Guitarist and singer Rick Derringer, who shot to fame at 17 when his band The McCoys recorded 鈥淗ang On Sloopy,鈥� had a hit with 鈥淩ock and Roll, Hoochie Koo鈥� and earned a Grammy Award for producing 鈥� debut album, has died. He was 77.
Derringer died Monday in Ormond Beach, Florida, according to a Facebook from his caregiver, Tony Wilson. No cause of death was announced.
Derringer's decades in the music industry spanned teen stardom, session work for bands like Steely Dan, supplying the guitar solo on Bonnie Tyler鈥檚 鈥淭otal Eclipse of the Heart鈥� and producing for Cyndi Lauper.
鈥淒erringer鈥檚 legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent. His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones,鈥� Wilson wrote.
As a teen, he formed the McCoys with his brother, Randy, and found fame singing 鈥淗ang On Sloopy,鈥� a No. 26 hit about lovers from different socioeconomic circumstances. Derringer enjoyed his first solo hit with 鈥淩ock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,鈥� which was used in the fourth season of
His best-charting album was 鈥淎ll American Boy鈥� in 1973, which included the instrumentals 鈥淛oy Ride鈥� and 鈥淭ime Warp.鈥� His sole Grammy was for Yankovic鈥檚 鈥淓at It,鈥� which had the Michael Jackson parodies 鈥淓at It鈥� and 鈥淲ho鈥檚 Fat.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 very sad to say that my friend, rock guitar legend Rick Derringer, has passed,鈥� with a photo of him and Derringer in the studio. 鈥淩ick produced my first six albums and played guitar on my earliest recordings, including the solo on 鈥楨at It.鈥� He had an enormous impact on my life, and will be missed greatly.鈥�
Throughout the 1970s and 鈥�80s, Derringer worked extensively as a session musician, playing on albums by Steely Dan 鈥� including 鈥淐ountdown to Ecstasy,鈥� 鈥淜aty Lied鈥� and 鈥淕aucho鈥� 鈥� Todd Rundgren, Kiss and Barbra Streisand. He played on Air Supply鈥檚 鈥淢aking Love Out of Nothing at All.鈥�
In the mid-1980s he began working with Lauper, touring in her band and playing on three of her albums, including the hit 鈥淭rue Colors.鈥� He toured with Ringo Starr and The All-Starr Band.
In 1985, he produced the World Wrestling Federation鈥檚 鈥淭he Wrestling Album,鈥� which consisted mostly of pro wrestlers鈥� theme songs, many of which he co-wrote, including what would become Hulk Hogan鈥檚 theme song 鈥淩eal American.鈥�
The Associated Press
