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Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Rick Derringer dies at 77 after decades of shaping rock, pop, and wrestling music
Rick Derringer, celebrated American singer and guitarist known for his wide-ranging contributions to rock and pop music, has died at age 77. The news was shared by close friend Tony Wilson in a Facebook post, though no cause of death was provided. Born Richard Zehringer in Ohio, Derringer began his music career in Union City, Indiana, with garage rock band the McCoys. At just 17, he fronted the group's breakout hit 'Hang on Sloopy,' which reached No. 1 in 1965. The track later became Ohio's official rock song, cementing its cultural significance. The McCoys followed up with hits like 'Fever' and 'Come On, Let's Go,' releasing five albums before joining forces with blues-rocker Johnny Winter in the group Johnny Winter And. Derringer's solo debut came in 1973 with All American Boy, featuring the enduring hard rock anthem 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.' The song later gained renewed fame through appearances in Dazed and Confused and Stranger Things. That same year, he played guitar and produced the Edgar Winter Group's No. 1 instrumental 'Frankenstein' and contributed to their hit 'Free Ride.' Though he released 14 solo albums, Derringer was perhaps best known as a sideman and producer. He worked with legends like Alice Cooper, Todd Rundgren, Steely Dan, Meat Loaf, Barbra Streisand, and Cyndi Lauper. His guitar work also featured on 'Weird Al' Yankovic's Grammy-winning 'Eat It' and WWF's 'Real American,' Hulk Hogan's theme song. Later in life, Derringer toured with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band and recorded with his wife Jenda and their children. His final album, Rock the Yacht, was released in 2023. A prolific and versatile artist, Derringer's legacy spans generations and genres.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Rick Derringer, 77, Who Sang ‘Hang On Sloopy' and ‘Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,' Dies
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.
Pink Villa
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Legendary Musician Rick Derringer Passes Away at 77: Know All About Hang on Sloopy Crooner
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death. Rick Derringer has passed away at the age of 77. The legendary musician had been in the hospital following his three bypass surgeries in the past month. The unfortunate news about the Hang on Sloopy crooner's death was announced by his wife, who revealed that Drringer breathed his last on Memorial Day after being taken off life support. His partner, Jenda Derringer, and his close friend, Tony Wilson, were by his side when the late singer died. Speaking of Derringer's death, Wilson shared with the media portal that the musician looked fine over the weekend. However, on Monday, as he was getting ready for bed and reaching out for his pillow, something happened, and his heart gave out. He went on to explain that the doctors described it as a sort of shock that Derringer experienced. The late vocalist's wife went on to add, "We thought we had years left, but God's timing is perfect." Who was Rick Derringer? Rick Derringer rose to fame in the 70s as he made a mark in the industry as a versatile guitarist. He was majorly known to change the picture of rock music in New York after he produced the Edgar Winter Group's single, Frankenstein, which went on to be quite successful. The musician then worked as the guitarist for the band and later joined Winter's brother, Johnny, as a guitarist and producer. As a band member, the artist released several albums and toured worldwide, as the track went on to become a significant hit. Derringer also met his first wife, Liz, while performing with the band and being a part of Andy Warhol's extended circle. The then couple often appeared in the rock magazines. The late artist went on to write and produce the popular track, Real American, which is used by world leaders such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump. Rick Derringer is survived by his wife, Jenda, and daughter, Lory Loving Derringer.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rick Derringer, Singer of ‘Hang on Sloopy,' Writer of ‘Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo' and ‘Real American' Wrestling Theme, Dies at 77
