Profile of Rick Derringer on Famous Like Me

Rick Derringer (Rick Zehringer) is an American guitarist, vocalist, and entertainer born at Fort Recovery, Ohio. When he was just 17, his band "The McCoys" recorded the No. 1 hit "Hang On Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, knocking "Yesterday" by The Beatles out of the top spot.

Derringer also recorded and played on a studio album and a live album with Johnny Winter in the Johnny Winter Band, and also with Edgar Winter in the mid-1970s after guitarist Ronnie Montrose left the Edgar Winter Band. One of his best solos can be found on "Tobacco Road" from the Edgar Winter live album Roadwork. Derringer also had a successful solo career, and his solo version of "Rock 'n Roll Hoochie Koo" was a hit single.

Derringer also performed a track for the World Wrestling Federation on its "The Wrestling Album". The track was called Real American and would later be used as Hulk Hogan's entrance music. He also performed the song "Pain And Destruction" in which was the official entrance theme song for WWF Tag Team dynamino, Demolition.

In the 1980s, Derringer expanded his producing skills, discovering "Weird Al" Yankovic as well as Mason Ruffner.

He has played for Wierd Al on many of his albums playing guitar and mandolin.

Derringer has played various styles of music and is a master of the electric guitar. Recent releases include Tend The Fire (1997), DBA-Derringer, Bogert & Appice (2001) and Free Ride Smooth Jazz (2002). He also guested on Mambo Sons debut CD (1999) and Damon Fowler's Riverview Drive (2000).

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