Biography:

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”.

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). Additionally, Derringer produced the World Wrestling Federation‘s album The Wrestling Album (1985) and its follow-up, Piledriver: The Wrestling Album II (1987). Those albums featured the entrance song for Hulk Hogan, “Real American”, and the theme for the Demolition tag team, “Demolition”. Derringer also produced three songs from the soundtrack of the 1984 Tom Hanks film Bachelor Party.

Life and career

Early life and 1960s

Derringer, who was reared in Fort Recovery, was the son of John Otto and Janice Lavine (Thornburg) Zehringer. John Zehringer was a section foreman on the Nickel Plate Railroad.[1] 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.[2] 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 later 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, Derringer and 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 forty-five to number three.[3] “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.[4]

1970s

Derringer in 1974

Derringer, along with his band, 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 subsequently the Edgar Winter Group.[5]

In 1973, Derringer released his first solo album, All American Boy,[6] which featured his hit song “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo“.[7] By then, the song had already appeared on Johnny Winter And (1970)[5] and the White Trash Roadwork (1972) albums. Derringer’s version reached the Top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, becoming his highest-charting single.[8] One critic described the album as a “sadly neglected album of great merit”.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11]

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[12] and frequently visited Warhol’s studio, The Factory.[13]

Credits:

Wikipedia