Rick Derringer, whose six-decade career spanned teen stardom as lead singer of the '60s smash 'Hang on Sloopy,' a '70s solo hit with 'Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo,' session work with artists from Steely Dan to Barbra Streisand, and extensive work as a writer and producer of wrestling themes like Hulk Hogan's seemingly ageless 'Real American,' has died, according to an announcement from his caretaker, Tony Wilson, and Guitar Player magazine. Wilson's post states that Derringer died Monday evening in Ormond Beach, Fl. No cause of death was announced although Derringer had been in ill health in recent months; he was 77. A fiery and remarkably versatile guitarist, a strong singer and a high-profile presence on New York's rock scene of the '70s and '80s, Derringer also produced the Edgar Winter Group's 1972 smash single 'Frankenstein' and served as the band's guitarist for several years; worked closely with Winter's brother Johnny as a guitarist and producer; produced 'Weird' Al Yankovic's first album; and even gave Patti Smith her first major credit, on the song 'Jump' from Derringer's 1973 debut solo album, 'All-American Boy.' His eponymous band released several albums and toured heavily throughout the mid and late '70s — the band's final major incarnation featured Neil Giraldo, who immediately afterward scored major success as Pat Benatar's cowriter and guitarist (and husband to this day). Derringer and his first wife, Liz, were also members of Andy Warhol's extended circle and frequently appeared in rock magazines of the era. In his later years he worked extensively with singer Cyndi Lauper and wrote and produced many popular theme songs for wrestlers, including Hulk Hogan's 'Real American,' which has the curious legacy of being used as a theme song by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Born Richard Dean Zehringer in Ohio in 1947, the young Derringer received a guitar for his ninth birthday and began playing local gigs with his uncle, a country musician, before he was in high school. As a teen he formed a band called the McCoys with his brother Randy. In the summer of 1965 the songwriting-production team the Strangeloves — comprised of Richard Gottehrer, Jerry Goldstein and Bob Feldman, who'd scored a major hit with 'I Want Candy' — hired the group as a backing band and soon after enlisted them to record a cover of the song 'My Girl Sloopy,' originally released by the Vibrations the previous year. With the title altered to 'Hang on Sloopy,' the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 that summer — replacing Barry McGuire's grim 'Eve of Destruction' — around the time Derringer (still working under his born name) turned 18. The hit has become a kind of theme song for Derringer's home state and, in a foretelling of his later years making music for professional sports, has been a staple of Ohio State football game for decades. The McCoys, who opened for the Rolling Stones on their first major North American tour, had minor follow-up hits but did not repeat that success, and began working with blues guitarist Johnny Winter in the late 1960s and, later, his brother Edgar, touring with both and playing on and producing their albums. The partnership with Edgar produced a massive single with 1972's 'Frankenstein,' an instrumental the band had been playing around with for years; the title came from the look of the master tape, which had so many segments spliced together that the musicians said it resembled the horror-movie character's stitches. The song, produced by Derringer, topped the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1973; he went on to replace Ronnie Montrose in the band shortly after and remained the Edgar Winter Group's guitarist and producer for the next three years. Also in 1973, Derringer enjoyed his first solo hit with 'Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo' (which has had such a long life that it was used in the fourth season of 'Stranger Things') and, after leaving Winter, launched his self-titled solo band, which toured extensively throughout the decade and released several albums; their concerts were heavy on guitar dueling and showmanship, and climaxed with Derringer and his second guitarist dramatically throwing their guitars to each other from opposite sides of the stage. Throughout the 1970s and '80s Derringer also worked extensively as a session musician, playing on albums by Steely Dan (including 'Countdown to Ecstasy,' 'Katy Lied' and 'Gaucho'), Todd Rundgren, Kiss and even Barbra Streisand. In the early 1980s he soloed on two massive singles written by Meatloaf mastermind Jim Steinman: Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' and Air Supply's 'Making Love Out of Nothing at All.' In the mid-1980s he began working with singer Cyndi Lauper, touring in her band and playing on three of her albums (including the hit 'True Colors'), but perhaps more significant was the fact that it led to his entrée into the world of professional wrestling. In 1985, he produced the World Wrestling Federation's 'The Wrestling Album,' which consisted primarily mostly of pro wrestlers' theme songs, many of which he co-wrote. Most notable among these was Hulk Hogan's theme song 'Real American,' which was used by President Barack Obama at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner when unveiling his birth certificate; as a campaign song by Hillary Clinton; and, inevitably, frequently by President Donald Trump. In his later years he toured with Ringo Starr's All Starr Band as well as Peter Frampton, Carmine Appice and others, aligned with conservative causes and released several Christian-themed albums with his wife, Jenda. 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