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Rick Derringer

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

Rick Derringer (born Richard Dean Zehringer; August 5, 1947 – May 26, 2025) was an American musician, producer and songwriter. He gained success in the 1960s with his band, the McCoys. Their debut single, "Hang On Sloopy", became a number-one hit in 1965 and is now regarded as a classic track from the garage rock era. The McCoys had seven songs chart in the top 100, including covers of "Fever" and "Come On, Let's Go". After releasing All American Boy, Derringer established a career as a solo artist.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In 1973, Derringer found further success with his song "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo". He also worked extensively with brothers Edgar and Johnny Winter, playing lead and rhythm guitar in their bands and producing all of their gold and platinum records, including Edgar Winter's hits "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride" (both in 1973). Derringer also collaborated with Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, and "Weird Al" Yankovic, producing Yankovic's Grammy Award-winning songs "Eat It" (1984) and "Fat" (1988). He also produced the World Wrestling Federation's album The Wrestling Album (1985) and its follow-up, Piledriver: The Wrestling Album II (1987). Those albums featured Hulk Hogan's entrance song, "Real American" initially the theme song of the tag team U.S. Express <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="realamerican">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="realamericanorigin">Template:Cite book</ref> and the Demolition tag team's theme, "Demolition". Derringer also produced three songs on the soundtrack of the 1984 Tom Hanks film Bachelor Party.

Life and careerEdit

Early life and 1960sEdit

Derringer was born in Celina, Ohio, on August 5, 1947 and grew up in Fort Recovery, Ohio. He was the son of John Otto Zehringer and Janice Lavine (Thornburg) Zehringer. His father was a section foreman on the Nickel Plate Railroad.<ref name="lives">Template:Cite book</ref> According to Derringer, aside from his parents' extensive record collection, his first major influence was his uncle Jim Thornburg, a popular guitarist and singer in Ohio. Derringer recalled first hearing him play guitar in the kitchen of his parents' home and knowing immediately that he wanted to learn the instrument. He was eight years old at the time, and his parents gave him his first electric guitar for his ninth birthday.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Soon after, he and his brother Randy began playing music together.

After eighth grade, the family moved to Union City, Indiana, where Derringer formed a band he initially called the McCoys. He renamed it the Rick Z Combo and then Rick and the Raiders before reverting to the original name.

In the summer of 1965, before Derringer turned 18, the McCoys were hired to back up a New York-based band called the Strangeloves in concert. The Strangeloves, who were also record producers from New York City, were looking for a band to record the song "My Girl Sloopy" and chose the McCoys. Derringer later persuaded the producers to change the title to "Hang On Sloopy". After the Strangeloves recorded the guitar and instrumental parts, the McCoys were brought into the studio to sing on the recording, which was then released under their name. The song reached number one on the Hot 100 when Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" fell from number one to number two and The Beatles' "Yesterday" zoomed from number 45 to number three.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
Template:Cite news</ref> "Hang On Sloopy" has since become synonymous with Derringer's home state of Ohio, as fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes often chant "O-H-I-O" during breaks in the song's chorus, and it is frequently played at home football games at Ohio Stadium. The song is also played during Cleveland Guardians home games at Progressive Field. It is also traditionally played at the end of every tour given at the Ohio Caverns, with the original record played hanging on the wall in the gift shop.

Derringer married Liz Agriss in 1969.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

1970sEdit

File:Rick Derringer.jpg
Derringer in 1974

Derringer and the McCoys joined Johnny Winter in a group they called "Johnny Winter And", with the "And" referring to the McCoys. Derringer later became part of Edgar Winter's White Trash and the Edgar Winter Group.<ref name="And">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
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In 1973, Derringer released his first solo album, All American Boy,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which featured his hit song "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo".<ref name="lives" /> By then, the song had already appeared on the albums Johnny Winter And (1970)<ref name="And" /> and Roadwork (1972). Derringer's version reached the Top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming his highest-charting single.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> But despite the single's success, All American Boy was not a successful album.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> One critic called it a "sadly neglected album of great merit".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Derringer's later albums, both solo and with his band Derringer, included 1977's Sweet Evil, co-written with Cynthia Weil and Rolling Thunder Revue author Larry Sloman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also released the critically acclaimed album Guitars and Women (1979), which was re-released with liner notes by Razor & Tie in 1998.

