Singer/Guitarist Rick Derringer has died (5/26) – he was 77. No cause of death was given but it is
reported that he had been ill for several months. (I later read that Derringer
had undergone triple bypass surgery about two months ago, but appeared to be doing well. That apparently changed on Monday night when Derringer went into something that his friend and caretaker Tony Wilson
described as “some sort of shock” as he prepared for bed. Derringer’s wife, Jenda, told TMZ that the rock
icon died "peacefully" after being taken off life support Monday night
following a medical episode.)
Derringer got his start with the Indiana band The McCoys in
the mid-‘60’s, using his real last name, Zehringer. The band also included his brother Randy, and
they hit #1 with their first chart record, “Hang On Sloopy” in 1965, a song you
still hear on oldies radio nearly every single day sixty years later.
The McCoys also scored Top 40 Hits with “Fever” (#6, 1965),
“Up And Down” (#39, 1966) and “Come On Let’s Go” (#17, 1966)
Rick went off on his own, changing his last name to
Derringer, hitting #1 again with The Edgar Winter Group in 1973 with
“Frankenstein.” As a solo artist, he wrote
and recorded the rock and roll classic “Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo” (#15, 1974),
a song he first recorded with Johnny Winter in 1970. He went on to produce and play guitar on two
of Weird Al Yankovic’s biggest hits, “Eat It” (#4, 1984) and “Fat” (#89, 1988),
both parodies of Michael Jackson songs.
After hearing of Derringer’s death, Yankovic posted:
I’m very sad to
say that my friend, rock guitar legend Rick Derringer, has passed. Rick
produced my first six albums and played guitar on my earliest recordings,
including the solo on “Eat It.” He had an enormous impact on my life, and will
be missed greatly. RIP.
Derringer is also known for his song “Real American,” which
Pro Wrestler Hulk Hogan used as his theme song.
(Remarkably, the song was also used in the campaigns of Barack Obama,
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump!!!) kk
More from Tom Cuddy …
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/05/27/rick-derringer-dies-sarasota-bradenton-rocke/83885317007/
From Timmy …
RIP Rick Derringer ~ August 5, 1947 - May 26, 2025
Saw him a couple times, but this
was my favorite. Charlie Daniels Band couldn’t make it so Climax Blues Band
played in their place.
Rich Vaniotis
Billy Joel’s wife Alexis posted this message over the
weekend, thanking fans for their love, understanding and support …
Thank you for the outpouring of
love and support. We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis
we received. Bill is beloved by so many, and to us, he is a father and husband
who is at the center of our world. We are hopeful for his recovery. We look
forward to seeing you all in the future.”
Alexis Roderick Joel
We wish him a speedy, a safe and a full recovery. (kk)
Billboard is reporting that Smokey Robinson is suing his four accusers regarding the rape charges they filed against him. Robinson's suit claims "defamation" and "elder abuse," calling their charges "an extortionate plan." Smokey says these four housekeepers and their lawyers came to him demanding over $100 million and when he refused to pay, they created the "media circus" that we are now all reading about. Much more to come (I'm sure!!!) kk
kk …
Jim Peterik Sang The National
Anthem At The Sox Game Yesterday.
FB
I missed that … but know that The Ides Of March have done it
numerous times in the past. (We featured
a clip AGES ago … not sure if I still have it or not, but the clips you’ll find
on YouTube are already fifteen years old and hardly do it justice.) Tight harmony may not be the first thing you
think about when it comes this hard-rockin’ band … but they pull it off with
ease … they’ve always been MUCH more versatile than they’ve ever been given
credit for. (The Buckinghams always do a
nice job with The National Anthem, too … which, as we all know, is NOT the
easiest song in the world to sing!!!) kk
Belated Happy Birthdays🎈🎂🎉🥳 to Lenny
Kravitz seen at the Century Plaza hotel and Stevie Nicks leaving Le'Dome on
Sunset Blvd.
Jim Roup
And from our "OK, That Clears Everything Up" Department, Zak Starkey now says that Roger Daltrey told him that he was RETIRED, not fired.
According to Zak, “Rog said I hadn’t been ‘fired’ … I had been ‘retired’ to work on my
own projects. I explained to Rog that I have just spent nearly eight weeks
at my studio in Jamaica completing these projects, that my group Mantra
Of The Cosmos was releasing one single at the beginning of June and
after that had run its course (usually 5/6 weeks) and after that, I was completely available”... but he’s “left it there” and insisted there are no hard feelings. Starkey says “I was completely available for the foreseeable future … and Rog
said, ‘Oh!,’ and we kind of left it there - on good terms and great
friends as we have always been."
No worries ... Pete'll probably make a statement in the next day or two that contradicts everything else we've already heard thus far! (kk)
