▁what ▁he ▁wanted , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁teach ▁himself . ▁He ▁bought ▁a ▁Beat les ▁ch ord ▁book ▁and ▁studied ▁guitar ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁four ▁months . ▁ ▁Ten ure ▁with ▁R asp ber ries ▁Car men ▁became ▁serious ▁about ▁being ▁a ▁music ian ▁while ▁att ending ▁John ▁Car roll ▁University . ▁He ▁joined ▁a ▁band ▁named ▁C yrus ▁Er ie , ▁which ▁recorded ▁several ▁un success ful ▁singles ▁for ▁Ep ic ▁records . ▁C yrus ▁Er ie ▁guitar ist ▁W ally ▁Bry son ▁had ▁been ▁playing ▁with ▁friends ▁Jim ▁Bon f anti ▁and ▁Dave ▁Sm al ley ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁Cleveland ' s ▁most ▁popular ▁bands , ▁the ▁Ch oir , ▁which ▁scored ▁a ▁minor ▁national ▁hit ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁with ▁the ▁single ▁" It ' s ▁Cold ▁Out side ". ▁ ▁When ▁C yrus ▁Er ie ▁and ▁the ▁Ch oir ▁col lapsed ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Car men , ▁Bry son , ▁Bon f anti ▁and ▁Sm al ley ▁te amed ▁up ▁to ▁form ▁R asp ber ries , ▁a ▁rock ▁and ▁roll ▁band ▁who ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁chief ▁ex ponents ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁sevent ies ▁power ▁pop ▁style . ▁Car men ▁was ▁the ▁lead ▁singer ▁of ▁the ▁group , ▁and ▁wrote ▁or ▁co - w rote ▁all ▁their ▁hit ▁songs . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁after ▁the ▁break up ▁of ▁R asp ber ries , ▁he ▁started ▁his ▁solo ▁career , ▁de - emph as