Rock guitarist and songwriter Rick Derringer passed away on May 26, 2025, at age 77 at his home in Ormond Beach, Florida. The musician died peacefully at 8:09 p.m., surrounded by his wife Jenda Derringer and longtime friend and caretaker Tony Wilson.
According to reports, Derringer’s heart suddenly gave out after he experienced some sort of shock while preparing for bed on Monday night. He was rushed to a hospital and taken off life support shortly after. Wilson indicated that Derringer had undergone triple bypass surgery earlier in 2025 but had been doing well up until his sudden passing.
Born Rick Zehringer in Celina, Ohio, in 1947, Derringer shot to fame at age 17 when his band the McCoys recorded “Hang on Sloopy” in 1965. The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and displaced “Yesterday” by the Beatles at the top of the pop charts. The track has since become Ohio’s official rock song and remains widely considered one of the classics of the garage rock era.
Derringer’s career spanning six decades touched multiple corners of the music industry. In 1973, he released his debut solo album “All American Boy,” which featured his signature hit “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.” The song became a defining track of the era and recently gained new life after being featured in the fourth season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”
The Grammy-winning artist worked with numerous music icons throughout his career, including Ringo Starr, Alice Cooper, Richie Havens, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Barbra Streisand, and Kiss. He discovered Weird Al Yankovic in the 1980s and produced the comedy musician’s first six albums, helping create the infamous Michael Jackson parody song “Eat It.” His work with Yankovic earned him Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Recording in 1984 and Best Concept Music Video in 1988.
Derringer also made significant contributions to professional wrestling, writing and performing Hulk Hogan’s iconic entrance theme “Real American” in 1985. The track became a cultural staple during the height of “Hulkamania” and was later used as campaign music by politicians including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump. He also created theme music for the leather-bound tag team Demolition while working with WWE.
His versatile career included producing Edgar Winter Group’s 1972 number one single “Frankenstein” and playing guitar for the band for several years. Derringer worked closely with both Johnny and Edgar Winter throughout the 1970s, helping Johnny Winter break into the rock scene while maintaining connections to blues music. He also contributed guitar solos to major power ballads by Bonnie Tyler and Air Supply in the early 1980s.
In his later years, Derringer shifted focus toward Christian music after a personal spiritual transformation in the late 1990s. He was baptized in a river in 1998 and released several faith-based albums with his family. The couple owned nine investment properties scattered throughout Southwest Florida and Derringer worked as a real estate agent for Sarasota’s McKenna and Associates Realty in 2006.
Despite his wife’s misgivings, Derringer continued performing live, playing approximately 30 shows annually and earning between $5,000 and $10,000 per gig depending on the venue. He toured with Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band in 2012, performing about 100 shows during that tour. He also helped launch Florida blues star Damon Fowler in the 1990s, producing Fowler’s 1999 debut album “Riverview Drive.”
Musicians took to social media to pay tribute following news of his passing. Yankovic posted on Instagram that Derringer had an enormous impact on his life and would be missed greatly. Joe Bonamassa wrote that it was an honor to know, work with, and call him a friend. Former Mötley Crüe frontman John Corabi described him as a brilliant guitarist, producer, and songwriter.
Wilson stated, “His passing leaves a void in the music world.” All told, Derringer released over two dozen albums as a solo artist, with both Edgar Winter and Johnny Winter, and with bands including the McCoys and The Derringers. Property records indicate he was co-owner of a home in Latitude Margaritaville’s 55-and-older community in Daytona Beach.
Derringer is survived by his wife Jenda, whom he married in 1998, and one child from his previous marriage to Diane Derringer. His legacy encompasses contributions as a guitarist, singer-songwriter, and producer across rock, blues, pop, and Christian music genres. Guitar Player magazine noted his stylistic range covered everything from rock to fusion to pop, calling his 1973 album “All American Boy” essential in rock and roll.
Sources:
https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/rick-derringer-rip-read-guitar-player-interview
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/rick-derringer-obituary?pid=209153395
https://nypost.com/2025/05/27/entertainment/rick-derringer-rock-and-roll-hoochie-koo-legend-dead-at-77/
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/05/27/rick-derringer-dies-sarasota-bradenton-rocke/83885317007/
http://www.wwe.com/article/rick-derringer-passes-away
