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Musician and producer Rick Derringer of 'Hang On Sloopy' dies at 77

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

He started playing music at an early age, and as a teenager, he topped the charts with a hit that became a signature anthem for sports fans in Ohio, his home state. Rick Derringer died Monday at age 77. From member station WKSU in Cleveland, Kabir Bhatia has a look back at his career.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HANG ON SLOOPY")

THE MCCOYS: (Singing) Hang on Sloopy. Sloopy, hang on.

KABIR BHATIA, BYLINE: The song "Hang On Sloopy" by The McCoys was a No. 1 hit in 1965. The lead singer was 17-year-old Rick Derringer, who was born and raised in Ohio. The song, with its sing-along chorus, soon became a mainstay of Ohio State University football games and sporting events throughout the Buckeye State.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

BHATIA: Twenty years later, "Hang On Sloopy" was declared the official rock song of the state of Ohio. By then, Derringer had worked as a side man for everyone from Barbra Streisand to Steely Dan to Kiss, even scoring his own hits like this 1973 song that became a classic rock staple.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ROCK AND ROLL, HOOCHIE KOO")

RICK DERRINGER: (Singing) Lordy, Mama, light my fuse. Rock and roll, Hoochie Koo.

BHATIA: As a producer, Derringer also helmed Weird Al Yankovic's string of '80s hits and won a Grammy for producing "Eat It," a parody of Michael Jackson's "Beat It." Derringer even played the guitar solo, replicating the original by Eddie Van Halen.

(SOUNDBITE OF WEIRD AL YANKOVIC SONG, "EAT IT")

BHATIA: A year later, he produced the World Wrestling Federation's "The Wrestling Album" and wrote Hulk Hogan's theme song, "Real American." Derringer toured with Ringo Starr in the 2010s. Later in the decade, he spoke of his renewed interest in the Bible and his support for President Donald Trump. No cause of death has been released, but he reportedly had various medical conditions in recent years, which NPR has not confirmed.

For NPR News, I'm Kabir Bhatia in Cleveland.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HANG ON SLOOPY")

THE MCCOYS: Well, come on, Sloopy. Come on, come on. Well, come on, Sloopy. Come on, come on. Well, it feels so good. Come on, come on. You know it feels so good. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Kabir Bhatia

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.