Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Rick Derringer has passed away. He was 77. A cause of death has not been disclosed. “Derringer’s legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent,” his caretaker Tony Wilson wrote on Facebook. “His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones.”
Derringer, born in Celina, Ohio, first came to prominence as a member of the McCoys, whose single “Hang On Sloopy” was a #1 hit in 1965. In the ’70s, the musician found solo acclaim, namely thanks to Top 40 hit “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo” and his tenure producing (and playing guitar on) records by Edgar Winter, including “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride” in 1973. That same year, he appeared on Steely Dan‘s Countdown to Ecstasy and returned later on Katy Lied and Gaucho. Along with being a close collaborator of Todd Rundgren, Derringer was a notable associate of Andy Warhol. He and Jim Steinman co-produced the World Wrestling Federation’s The Wrestling Album, which included “Real American,” a track famously remembered as Hulk Hogan’s entrance theme, in the 1980s.
The ’80s proved fruitful for Derringer away from the microphone, as he played guitar on (and, in some cases, produce) records from Air Supply, Bonnie Tyler, Meat Loaf, Donald Fagen, Cyndi Lauper, and Barbra Streisand. He eventually became a vital part of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s eponymous debut album in 1983. Derringer, a self-labeled “Jesus freak,” became a born-again Christian in the ’90s and, in the later years of his life, was a heavy proponent of right-wing views.
Listen to Rick Derringer perform “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo” at the Palladium in September 1981 below.