Around this time, Derringer played guitar on two Steely Dan tracks: "Show Biz Kids" on Countdown to Ecstasy (1973) and "Chain Lightning" on Katy Lied (1975). Derringer is credited with having helped Donald Fagen secure a record deal in 1972.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During this period, Derringer collaborated with his neighbor Todd Rundgren, playing on four of Rundgren's solo albums. He was also a regular in Andy Warhol's circle<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and frequently visited Warhol's studio, The Factory.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1980s and 1990sEdit

Derringer played guitar on "My Rival" from Steely Dan's Gaucho (1980) and also contributed to Fagen's first solo album, The Nightfly (1982). In 1983, he played guitar on two hit power ballads written and produced by Jim Steinman: Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" and Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart". Derringer said his guitar solo in "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" was his favorite of all the solos he had recorded.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> That same year, he recorded guitar parts for Meat Loaf's poorly received album Midnight at the Lost and Found. Both "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" were originally offered to Meat Loaf by Steinman for that album, but Meat Loaf's record company refused to pay Steinman for the compositions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
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In 1983, Derringer also wrote "Shake Me" for his Good Dirty Fun solo album, accompanied by a video produced by Jake Hooker, the husband of Lorna Luft. Singer Lourett Russell Grant appeared in the video alongside Derringer.

In 1984, Derringer played guitar on Barbra Streisand's cover of Steinman's "Left in the Dark", released as the lead single from her album Emotion.

In 1985, Derringer's friendship with Cyndi Lauper led him and Steinman to collaborate again, with Derringer producing The Wrestling Album (1985) for the World Wrestling Federation, an album consisting mostly of wrestlers' theme songs. He wrote several songs for it, including "Real American",<ref name="realamerican" /><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> co-written with Bernard Kenny. The song was originally used as the theme song for U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda), but soon became Hulk Hogan's theme song after Windham left the World Wrestling Federation in 1985.<ref name="realamericanorigin" /> The song was used by U.S. President Barack Obama at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner, where he played it while unveiling his birth certificate.<ref>Template:Cite news
{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was also used as a campaign song by Hillary Clinton, as a victory song by Newt Gingrich, and in four videos during the campaign of Donald Trump.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1986, Derringer worked with Meat Loaf again on Blind Before I Stop, co-writing the song "Masculine".

Also in 1986, he played guitar on two songs from Cyndi Lauper's album True Colors, "Calm Inside the Storm" and "The Faraway Nearby". From 1986 to 1992, he served as a guitarist on her tours, comparing her live performances to those of Barbra Streisand by saying, "She's better live than Barbra". He played with Lauper again on her third album, A Night to Remember, which was released in 1989.

In 1987, Meat Loaf appeared on Way Off Broadway, a nationally distributed cable TV show with Derringer as the music director. The show was hosted by Joy Behar. Other guests on the show included Larry Carlton, Robbie Dupree, and Edgar Winter.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
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Also in 1987, Derringer returned to the World Wrestling Federation to produce its second music album, Piledriver: The Wrestling Album II. He co-wrote the theme song for Demolition and also recorded a new version of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" as a duet with Gene Okerlund.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the 1980s, he produced the Kodomo Band and toured in Asia, including with Edgar Winter, during the 1990 White Light tour.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He worked for several New York City-based jingle houses in the 1980s. Derringer produced "Weird Al" Yankovic's debut album, "Weird Al" Yankovic (1983). Between 1983 and 1989, he produced six Yankovic albums, for which he received his only Grammy Award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Yankovic expressed openness to working with Derringer again.<ref name="lives" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1997, Derringer became an Evangelical Christian.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Thereafter, he consistently aligned himself with conservative causes in the United States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Derringer described himself as a "Jesus freak".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2000s and 2010sEdit

