Rick Derringer Dead At 77

[CrazyConnie]

Rick Derringer Dead at 77

Guitarist, songwriter and producer Rick Derringer died at the age of 77 in May 2025.

ultimateclassicrock.com

 

[Nai Noswad]

very sad...I thought he was a lot older.
RIP.

 

[E-Z]

Oh no!. Rick was one of my top 10-favourite rock guitarists and I have all his 1970s cds checkout Rick Derringer Live from 1977 with it featuring Vinny Appice and future Dio & Black Sabbath drummer.

Phil Collen guitarist in Def Leppard in the liner notes to the MONTROSE debut album that was reissued a few years ago says that Rick Derringer was the 'missing link' between Ronnie Montrose during the 1970s & Eddie Van Halen during the late 1970s & 1980s.

Very sad news but RIP Rick you done some great rock music!!

 

[TrekkiELO]

My all-time favorites with Rick Derringer are...

Singles

The McCoys - "Hang on Sloopy" (1965) #1 Pop
Edgar Winter Group - "Frankenstein" (#1 AT40 1973) producer
Edgar Winter Group - "Free Ride" (#14 AT40 1973) rhythm guitar, backing vocals, producer

Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo (#23 AT40 1974)

"Weird Al" Yankovic - "Eat It" (#12 AT40 1984) guitar solo, producer

Album

"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D (1984) guitar, mandolin, backing vocals, producer

 

[Trax]

When I first started playing the guitar, I got a new red Fender Duo Sonic for Christmas, along with a Champ amp. There were the first songs that all the kids taught each other: "Iron Man," "Smoke on the Water," "Jumping Jack Flash," "Paranoid," and "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo." These were foundational songs that all the kids fell back on when we got together in garages and basements and jammed out. The library would grow quickly, but it didn't matter how advanced the player was — it was always fun jamming on "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo." Over the years, I saw Rick Derringer a few times - solo and with the Edgar Winter Group. He was great and I always felt he should have been given more credit. One of my fondest memories is seeing Johnny Winter down in Louisiana play a blazing version Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo. This one hurts deep. RIP Rick Derringer.

 

[Molly Hatchet Man]

Loved all of his music especially his work with Johnny Winter. RIP to another great rocker.

 

[dr wu]

^Ditto on what MHM said as well as the others.

 

[E-Z]

When I first started playing the guitar, I got a new red Fender Duo Sonic for Christmas, along with a Champ amp. There were the first songs that all the kids taught each other: "Iron Man," "Smoke on the Water," "Jumping Jack Flash," "Paranoid," and "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo." These were foundational songs that all the kids fell back on when we got together in garages and basements and jammed out. The library would grow quickly, but it didn't matter how advanced the player was — it was always fun jamming on "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo." Over the years, I saw Rick Derringer a few times - solo and with the Edgar Winter Group. He was great and I always felt he should have been given more credit. One of my fondest memories is seeing Johnny Winter down in Louisiana play a blazing version Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo. This one hurts deep. RIP Rick Derringer.

Of course I had heard of Hang On Sloopy over here in London England back back in 1965 as a school kid cos it got a lot of radio play and I really do recall hearing it on the radio back then but obviously at my age a pre-teenager I never heard or knew of who Rick(y) Derringer was?. The first time I recall Rick's name being mentioned was when I was reading the Hendrix biography that appeared back in 1977-78 (although I originally read the book back in 1981) and it mentioned The Scene Club in New York owed by Steve Paul the guy who tracked Johnny Winter (blues guitarist) down in Texas anyway 'The Scene' was a well known night club back then in NY and usually passing through town rock musicians use to 'drop in' and at one of the 'after hours jams' that happened every night the book mentioned that one night Jimi Hendrix was in the club possibly during 1969 and Jimi 'sat in' with the 'house band' that happened to be the former McCoy's of Hang On Sloopy fame and of course Rick Derringer's name was mentioned with Rick being on guitar and his late brother Randy Derringer on drums and the late Randy Jo Hobbs on bass guitar.

 

[E-Z]

Loved all of his music especially his work with Johnny Winter. RIP to another great rocker.

The same here I was only playing on cds both Johnny Winter And.. & Johnny Winter And.. live! last week!.