Rick Derringer, 77, Who Sang ‘Hang On Sloopy' and ‘Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,' Dies

New York Times

4 days ago

Rick Derringer, the ubiquitous rocker who sang the hit songs 'Hang On Sloopy' and 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo' in a music career that spanned several decades and also included collaborations with Hulk Hogan and Weird Al Yankovic, died on Monday in Ormond Beach, Fla. He was 77.
His longtime caretaker and friend, Tony Wilson, announced his death in statement on Tuesday. No cause was given.
From his early garage rock success to his many contributions to albums or tours by music royalty — Barbra Streisand, Cyndi Lauper and Peter Frampton all enlisted him — Mr. Derringer introduced himself to audiences across several generations.
One of his better-known and enduring collaborations was with the Edgar Winter Group, for which he produced the instrumental chart-topper 'Frankenstein,' which the band released in 1972.
Early on, Mr. Derringer was the shaggy-haired guitar impresario who was the frontman for the band the McCoys, who rose to the top of the Billboard singles chart in October 1965 with their catchy rendition of 'Hang On Sloopy.'
The song, about a girl known as Sloopy from a rough part of town, has become synonymous with Ohio State University, where the marching band first played it during a Buckeyes' football game in 1965. In 1985, the Ohio Legislature adopted it as the official state rock song.
Mr. Derringer, who was 17 years old when the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart, was born in Celina, Ohio.
The McCoys, formed in Dayton, Ohio, were not the first band to record the song. It evolved from an earlier version, called 'My Girl Sloopy,' which was originally recorded in 1964 by the Vibrations, a rhythm and blues group. In 1965, a fierce competition unfolded to see which band could adapt a rock 'n' roll version, which led to several of them, the McCoys' rendition being the most successful.
In 1973, Mr. Derringer made his solo debut. A few years earlier he had written just the song to usher in the next act of his career: 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.' With its titillating chorus and aggressive guitar riffs, the song melded sex and rock 'n' roll, cementing its place in pop culture. It was part of the soundtrack of 'Dazed and Confused,' the 1993 cult movie about high school stoners, and was in Season 4 of the Netflix series 'Stranger Things' in 2022.
His solo version of the song achieved more success than one that was initially recorded in 1970 by the singer Johnny Winter and his band, which included Mr. Derringer.
In the 1980s, Mr. Derringer continued to put himself in the spotlight with a series of collaborations, mixing the mainstream with the unconventional. He produced several albums for the parody musician Weird Al Yankovic, including one featuring one of the singer's best known spoofs, 'Eat It,' which poked fun at the Michael Jackson hit 'Beat It' and earned a Grammy.
Mr. Derringer also teamed up with the wrestler Hulk Hogan, composing the music and lyrics of his 'Real American' theme song.
In the early 2010s, he appeared on tour with the former Beatle Ringo Starr and his band, according to Mr. Derringer's website.
Mr. Derringer was born on Aug. 5, 1947, as Richard Zehringer before changing his name.
Survivor information was not immediately available on Tuesday.
In recent decades, Mr. Derringer moonlighted as a real estate agent in Florida, where he lived, The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported.
He also drew attention for his support of President Trump, which he amplified during a 2017 appearance with Roger J. Stone Jr., the longtime associate of Mr. Trump's, on an Infowars podcast. The site, frequented by far-right supporters of the president, has been used to spread conspiracy theories.
On the show, Mr. Derringer said that several politicians had used his 'Real American' song over the years, including Mr. Trump and former President Barack Obama, who he said had played it in jest at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in 2011.
At the event, the song was played when Mr. Obama showed a copy of his birth certificate stating that he was born in the United States, refuting conspiracy theories promoted by his successor that he was not.
When one of Mr. Derringer's associates asked whether he might send a bill to Mr. Obama for using the song, he said that he should.