Effective period / Period of releases: 1968

Members: Eric Carmen, Michael McBride

American band from Cleveland, Ohio, active around 1967-1970. A huge local band at their peak, Cyrus Erie is famous for being Eric Carmen's springboard to regional stardom. Eric was not an original member, though. The band was formed by drummer/singer Michael McBride and his brother Bob McBride on bass. Other early members were Tim Manning (guitar) and Rob Belzer (guitar?/keyboards?). This lineup recorded 3 original songs at Cleveland Recording that never got beyond tape. Late in 1967, Carmen joined - allegedly to play drums and free McBride to sing, but Carmen's guitar, piano and singing skills were too good to ignore. Marty Murphy, who had played with Eric in the Sounds Of Silence, joined on guitar at the same time. Eric had been snubbed for a part in The Choir so he decided to recruit former Choir guitarist Wally Bryson (who had already quit them few months earlier) in a deliberate attempt to one-up them ... and many fans will say it worked.