Photo: Jim Summaria, http://www.jimsummariaphoto.com / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Rick Derringer is one of those guitarists who somehow never quite got the household-name treatment he deserved, and that's always baffled me. The guy co-wrote and performed "Hang On Sloopy" with the McCoys when he was barely eighteen years old — a number-one hit in 1965 that became Ohio's official state rock song, which is honestly a wild legacy to carry around. Then he reinvented himself in the early seventies with "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo," this gloriously sleazy hard-rock anthem that should have made him a superstar all over again. He also produced and played alongside Johnny Winter and Edgar Winter for years, which tells you the serious players always knew exactly how good he was. Born in Celina, Ohio, this small-town kid carved out a career spanning decades as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter — a real craftsman who let the music do the talking.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Rick Derringer
- Name (Japanese)
- リック・デリンジャー
- Reading
- りっく・でりんじゃー
- Born
- August 5, 1947 (age 78)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Boar
- Origin
- Celina, Ohio, United States
- Occupation
- guitarist / singer / composer / rock musician / musician
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Rick Derringer born?
Born August 5, 1947 (age 78).
Where is Rick Derringer from?
Rick Derringer is from Celina, Ohio, United States.
What does Rick Derringer do?
Rick Derringer works as guitarist, singer, composer, rock musician, musician.
Guitarist — see all → · Singer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.