In 2001, Derringer, Tim Bogert, and Carmine Appice released the album Derringer, Bogert & Appice (DBA): Doin' Business as... on the German record label Steamhammer Records.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Derringer had previously worked with Appice on an album, Party Tested by DNA (Derringer'n'Appice), and it was re-released in 2011.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2001, Derringer, his wife, and their children released the first two of four Christian music albums, all through Panda Studio Productions:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Aiming 4 Heaven (2001),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Derringer X 2 (2001),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the holiday album Winter Wonderland (2004),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and We Live (2008).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2002, Derringer was featured in Dan Muise's book Gallagher, Marriott, Derringer & Trower – Their Lives and Music.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

He released Free Ride Smooth Jazz (2002), which includes his smooth jazz radio hit remake "Jazzy Koo".<ref name="bio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In May 2009, he self-released the album Knighted by the Blues and its popular song, "Sometimes", co-written with Jenda. Derringer followed up with the release of The Three Kings of the Blues (Freddie King, B.B. King, Albert King) on Mike Varney's Blues Bureau International Records.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:20110626 070 All-Starr-Band-in-Paris Rick Derringer WP.jpg
Derringer playing with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band in Paris, June 26, 2011

Derringer went on three world tours with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. For one rehearsals began in June 2010, and they traveled across Europe, Russia, South America, Mexico, and the USA. The tour featured Wally Palmar, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, Richard Page, and Gregg Bissonette.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2013, he and Jenda created the Asia Project after she discovered that the two largest-selling songs in history are Chinese. As Ricky Wu and Jenda Tu, the Derringers recorded and released their versions of the songs: Wang Qiwen and Yang Chengang's 2004 song "Mouse Loves Rice"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the actress Liu Shi Shi's "Season of Waiting".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2014, Derringer performed on Peter Frampton's Guitar Circus tour with other notable guitarists, including B.B. King, Roger McGuinn (ex-Byrds), Don Felder (ex-Eagles), Leslie West (ex-Mountain), Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, Toto's Steve Lukather, Los Lobos' David Hidalgo, and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2017, Derringer was charged with carrying a loaded gun on a Delta Air Lines flight from Cancún in Mexico to Atlanta, Georgia. According to his manager, Derringer believed he was permitted to carry the gun due to his possession of a valid Florida concealed weapon permit.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Derringer later pleaded guilty, agreeing to pay a $1,000 fine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2017, Derringer re-recorded Hulk Hogan's theme, "Real American", with updated lyrics. The re-recorded version was released on May 28, 2017. To debut and promote the re-recording, Derringer appeared on Infowars.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Changes to the lyrics include "I gotta be a man, I can't let it slide" changed to "I gotta lend a hand, I can't let it slide" and "fight for the right of every man" changed to "fight for the rights of everyone." The lines "Best not mess with my US" and "Ours is a cause that's right and just, we're built on truth, in God we trust" were also added to the second verse.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2017, Derringer collaborated with baseball players Tom Seaver and Gary Redus to release a version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", honoring his lifelong love of baseball.

In 2018, Derringer embarked on a tour with Vanilla Fudge, Mitch Ryder, and Badfinger under the name "HippieFest."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He performed the guitar solo for an anti-bullying campaign version of "Hang on Sloopy" by the Love Love Kids, released in October 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In other mediaEdit

"Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" is featured in the 1993 film Dazed and Confused,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as well as in the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II in 2007 and Rock Band 4 in 2015. The song was also made available as downloadable content for the guitar learning game Rocksmith 2014 in January 2015.

