Wild Cherry

Wild Cherry was an American funk rock band formed in Mingo Junction, Ohio, in 1970. They released four albums. The group experienced several lineup changes in their nine-year history, with Rob Parissi being its sole consistent member.Their self-titled debut album was released in 1976 to commercial success, peaking at number five on the Billboard 200. The record spawned the single "Play That Funky Music", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and appeared in the top 10 of several international charts. Their following four singles and two albums Electrified Funk (1977) and I Love My Music (1978) appeared on Billboard charts, but failed to replicate the sales of their debut. After the release of their fourth and final album, Only the Wild Survive (1979), Wild Cherry disbanded.Wild Cherry achieved brief success internationally but are deemed a one-hit wonder for "Play That Funky Music", which is one of two works by the band to be platinum-certified (the other being their debut album).Rob Parissi (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, Ohio. The band's name, 'Wild Cherry', was taken from a box of cough drops. The band played the Ohio Valley region, the Northern West Virginia panhandle, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The original lineup included Ben Difabbio (drums and vocals) and Louie Osso (guitar and vocals) from Steubenville, Larry Brown (bass and vocals) from Weirton, West Virginia, Larry Mader (keyboard and vocals) from East Springfield, Ohio, and Ron Vallera (guitar and 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 and 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 Terry Knight. Brown Bag produced several demos and singles that were later distributed by United Artists, including "Get Down" (1973) and "Show Me Your Badge" (1973).

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.