Rick Derringer Dies at 77

Rick Derringer -- the prolific guitarist whose career included solo success and work with the likes of The McCoys, Edgar and Johnny Winter, and producing one of the most iconic wrestling themes of all time -- has died. He was 77.

Derringer's death was confirmed in a Facebook post from caretaker and longtime friend Tony Wilson, who did not disclose a cause of death. The post notes Derringer died at 8:09 p.m. on May 26 with his wife, Jenda, and Wilson by his side.

Born in Celina, Ohio, Derringer formed The McCoys in the early '60s, who were best known for their 1965 cover of "Hang On Sloopy." The song went on to become an unofficial anthem for Ohio State University and was named the official rock song for the state of Ohio in 1985. "Hang On Sloopy" is often played during games of some of Ohio's professional sports teams, including the Cleveland Guardians, the Cleveland Browns, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After the McCoys disbanded in 1969, Derringer and McCoys bassist Randy Jo Hobbs and drummer/brother Randy became the backing band for Johnny Winter. Derringer later would join Edgar Winter's White Trash and the Edgar Winter Group. In addition to his guitar duties, Derringer worked in a producer capacity on some of Edgar Winter's most popular albums, including 1972's They Only Come Out at Night, which features "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride."

The '70s also saw Derringer launch his solo career, which in total featured 17 studio albums released from 1973 to 2010. However, his biggest hit, "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo," came off his 1973 debut album, All American Boy. The song has been featured in many films and TV shows since its release, including 1993's Dazed and Confused, Freaks and Geeks, What a Girl Wants, My Name is Earl, 9-1-1, and Stranger Things.

Derringer's career in the '70s and '80s was filled with numerous collaborations. Among the notable artists he worked with were Steely Dan, Todd Rundgren, Cyndi Lauper, Bonnie Tyler, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Barbra Streisand. Interestingly, his relationship with Lauper led to the creation of one of Derringer's most memorable contributions to pop culture: "Real American," which is best known as the theme song for legendary WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan. Derringer also co-wrote the classic theme song for WWE tag team Demolition.

In 2015, Derringer told Rolling Stone about "Real American," "That song is becoming the new national anthem. I never intended it for the WWF; my partner and I who wrote it, when we listened back to that one, we actually cried. I remember thinking 'We have written the most patriotic song of all time.'"

He added, " ... It was a double-edged sword, to be honest. Hulk Hogan was successful and very prominent, so because of him, a lot of people heard the song. But on the other hand, we felt we wrote this fabulous patriotic rock anthem – it’s one of the better songs I’ve ever written, probably – and we felt like, 'Oh wow, we’re kind of throwing it away on this wrestler. Of course, since then, in some ways, it’s become one of the biggest records I’ve ever made…and I’m the guy who did 'Hang On Sloopy' and 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.'"