Guitar great Rick Derringer died on Monday, May 26, at age 77. The Ohio-born Derringer, whose real last name was Zehringer, first came to fame as a teenager, when his band The McCoys scored a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965 with “Hang On Sloopy.”
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As a solo artist, Derringer found chart success in 1972 with the enduring classic-rock tune “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” which peaked at No. 25 on the Hot 100. Derringer also played with Johnny Winter’s and Edgar Winter’s bands during the early 1970s.
In addition, Rick was an in-demand session musician for much of his career. He appeared on recordings by a wide variety of artists, including quite a few major hits and memorable tunes.
In homage to Derringer, here are four noteworthy songs by well-known artists that you might not have known he played on:
“Under My Wheels” – Alice Cooper (1971)
“Under My Wheels” was a minor hit for the original Alice Cooper group. The song appeared on the band’s fourth studio album, Killer, which was released in 1971. Derringer was a guest guitarist on the track, which peaked at No. 59 on the Hot 100.
“Under My Wheels” remains a fan favorite that Cooper still regularly performs in concert.
“Show Biz Kids” – Steely Dan (1973)
Derringer played on a handful of Steely Dan tracks between the early 1970s and 1980. His first collaboration with the jazz-rock legends was on their second album, Countdown to Ecstasy, which was released in 1973.
Rick played slide guitar on the song “Show Biz Kids,” which was released as the first single from the record. It reached No. 61 on the Hot 100.
Derringer later played on two other Steely Dan tunes: “Chain Lightning” in 1975 and “My Rival” in 1980.
“Making Love Out of Nothing at All” – Air Supply (1983)
Derringer played a prominent guitar solo on “Making Love Out of Nothing at All,” a No. 2 hit for the British/Australian po-rock group Air Supply. The song was written by frequent Meat Loaf collaborator Jim Steinman.
E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg and keyboardist Roy Bittan also played on the track.
Interestingly, “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” was blocked from reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100 by Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which also was written by Steinman and featured guitar work by Derringer.
“Eat It” – “Weird Al” Yankovic (1984)
Derringer enjoyed a long-running collaboration with “Weird Al” Yankovic. Rick serving as the producer of and played guitar on the comedic musician’s first six albums.
Among the many tracks Derringer produced and lent his musical talents to was “Eat It,” Weird Al’s hit 1984 parody of Michael Jackson’s chart-topping smash “Beat It.”
“Eat It” peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100. Derringer contributed the blazing guitar solo that was inspired by the one Eddie Van Halen played on “Beat It.”
(Photo by Larry Marano/Getty Images)
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