Robert Parissi (born December 29, 1950) 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 That Funky Music". He was raised in the steel mill town of Mingo Junction, Ohio. He graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. Parissi formed the band Wild Cherry in 1970 in Steubenville, Ohio, one mile north of Mingo Junction along the Ohio River. The band initially performed in the Ohio Valley region, Wheeling, West Virginia and the rest of the northern West Virginia panhandle, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
After Wild Cherry disbanded in 1979 without another major hit, Parissi became a producer and dedicated himself to adult contemporary music. In 1980, he toured with Bobby Caldwell. He writes and records smooth jazz and has collaborated with Steve Oliver and Will Donato.
Discography
With Wild Cherry Wild Cherry, 1976 Electrified Funk, 1977 I Love My Music, 1978 Only the Wild Survive, 1979
Solo Late Bloomer, 2008 Boca Ciega Bay, 2010 Ocean Sunset, 2011 East Coast Vibe, 2011 The Real Deal, 2012
References