Rick Derringer (born Richard Dean Zehringer; August 5, 1947) is an American guitarist, vocalist, producer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the 1960s as founding member of his band,

the McCoys The McCoys were a rock group formed in Union City, Indiana, United States, in 1962. They are best known for their 1965 hit single " Hang On Sloopy". Their name was changed from Rick and the Raiders to The McCoys, taken from the B-side of The ...

. Their debut single, "

Hang on Sloopy "Hang On Sloopy" (originally "My Girl Sloopy") is a 1964 song written by Wes Farrell and Bert Berns. Rhythm and blues vocal group the Vibrations were the first to record the tune in 1964. Atlantic Records released it as a single, which reached ...

", was a number-one hit in 1965 and became a classic of the garage rock era. The McCoys then had seven songs that charted in the top 100, including versions of "

Fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...

" and "Come on Let’s Go". In 1974, Derringer reached the US top 30 with his own song, "

Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" is a rock song written by American musician Rick Derringer. It was first recorded in 1970 by Johnny Winter and his band Johnny Winter And, of which Derringer was a member. In 1973, Derringer recorded a solo version, ...

". He also worked extensively with the brothers Edgar and

Johnny Winter John Dawson Winter III (February 23, 1944 – July 16, 2014) was an American singer and guitarist. Winter was known for his high-energy blues rock albums and live performances in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also produced three Grammy Award-win ...

, playing lead and backing guitar in their bands and producing all of their gold and platinum recordings, including Edgar Winter's hits "

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ...

" and " Free Ride" (both 1973). He has additionally worked with Steely Dan,

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

and "Weird Al" Yankovic, producing Yankovic's Grammy Award-winning songs " Eat It" (1984) and "

Fat In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple est ...

" (1988). Derringer also produced the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...

's album ''

The Wrestling Album ''The Wrestling Album'' is the debut soundtrack album released by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) on November 9, 1985, at the height of the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection era. It featured mostly theme music of wrestlers on the roste ...

'' (1985) and its follow-up '' Piledriver: The Wrestling Album II'' (1987). The albums included the entrance song for Hulk Hogan, "Real American", and the Demolition tag team, "Demolition". Derringer also produced three songs from the soundtrack of the 1984 Tom Hanks movie ''

Bachelor Party A bachelor party (in the United States and sometimes in Canada), also known as a stag weekend, stag do or stag party (in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries, and Ireland), or a buck's night (in Australia), is a party held/arranged by th ...

''.

Life and career

Early life and 1960s

Derringer was born in

Celina, Ohio Celina ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Ohio, United States about 58 miles northwest of Dayton. The population was 10,400 at the 2010 census. Celina is situated on the northwestern shores of Grand Lake St. Marys. History ...

, and grew up in Fort Recovery, the son of Janice Lavine (Thornburg) and John Otto Zehringer, a section foreman on the Nickel Plate Railroad. According to Derringer, other than his parents' extensive record collection, his first major influence was an uncle, Jim Thornburg, a popular guitarist and singer in Ohio. Derringer has related first hearing him play guitar in the kitchen of his parents' home, and knowing immediately that he wanted to play guitar. He was then eight years old and his parents gave him his first electric guitar for his ninth birthday. It was not long before he and his brother, Randy, were playing music together. After the eighth grade, the family moved to Union City, Indiana, where he formed a band that he called

. He later changed the name to the Rick Z Combo and then Rick and the Raiders before going back to the band's original name. In summer 1965, before Derringer turned 18, the McCoys were hired to back up a New York–based band called

the Strangeloves The Strangeloves were a band created in 1964 by the New York-based American songwriting and production team of Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, and Richard Gottehrer. They initially pretended to be from Australia. The Strangeloves' most suc ...

in concert. The members of the Strangeloves were also record producers from New York City and were seeking a band to record a song "My Girl Sloopy," and they chose the McCoys. Derringer later convinced the producers to change the song title to "

Hang On Sloopy "Hang On Sloopy" (originally "My Girl Sloopy") is a 1964 song written by Wes Farrell and Bert Berns. Rhythm and blues vocal group the Vibrations were the first to record the tune in 1964. Atlantic Records released it as a single, which reached ...

