He was the All-American boy, urging Sloopy to hang on. Ohio-born rocker Rick Derringer died Monday at age 77.
The singer and guitarist from Celina began his career with the McCoys, who topped the charts in 1965 with “Hang on Sloopy.”
Derringer, a teenager at the time, was brought in to sing lead on the single that’s become synonymous with Ohio sports. It’s played in Ohio Stadium at the end of the third quarter of Buckeye football games, as well as during Cleveland Guardians games, as fans have grafted the “O-H-I-O” chant into the chorus. In 1985, it was designated as Ohio’s official rock song.
In the 1970s, Derringer had another hit with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” from his LP “All-American Boy.” The album’s guests included Joe Walsh and David Bromberg.
Derringer also began producing, eventually helming the first big hits for “Weird Al” Yankovic. For 1984’s “Eat It,” he was tasked with playing a replica of Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitar solo from Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Derringer also recorded with a wide variety of artists such as Steely Dan, Bette Midler, Cyndi Lauper and Richie Havens. From 2011-14 he toured with Ringo Starr.
In his later years, Derringer spoke of his renewed interest in the Bible and his official website noted a 2017 interview on Alex Jones’ radio show about support for President Donald Trump. Political strategist and Trump advisor Roger Stone tweeted a photo of the two on Tuesday, calling Derringer “a great songwriter and a great patriot.” Former collaborator Joe Bonamassa also tweeted about the guitarist, saying it “was an honor to know you, work with you and call you a friend.”
No cause of death has been released. A March 12 message on his Facebook page mentions ankle surgery, while an April 17 message states, “We’re all feeling great.”
