McCoy's frontman Rick Derringer has died at 77. This comes following a period of declining health and a recent triple bypass surgery.
This is a huge blow for fans of classic rock 'n' roll as Derringer was peripheral to some of the most memorable and iconic rock bands and moments from 1965 through the rest of the 20th century. As reported by Stereogum he got his start in a local band called Rick and the Raiders in his hometown of Celina, Ohio about an hour outside of Dayton. One day, New York band the Strangeloves (The brains behind "I Want Candy") came through Ohio on tour and caught wind of Derringer when his nascent band played backup for them. They immediately recognized his talent and picked up his band for their label. The band's name was changed to the McCoys and they released their debut single "Hang on Sloopy" under Bang records. The song was an instant hit and quickly reached number one on Billboard's Hot 100. It remains a piece of Ohio music history and retains it's legacy as a theme song for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Following this meteoric rise, Derringer would go onto play in a number of bands through the early 70's including Johnny Winter's blues rock band and Edgar Winter's White Trash. He also released solo material around this period. Notably, a 1973 album titled All-American Boy. He also played session guitar on three Steely Dan albums and was a regular amongst Andy Warhol's cohort at his notorious studio, 'The Factory'.
The 80s saw Derringer use his guitar skills in a more popcentric context as he would play on a Barbara Streisand album, A Cindi Lauper album, and eventually produced six Weird 'Al' Yankovic albums, one of which would net him a Grammy. It was around this same time period that he recorded music for the wrestlers of the World Wrestling Foundation. Most famously, Hulk Hogan's theme song "Real American" which has been used by numerous political figures from all sides of the aisle and serves as an invaluable piece of 80s iconography.
Needless to say, Rick Derringer is a figure who has left an indelible mark on the history of rock music and he will be remembered for generations to come. He will be remembered as an undeniable rock star and an unequivocal 'Real American'. May he rest in peace.