." After the Strangeloves recorded all the guitar and instrumental parts, Derringer and the McCoys were brought into the studio to sing on the recording and release it under their name. The song was an instant success, reaching number one in every country that sold records. It stayed at number one while

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

's " Yesterday" was number two. Rick married Liz Agriss in 1969.

1970s

Derringer, with his band, the McCoys, joined

in a band that they called "Johnny Winter And", the "And" referring to the McCoys. Derringer joined

Edgar Winter's White Trash Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group ...

and then, the Edgar Winter Group.

In 1973, Derringer released his first solo album '' All-American Boy'', which included his song "

". By then, the song had appeared on '' Johnny Winter And'' (1970), and also the White Trash '' Roadwork'' (1972) albums. Derringer's version rose to the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, becoming his highest-charting single. One critic has described the album as a "sadly neglected album of great merit". Derringer's later albums, both solo and with his band Derringer, included 1977's ''Sweet Evil'' which had been co-written with Cynthia Weil and the ''

Rolling Thunder Revue The Rolling Thunder Revue was a 1975–1976 concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan with numerous musicians and collaborators. The purpose of the tour was to allow Dylan, who had now become a major recording artist and concert perfor ...

'' author

Larry Sloman Larry "Ratso" Sloman (born July 9, 1950) is a New York-based author. Career Sloman was born into a middle-class Jewish family from Queens. His nickname Ratso came from Joan Baez who said Sloman looked like Dustin Hoffman's character Ratso Rizzo ...

, and the critically acclaimed album, ''Guitars and Women'' (1979), which was re-released with liner notes by

Razor & Tie Razor & Tie was an American entertainment company that consisted of a record label and a music publishing company. It was established in 1990 by Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld. Based in New York City (with additional offices in Los Angeles an ...

in 1998. Around this time he played guitar on two Steely Dan tracks, "Show Biz Kids" on '' Countdown to Ecstasy'' (1973) and "Chain Lightning" on ''

Katy Lied ''Katy Lied'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Steely Dan, released in 1975 by ABC Records. It was certified gold and peaked at No. 13 on the US charts. The single "Black Friday" charted at No. 37. The album was the first afte ...

'' (1975). Derringer is credited with helping Donald Fagen gain a record deal in 1972. Derringer worked with his neighbor

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Ut ...

during this time, playing on four of Rundgren's solo albums. He was also a regular in

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...

's circle, and he frequented Warhol's studio

The Factory The Factory was Andy Warhol's studio in New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famed for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities and Warhol's superstar ...

1980s and 1990s

Derringer played guitar on "My Rival" on Steely Dan's ''

Gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...

'' (1980) and also Fagen's first solo album, ''

The Nightfly ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1982). In 1983, he played guitar on two hit power ballads written and produced by

Jim Steinman James Richard Steinman (November 1, 1947 – April 19, 2021) was an American composer, lyricist and record producer. He also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer. His work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, mus ...

Air Supply Air Supply is a soft rock duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975. It consists of Englishman Graham Russell (vocals, guitar) and Australian Russell Hitchcock (vocals). They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight top-five ...

's "

Making Love Out of Nothing at All "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" is a power ballad written and composed by Jim Steinman and first released by Australian soft rock band Air Supply for their 1983 compilation album ''Greatest Hits''. It reached number 2 on the U.S. ''Billboa ...

" and

Bonnie Tyler Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice. Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album '' The World Starts Tonight'' a ...

's "

Total Eclipse of the Heart "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. It was written and produced by Jim Steinman, and released on Tyler's fifth studio album, ''Faster Than the Speed of Night'' (1983). The song was released as a single b ...

". He has said that his guitar solo in "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" is his favorite guitar solo of the many he has recorded. The same year, he recorded guitar parts for

Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...

's poorly received album '' Midnight at the Lost and Found''. Both "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" were originally offered to Meat Loaf by Steinman for that album, but Meat Loaf's record company refused to pay Steinman for the compositions. In 1983, Derringer wrote "Shake Me" from his ''Good Dirty Fun'' solo album. A video followed, which was produced by Jake Hooker (the husband of Lorna Luft), singer

Lourett Russell Grant Lourett Russell Grant, DHS () is an American singer, model, and dancer. She co-wrote and performed the disco hit ''Hot to Trot'' and was a fixture in the dance music scene throughout the 1980s. Career Grant's career as a singer solidified once s ...

modeled in the video production with Derringer. In 1984, Derringer played guitar on

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

's cover version of Steinman's " Left in the Dark", which was released as the lead single of ''

Emotion Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiology, neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or suffering, displeasure. There is currently no scientific ...

