Donnie Iris – Ah!Leah!
Donnie Iris got his start as a member of The Jaggerz, who had a Top 40 hit in the 70s with “The Rapper”.
As a solo artist, “Ah!Leah!” is considered his signature song. It was originally being written with a friend, Mark Avsec, when they were both members of Wild Cherry, as a protest song. They wanted a phrase that was like a chant that could be airy and echoed, like Gregorian Chant. Mark came up with “ah lee-ah” as that phrase. It worked but Iris mentiond that Leah was a girl’s name and the song transformed into a song of obsession or passion for a lover that always seems to come and go.
Released in 1980 on the album, ‘Back On The Streets’, “Ah! Leah!” became a Top 40 hit, peaking at #22 on the Hot 100!