Personal lifeEdit

PoliticsEdit

In 2017, Derringer appeared on Alex Jones's Infowars several times. In one of those appearances, political consultant Roger Stone interviewed him about his support for Donald Trump.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:CbignoreTemplate:Dead YouTube link</ref><ref name="bio" />

DeathEdit

Derringer died in Ormond Beach, Florida on May 26, 2025, at the age of 77.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to TMZ, Derringer's wife, Jenda Derringer, said he "died peacefully after being taken off life support Monday night following a medical episode"; his caretaker and close friend, Tony Wilson, said Derringer had undergone a triple bypass two months earlier but had been doing well.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

DiscographyEdit

Rick DerringerEdit

Studio albums Template:Div col

  • All American Boy (1973) – US No. 25, AUS No. 38<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Spring Fever (1975) – US No. 141
  • Guitars and Women (1979, re-released 1998)
  • Face to Face (1980)
  • Good Dirty Fun (1983)
  • Back to the Blues (1993)
  • Electra Blues (1994)
  • Tend the Fire (1997)
  • Blues Deluxe (1998)
  • Jackhammer Blues (2000)
  • Free Ride (2002)
  • Rockin' American (2007)
  • Knighted by the Blues (2009)
  • The Three Kings of the Blues (2010)
  • High City (2014)

Template:Div col end

Live albums

  • Derringer Live (1977)
  • King Biscuit Flower Hour (1998)
  • Live in Japan (1998)

Compilation albums

  • Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo: The Best of Rick Derringer (1996)
  • Collection: The Blues Bureau Years (2006)
  • Joy Ride: Solo Albums 1973–1980 (2017)
  • Complete Blue Sky Albums: 1976–1978 (2017)

Edgar Winter's White TrashEdit

Edgar WinterEdit

Johnny and Edgar WinterEdit

Dick Glass Featuring Rick Derringer and the McCoysEdit

  • The Glass Derringer (1976)

With Edgar WinterEdit

  • Rick Derringer & Friends (1998)

With Edgar Winter, Ian Hunter, Dr. John, Lorna Luft, Hall and OatesEdit

  • Live at Cheney Hall (2006)
  • Rock Spectacular: Live at the Ritz 1982 (2010)

As a member of a bandEdit

The McCoysEdit

– Formed in 1965 by Richard Zehringer on guitar and vocals, Dennis Kelly on bass (who would be replaced by Randy Jo Hobbs) and Randy Zehringer on drums.

  • Hang On Sloopy (1965)
  • You Make Me Feel So Good (1966)
  • Infinite McCoys (1968)
  • Human Ball (1969)

Johnny Winter AndEdit

The Edgar Winter GroupEdit

– Although this album was published under the name of Johnny Winter, it was recorded when The Edgar Winter Group still existed, and Johnny's band and Edgar's played together on a tour.

  • The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer – Live in Japan (1990) – Cypress

DerringerEdit

Studio albums
  • 1976: Derringer
  • 1977: Sweet Evil
  • 1978: If I Weren't So Romantic I'd Shoot You – Dan Hartman plays piano, organ, and rhythm guitar on 6 songs.
Live albums
  • 1976: Live in Cleveland
  • 1977: Derringer Live
Compilation
  • 1996: Required Rocking – Compilation

DNAEdit

(duet with Carmine Appice)

  • 1983: Party Tested

The DerringersEdit

  • Not to be confused with the Derringer group, this band, The Derringers, was a family project bringing together Rick Derringer himself, his wife Brenda Jean, and their two children towards religious music. Four albums were produced under this name:*
  • 2001: Aiming 4 Heaven
  • 2001: Derringer X 2
  • 2004: Winter Wonderland
  • 2008: We Live

Derringer, Bogert & AppiceEdit

CollaborationsEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

Template:Sister project

Template:Edgar Winter Template:Johnny Winter Template:"Weird Al" Yankovic

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