''. In 1985, Derringer's friendship with

led him and Steinman to collaborate again, Derringer producing ''

'' (1985) for the

, an album consisting mostly of wrestlers' theme songs. He wrote a couple of songs on it, including Hulk Hogan's theme song "Real American", with Bernard Kenny. That song was also used by US President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

at the 2011

White House Correspondents' Dinner The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor t ...

, where he played the song while unveiling his birth certificate. It was also used as a campaign song by

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

, as a victory song by Newt Gingrich, and in four videos during the campaign of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

. In 1986, he returned to the Meat Loaf fold for '' Blind Before I Stop''. Derringer co-wrote the song "Masculine". In 1987, Meat Loaf guested on ''Way Off Broadway'', a nationally distributed cable TV show with Derringer as the music director, with the show's host, the comedienne/interviewer Joy Behar. Other guests on the show included Larry Carlton,

Robbie Dupree Robert Dupuis (born December 23, 1946), known professionally as Robbie Dupree, is an American singer best known for his hit songs " Steal Away" (No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100) and " Hot Rod Hearts" (No. 15). Early life Robbie Dupree was ...

and

Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group ...

. Also in 1987, Derringer returned to the World Wrestling Federation and produced its second music album, '' Piledriver: The Wrestling Album II''. He co-wrote the theme tune for Demolition and also added a fresh version of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" as a duet with

Gene Okerlund Eugene Arthur Okerlund (December 19, 1942 – January 2, 2019), better known by his ring name "Mean Gene" Okerlund, was an American professional wrestling interviewer, announcer and television host. He was best known for his work in the World Wre ...

. He worked for several New York City-based

jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...

houses in the 1980s. Derringer went on to produce "Weird Al" Yankovic's first album, '' "Weird Al" Yankovic'' (1983). Derringer ultimately produced six Yankovic albums between 1983 and 1989; for this work, he received his only

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

. Yankovic has said that he is open to working with Derringer again. In 1997, Derringer became an

Evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

. Since then, he has consistently aligned himself with conservative causes in the United States. Derringer describes himself as a "

Jesus freak ''Jesus freak'' is a term arising from the late 1960s and early 1970s counterculture and is frequently used as a pejorative for those involved in the Jesus movement. As Tom Wolfe illustrates in '' The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test'', the term "fr ...

2000s and 2010s

In 2001, Derringer,

Tim Bogert John Voorhis "Tim" Bogert III (August 27, 1944 – January 13, 2021) was an American musician. He graduated in 1963 from Ridgefield Memorial High School in his hometown of Ridgefield, New Jersey. As a bass guitarist and vocalist he was best ...

and

Carmine Appice Carmine Appice ( , born December 15, 1946) is an American rock drummer. He is best known for his associations with Vanilla Fudge; Cactus; the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice; Rod Stewart; King Kobra; and Blue Murder. He is also Vinny Appice's ...

released the album Derringer, Bogert & Appice (DBA): ''Doin' Business as...'' on the German record label Steamhammer Records. Derringer had previously worked with Appice on an album, ''Party Tested'' by DNA (Derringer'n'Appice), and it was re-released in 2011. In 2001, the couple and their children released the first of four Christian music albums, all Panda Studio Productions: ''Aiming 4 Heaven'' (2001), ''Derringer X 2'' (2001), ''Winter Wonderland'' (2004) and ''We Live'' (2008). In 2002, Derringer was featured in a book, written by Dan Muise, called ''Gallagher, Marriott, Derringer & Trower - Their Lives and Music''. He released ''Free Ride Smooth Jazz'' (2002), which had vocals by his wife Jenda (''née'' Brenda Jean), who sang the title song "Free Ride" and, with Derringer, wrote the song "Hot & Cool". Also included is his smooth jazz radio hit re-make, "Jazzy Koo". In May 2009, he self-released the album ''Knighted by the Blues'' and its popular song, "Sometimes", once again, co-written with Jenda. Derringer followed up with the release of ''The Three Kings of the Blues'' (

Freddie King Freddie King (September 3, 1934December 28, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and B.B. King, none of whom were blood related). Most ...

