Rick Derringer, 'Hang On Sloopy' and 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo' rock guitarist, dies at 77

Rick Derringer, the guitarist and erstwhile McCoys rocker who gained popularity for songs including “Hang On Sloopy” and “Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo,” and produced albums for a scope of artists including Cyndi Lauper and Weird Al Yankovic, has died. He was 77.

The musician, who roseate to prominence successful the mid-1960s, died Monday successful Ormond Beach, Fla., his caretaker Tony Wilson announced connected Facebook. Derringer “received his wings and passed connected this Memorial Day,” Wilson said, adding that helium and Derringer’s woman and collaborator Jenda Derringer were some with the creator astatine the clip of his death. Additional details, including the origin of death, were not revealed.

Before his death, Derringer suffered “several aesculapian issues,” according to his societal media pages.

“Derringer’s bequest extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature vigor and talent,” Wilson wrote. “His passing leaves a void successful the euphony world, and helium volition beryllium profoundly missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones.”

Yankovic paid tribute to Derringer connected Instagram, penning that Derringer “had an tremendous interaction connected my life, and volition beryllium missed greatly.”

The musician, calved Aug. 5, 1947, began his euphony vocation assembling the McCoys with member Randy and broke retired successful his teens with the merchandise of the group’s “Hang On Sloopy.” The opus would go a No. 1 deed and springiness Derringer a sensation of stardom astatine property 16 — fto unsocial during the tallness of Beatlemania.

“What teen could inquire for much than to person the apical grounds successful the world, girls screaming and pulling your apparel disconnected everyplace you go?” helium said to The Times successful 1993. “It was the cleanable clip to beryllium a kid and person a deed record. It was similar Christmas each day.”

Derringer, who performed with brothers Johnny and Edgar Winter aft the “Hang On Sloppy” hype, successful 1973 released his debut solo medium “All American Boy,” which offered listeners different hit: “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.”

Through the 1970s and 1980s, Derringer turned his absorption to performing arsenic a league musician, collaborating with acts including Steely Dan, Todd Rundgren, Kiss and Barbra Streisand. During the ’80s, helium besides worked with Lauper and toured with Ringo Starr and the All-Starr band.

Derringer worked intimately with “Weird Al” Yankovic, producing respective albums including the parody singer’s Grammy-winning songs “Eat It” and “Fat,” which spoofed Michael Jackson hits “Beat It” and “Bad,” respectively. He besides produced the World Wrestling Federation’s “The Wrestling Album,” which included Hulk Hogan’s taxable opus “Real American.”

“But radical haven’t looked astatine that successful the astir affirmative light. They look astatine novelty records and enactment a antagonistic connotation connected it for immoderate reason. But we made large records unneurotic — we won 2 Grammys,” helium told The Times of his enactment with Yankovic, earlier noting “it truly wasn’t helping my career.”

He added: “A mates years ago, I figured I was moving truthful overmuch connected different people’s records that I was ignoring my ain career, basically. I decided it was clip to spell retired and bash my ain songs again.”

He continued to merchandise and tour, including with Starr from 2011 to 2014, done the aughts and into the 2010s. In 2023, Derringer and his woman Jenda Derringer released their eight-track medium “Rock the Yacht.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.