One Guitar. A Thousand Stages.

Rick Derringer didn’t just have a long career; he had one of those rare, shape-shifting careers that kept evolving decade after decade.

Born Richard Dean Zehringer on August 5, 1947, in Celina, Ohio, Rick grew up surrounded by music and picked up his first guitar at just nine years old.
By his teens, he and his brother had formed a band that would soon become The McCoys, and everything changed almost overnight.

At just 17 years old, Derringer and The McCoys scored a No. 1 hit with “Hang On Sloopy” in 1965, knocking The Beatles’ “Yesterday” out of the top spot.
That moment launched him into the national spotlight and kicked off a career that would span more than 50 years.

After several years of touring success with The McCoys, Rick made a pivotal move in 1969 by joining forces with blues legend Johnny Winter, forming Johnny Winter And. The “And” was no accident, it was a nod to the McCoys backing band.

Rick quickly became more than just a guitarist. He was producing, writing, and shaping the sound of the band, and soon extended that role to Edgar Winter as well. His fingerprints are all over some of the biggest rock tracks of the early ’70s, including “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride.” 

By this point, Derringer had quietly become one of the most influential behind-the-scenes figures in rock music.

In 1973, Rick stepped out front with his debut solo album All American Boy, which featured his now-iconic track “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.” 

The song became his biggest solo hit, breaking into the Billboard Top 25 and earning a permanent place in classic rock history.

Throughout the ’70s, he continued balancing solo work with collaborations, eventually forming his own band, Derringer, and releasing a string of albums that showcased his blend of hard rock and blues.

If you were making a record in the ’70s or ’80s, there’s a good chance Rick Derringer was somewhere nearby.

He played or worked with an impressive list of artists including Steely Dan, Alice Cooper, Barbra Streisand, Cyndi Lauper, and Todd Rundgren, among many others. 

But one of the most unexpected and successful chapters of his career came when he discovered and produced “Weird Al” Yankovic. Rick produced multiple albums for Yankovic and helped create hits like “Eat It” and “Fat,” earning a Grammy Award along the way.

In the mid-1980s, Derringer took on a project that would give him a whole new kind of recognition; professional wrestling.

He wrote and performed “Real American,” which became Hulk Hogan’s iconic entrance theme and one of the most recognizable songs in wrestling history.

It was another example of Derringer’s ability to create music that stuck, whether on the radio, in arenas, or on television.

 In the 1990s, Rick leaned back into his blues roots, releasing albums like Back to the Blues, Blues Deluxe, and Jackhammer Blues. At the same time, he reunited with Edgar Winter and continued collaborating across genres. 

 Around this period, his personal life also shaped his music. After becoming a Christian in the late ’90s, he began recording faith-based material with his wife Jenda Derringer, blending spirituality with his signature guitar style. 

Never afraid to experiment, he even stepped into smooth jazz in the early 2000s and explored international influences, including projects inspired by Asian music.

Even after decades in the business, Rick kept pushing forward.

He toured worldwide with Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band from 2011 to 2014, performing across Europe, South America, Russia, and the U.S. 

He also continued collaborating with major artists, appearing on tours like Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus, sharing the stage with legends across generations.

In later years, he revisited some of his most recognizable work, including a re-recorded version of “Real American” with updated, more inclusive lyrics in 2017. 

Rick Derringer remained active in music well into his later years, continuing to record, perform, and release new material. His career spanned more than five decades, touching rock, blues, pop, jazz, and even novelty music.

On May 26, 2025 Rick joined the Lord at the age of 77, leaving behind a legacy that few artists can match. 

What makes Rick Derringer’s legacy stand out isn’t just the hits, it’s the range.

• A teenage No. 1 artist
• A powerhouse guitarist and producer
• A collaborator with legends
• A Grammy-winning producer
• A songwriter whose work crossed into pop culture

And somehow, through all of it, he never stayed in one lane for long.

After more than half a century in music, Rick Derringer didn’t just keep up, he kept evolving.