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

Albert King Albert Nelson (April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), known by his stage name Albert King, was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps b ...

) on

Mike Varney Mike Varney is an American record producer and music publisher. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records, and Blues Bureau International. He also has a 50% stake in Magna Carta Recor ...

's Blues Bureau International Records. 20110626 070 All-Starr-Band-in-Paris Rick Derringer WP

Derringer and a range of hitmakers are part of Voices, a company that finds private events many times a year. Some of the artists involved with Voices are Tone-Loc, Wally Palmar,

Kim Carnes Kim Carnes (; born July 20, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began her career as a songwriter in the 1960s, writing for other artists while performing in local clubs and working as a sess ...

Belinda Carlisle Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist. Raised in ...

, Tommy Tutone,

Mark McGrath Mark Sayers McGrath (born March 15, 1968) is an American singer who is the lead vocalist of the rock band Sugar Ray. McGrath is also known for his work as a co-host of '' Extra'', and he was the host of '' Don't Forget the Lyrics!'' in 2010. ...

Fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thr ...

Skip Martin Lloyd Vernon "Skip" Martin (May 14, 1916, in Robinson, Illinois – February 12, 1976, in Los Angeles, California) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and music arranger. Background Martin was active principally as an arranger for some ...

Jakob Dylan Jakob Luke Dylan (born December 9, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter. He rose to fame as the lead singer and primary songwriter for the rock band the Wallflowers. Born in New York City to musician Bob Dylan and model Sara Lownds, Dylan be ...

Natasha Bedingfield Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer and songwriter. Bedingfield released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed intern ...

, Coolio,

John Rzeznik John Joseph Theodore Rzeznik (; born December 5, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the founder, guitarist and frontman of the American rock band Goo Goo Dolls, with whom he has recorded 14 studio albums. Early life Rzeznik w ...

, Martha Davis,

Silverchair Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Newcastle, New South Wales, with Ben Gillies on drums, Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars, and Chris Joannou on bass guitar. The group got their big bre ...

Steve Augeri Steve Augeri (born January 30, 1959) is an American rock singer best known for his work as the lead singer of Journey from 1998 to 2006. He was also affiliated with Tall Stories and Tyketto. In 2014, he formed the band Ünderwörld. Personal ...

, John Elefante,

Alex Ligertwood Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis. People Multiple *Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple peop ...

, Jeff Lyons and

the Rembrandts The Rembrandts are an American alternative rock duo, formed by Danny Wilde and Phil Solem in 1989. They had previously worked together as members of Great Buildings in 1981. The Rembrandts are best known for the song " I'll Be There for You", ...

. Derringer went on three world tours with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Rehearsals started in June 2010. They traveled in Europe, Russia, South America, Mexico and the USA. The tour featured Wally Palmar,

Gary Wright Gary Malcolm Wright (born April 26, 1943) is an American musician and composer best known for his 1976 hit songs "Dream Weaver" and " Love Is Alive", and for his role in helping establish the synthesizer as a leading instrument in rock and pop ...

Richard Page Richard Lewis Page (born 22 February 1941) is a former Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and from December 1979 to 2005. Early life Born the son of Victor Charles Page, he went to the independent H ...

and

Gregg Bissonette Gregg Bissonette (born June 9, 1959) is an American jazz and rock drummer and vocalist. He is the brother of bassist Matt Bissonette, with whom he frequently collaborates. He has played on albums by dozens of recording artists, including David ...

