholarship endowment. *Ron Beitle (1954–2017) performed with several rock bands, including Nied's Hotel Band in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. He died in 2017.

Band members

Final lineup

– vocals, guitar (1970–1979) *

– guitar, vocals (1978–1979) *Cooke Michalchick – bass, vocals (1978–1979) *Ronald Beitle – drums, percussion (1975–1979) *

– keyboards (1975–1979)

Previous members

*Ben Difabbio – drums, vocals (1970–1975) *Louie Osso – guitar, vocals (1970–1973) *Larry Brown – bass, vocals (1970–1973) *Coogie Stoddart – guitar, vocals (1973–1975, 1977–78) *Joe Buchmelter – bass (1973) *Bucky Lusk – bass (1973–1975) *Allen Wentz – bass, synthesizer, vocals (1975–1978) *

– guitar (1975–1978)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

* ''

Play the Funk Wild Cherry was an American funk rock band formed in Mingo Junction, Ohio, in 1970 that was best known for its song "Play That Funky Music". History Early lineups (1970–1974) Rob Parissi (lead vocals and guitar) was raised in the steel-mil ...

'' (2000) * '' Super Hits'' (2002)

Singles

References

Notes

Sources

External links

Allmusic Entry AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the datab ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wild Cherry American funk musical groups Funk rock musical groups Rock music groups from Ohio Musical groups from Pittsburgh Epic Records artists American soul musical groups Musical groups from Ohio People from Mingo Junction, Ohio Musical groups established in 1970 Musical groups disestablished in 1979