Rick Derringer (Rick Zehringer) is an American guitarist, vocalist, and entertainer born on August 5, 1947, in 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 with the Johnny Winter Band and the Edgar Winter Band. 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". Real American would later be used as Hulk Hogan's entrance music. American is one of Derringer's most remembered songs, owing partly to the fact that it is still used today for Hogan. Originally dedicated to Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham, the song was given to Hulk Hogan early in 1986, and was synonymous with Hogan from through the rest of his first WWF run. During Hogan's hiatus from the WWF/E, American was used by Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco. Hogan returned to the WWE in 2002, but American would not come back until 2003, and only then as Hulk's alter-ego Mr. America. Hogan would finally return, in his main alter-ego, to American during his 2005 stint with WWE. Derringer also performed the song "Pain And Destruction", the entrance theme for WWF Tag Team Demolition.
In the 1980s, Derringer expanded his producing skills, discovering "Weird Al" Yankovic as well as Mason Ruffner.
He has played for Weird Al on many of his albums, playing guitar and mandolin.
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).