. In the 1980s, he produced the Kodomo Band. He has toured in Asia, including with

, the 1990 White Lightning Tour in both Japan and Germany. In 2010, two of Derringer's homes in Florida were foreclosed when he defaulted on a $46,000 line of credit that his wife Brenda J. Hall obtained in 2004 from Branch Banking & Trust Co. The loan was secured by Derringer's Florida property. He was also sued by BAC Home Loans Servicing, a mortgage company servicing another loan on behalf of Fannie Mae. According to BAC, Derringer made no monthly payments in 2010 and owed $242,366 in principal and interest as of October 2010. Derringer blamed the circumstances on the housing/mortgage crisis, which contributed to the economic recession of the late 2000s, saying "Anybody can be affected by this huge problem, even us." Derringer was also listed as defendant in another foreclosure complaint on a separate property in 2014 in Manatee County, Florida. In 2013, he and Jenda created the Asia Project after she discovered that the two largest-selling songs in history are Chinese. As Ricky Wu and Jenda Tu, the Derringers recorded and released their versions. The songs are Wang Qiwen and Yang Chengang’s 2004 song "Mouse Loves Rice", and the actress Lui Shi Shi's "Season of Waiting". In 2014, Derringer performed on Peter Frampton's Guitar Circus tour with other notable guitarists, including

Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...

(ex-

Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

Don Felder Donald William Felder (born September 21, 1947) is an American musician who was the lead guitarist of the rock band Eagles from 1974 until his termination from the band in 2001. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 with th ...

(ex- Eagles),

Leslie West Leslie West (born Leslie Abel Weinstein; October 22, 1945 – December 23, 2020) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the co-founder, guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Mountain. Life and career Early years: 1 ...

(ex-

Mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen ...

Rick Nielsen Richard Alan Nielsen (born December 22, 1948) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, inclu ...

, Toto's Steve Lukather, Los Lobos'

David Hidalgo David Kent Hidalgo (born October 6, 1954, in Los Angeles.) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Los Lobos. Hidalgo frequently plays musical instruments such as accordion, violin, 6-string banjo, cello, requ ...

, and Pearl Jam's

Mike McCready Michael David McCready (born April 5, 1966) is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of the band. McCready ...

. In 2017, Derringer was charged with carrying a loaded gun on a

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along w ...

flight from

Cancún Cancún ( ), often Cancun in English (without the accent; or ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat ...

in Mexico to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, Georgia. According to his manager, Derringer thought he was permitted to carry the gun, based on his possession of a valid Florida

concealed weapon Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (usually a sidearm such as a handgun), either in proximity to or on one's person or in public places in a manner that hides or conceals the weapon's pr ...

permit. Derringer later pleaded guilty, agreeing to pay a $1,000 fine, saying it would not happen again, "not even a water pistol". A re-recording of 1985's ''The Wrestling Albums "Real American" with updated lyrics was released on May 28, 2017, debuting on

Alex Jones Alexander Emerick Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American far-right and alt-right radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist. He hosts ''The Alex Jones Show'' from Austin, Texas, which the Genesis Communications Network broadcas ...

's radio show. "I gotta be a man, I can't let it slide" was changed to "I gotta lend a hand, I can't let it slide" and "fight for the right of every man" became "fight for the rights of everyone". "Best not mess with my US" is added before the second verse, and a new line says, "Ours is a cause that's right and just, we're built on truth, in God we trust." The same year, Derringer appeared on Alex Jones's show, where he was interviewed by the political consultant

Roger Stone Roger Jason Stone (born Roger Joseph Stone Jr.; August 27, 1952) is an American conservative political consultant and lobbyist. Since the 1970s, Stone has worked on the campaigns of Republican politicians, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Rea ...

about Derringer's support for

. In 2017, Derringer collaborated with the

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

players

Tom Seaver George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cinc ...

and Gary Redus to release a version of "

Take Me Out to the Ballgame "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...

", honoring his lifelong love of baseball. In 2018, Derringer embarked on a tour with

Vanilla Fudge Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band known predominantly for their slow extended heavy rock arrangements of contemporary hit songs, such as their hit cover of The Supremes' " You Keep Me Hangin' On". The band's original line–up—vocalist ...

Mitch Ryder Mitch Ryder (born William Sherille Levise, Jr.; February 26, 1945) is an American musician who has recorded more than 25 albums over more than four decades. Career Ryder formed his first band, Tempest, when he was at Warren High School, and th ...

and

Badfinger Badfinger were a Welsh rock band formed in Swansea, who were active from the 1960s to the 1980s. Their best-known lineup consisted of Pete Ham (vocals, guitar), Mike Gibbins (drums), Tom Evans (bass), and Joey Molland (guitar). They are rec ...

under the name "HippieFest". In early 2019, he started an "uncomplicated" crowdfunding page at

Patreon Patreon (, ) is a membership platform that provides business tools for content creators to run a subscription service. It helps creators and artists earn a monthly income by providing rewards and perks to their subscribers. Patreon charges a com ...

. Derringer asks his fans for $10 a month, for which he gives them exclusive content including new music premieres. He played the guitar solo to an anti-bullying campaign version of "Hang on Sloopy" by the Love Love Kids, released in October 2019.

In other media

" is used in the 1993 film '' Dazed and Confused'', as well as in the

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...

version of ''

Guitar Hero II ''Guitar Hero II'' is a music rhythm video game developed by Harmonix and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 and Activision for the Xbox 360. It is the second main installment in the ''Guitar Hero'' series and is the sequel to 2005 ...

'' in 2007 and ''

Rock Band 4 ''Rock Band 4'' is a 2015 music video game developed and published by Harmonix. ''Rock Band 4'' allows players to simulate the playing of music across many different decades and genres using instrument controllers that mimic playing lead and bas ...

'' in 2015. The song was also made available as downloadable content for the guitar learning software/game ''

Rocksmith 2014 ''Rocksmith 2014'' is a music video game produced by Ubisoft. It is a followup to the 2011 game ''Rocksmith'', but has been described as a replacement to the original game rather than a sequel. Like its predecessor, the game allows players to plug ...

'' in January 2015.

Discography

Rick Derringer

Studio albums *'' All American Boy'' (1973) US No. 25, AUS No. 38 *''Spring Fever'' (1975) US No. 141 *''

Derringer A derringer is a small handgun that is neither a revolver nor a semi/ fully automatic pistol. It is not to be confused with mini-revolvers or pocket pistols, although some later derringers were manufactured with the pepperbox configuration. ...

'' (1976) US No. 154 *''Sweet Evil'' (1977) US No. 169 *''If I Weren't So Romantic, I'd Shoot You'' (1978) *''Guitars and Women'' (1979, re-released 1998) *''Face to Face'' (1980) *''Good Dirty Fun'' (1983) *''Back to the Blues'' (1993) *''Electra Blues'' (1994) *''Tend the Fire'' (1997) *''Blues Deluxe'' (1998) *''Jackhammer Blues'' (2000) *''Free Ride'' (2002) *''Rockin' American'' (2007) *''Knighted by the Blues'' (2009) Live albums *''Derringer Live'' (1977) US No. 123 *''Live in Cleveland'' (1977) *''King Biscuit Flower Hour'' (1998) *''Live in Japan'' (1998) With

*''Rick Derringer & Friends'' (1998) With Edgar Winter, Ian Hunter, Dr. John,

Lorna Luft Lorna Luft (born November 21, 1952) is an American actress, author, and singer. She is the daughter of Judy Garland and Sidney Luft and the half-sister of Liza Minnelli. Early life Luft was born on November 21, 1952, at Saint John's Health Cent ...

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...

*''Live at Cheney Hall'' (2006) *''Rock Spectacular: Live at the Ritz 1982'' (2010) Compilation albums *''Required Rocking'' (1996) *''Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo: The Best of Rick Derringer'' (1996) *''Collection: The Blues Bureau Years'' (2006) *''The Three Kings of the Blues'' (2010) *''Joy Ride: Solo Albums 1973-1980'' (2017) *''Complete Blue Sky Albums: 1976-1978'' (2017)

As guest musician

With

* '' True Colors'' (Portrait Records, 1986) * '' A Night to Remember'' (Epic Records, 1989) With Steely Dan * '' Countdown to Ecstasy'' (MCA Records, 1973) * ''

'' (ABC Records, 1975) * ''

'' (MCA Records, 1980) With Edgar Winter *''

'' (Epic, 1971) *'' Roadwork'' (Epic, 1972) *''

They Only Come Out at Night ''They Only Come Out at Night'' is the debut studio album by American rock band the Edgar Winter Group. A commercial success, the album reached the #3 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart and features two of the band's signature songs, "Frankenstei ...

'' (Epic, 1972) *''

Shock Treatment ''Shock Treatment'' is a 1981 American musical comedy film directed by Jim Sharman, and co-written by Sharman and Richard O'Brien. It is a follow-up to the 1975 film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show''. While not an outright sequel, the film do ...

'' (Epic, 1974) *''

Jasmine Nightdreams ''Jasmine Nightdreams'' is the fifth studio album by Edgar Winter, released in 1975. Track listing Personnel Musicians *Edgar Winter - "the nightdreamer" - vocals, saxophone, keyboards, synthesizer *Johnny Winter - "slide rider" - slide guitar ...

'' (Blue Sky, 1975) *''The Edgar Winter Group With Rick Derringer'' (Epic, 1975) *''The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer - Live In Japan'' (Cypress, 1990) *''Winter Blues'' (Irond, 2009) With Johnny Winter *'' Johnny Winter And'' (Columbia, 1970) *'' Live Johnny Winter And'' (Columbia, 1971) *'' Still Alive and Well'' (Columbia, 1973) *'' Saints & Sinners'' (Columbia, 1974) *''

John Dawson Winter III ''John Dawson Winter III'' is the seventh studio album by Johnny Winter, released in 1974. It again follows Winter's pattern of mixing original songs with cover versions, including covering an Allen Toussaint song for the second album running. ...

'' (Columbia, 1974) With others * Jon Anderson - '' 1000 Hands: Chapter One'' (Blue Elan Records, 2019) *

Joe Bonamassa Joseph Leonard Bonamassa ( ; born May 8, 1977) is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age twelve, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his ind ...

- '' A New Day Yesterday'' (550 Records, 2000) *

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

- '' Killer'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1971) * Donald Fagen - ''

'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1982) *

Dan Hartman Daniel Earl Hartman (December 8, 1950 – March 22, 1994) was an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Among songs he wrote and recorded were " Free Ride" as a member of the Edgar Winter Group, and the solo hits ...

- ''

Images An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...

'' (Blue Sky, 1976) * Richie Havens - '' Alarm Clock'' (Stormy Forest/MGM Records, 1970) *Richie Havens - ''Connections'' (Elektra Records, 1980) * Grayson Hugh - ''Blind to Reason'' (MCA Records, 1988) * Thomas Jefferson Kaye - ''Thomas Jefferson Kaye'' (Dunhill Records, 1973) *Thomas Jefferson Kaye - ''First Gade'' (ABC Records, 1974) *

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

- '' Lick It Up'' (Mercury Records, 1983) * Bette Midler - '' Songs for the New Depression'' (Atlantic Records, 1976) *

Neil Sedaka Neil Sedaka (; born March 13, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collabo ...

- ''

Come See About Me "Come See About Me" is a 1964 song recorded by the Supremes for the Motown label. The track opens with a fade-in, marking one of the first times the technique had been used on a studio recording. The song became third of five consecutively rel ...

'' (MCA Records, 1984) *

- ''

'' (Columbia Records, 1984) *

- ''

Faster Than the Speed of Night ''Faster Than the Speed of Night'' is the fifth studio album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. It was released first in Europe on 8 April 1983 and later that year in the US through Columbia Records. Tyler had changed musical direction and soon after ...

'' (Columbia Records, 1983) * Rosie Vela - '' Zazu'' (A&M Records, 1986) * "Weird Al" Yankovic - ''

"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D ''"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D'' (often referred to simply as ''In 3-D'') is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on February 28, 1984, by Rock 'n Roll Records. The album was one of many produced by fo ...

'' (Scotti Brothers Records, 1984)

References

External links

Official website
RickDerringer.com
Rick Derringer biography by Bruce Eder, discography and album reviews, credits & releases
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

Rick Derringer discography, album releases & credits
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

Rick Derringer albums to be listened
on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

Rick Derringer songs & albums to be listened
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Derringer, Rick 1947 births American rock guitarists American male guitarists American performers of Christian music Living people People from Fort Recovery, Ohio Guitarists from Ohio Epic Records artists 20th-century American guitarists American evangelicals 20th-century American male musicians Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band members Blue Sky Records artists Provogue Records artists American blues mandolinists