Rick Derringer net worth: Fortune explored as Hang on Sloopy singer and guitarist dies at 77

Musician Rick Derringer died on May 26, 2025, at the age of 77. The singer gained recognition for his contributions to the rock band, The McCoys.

Tony Wilson, a close friend and caretaker of Rick, revealed the news through Facebook with a photo, featuring Derringer with a guitar in his hand. Additionally, the post reads that the artist’s wife, Jenda, was with him at the time of his demise. Furthermore, the caption also stated:

“Derringer’s legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent. His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones.”

In the statement, Tony shared that the detailed information related to Rick Derringer’s funeral and memorial will be disclosed soon. Notably, the cause of death is yet to be made official.

Wilson recalled Rick’s collaborations with artists like Alice Cooper over the years, saying that Derringer was active for around six decades. In addition, Tony said in the post that Rick died in Ormond Beach, Florida. Derringer contributed his vocals to songs like Hang on Sloopy and Hoochie Koo, and also boasted a fortune of almost $500,000, as per Celebrity Net Worth.

Singer Eliot Lewis also paid tribute to Rick Derringer on Facebook with a video in which Derringer was performing on stage. Lewis wrote that the music industry has lost a talented personality and continued:

“I never personally met Rick but playing bass in this clip is also the late great Dan Hartman who I did a lot of work with and was a mentor to me. Hopefully these two and many others are rocking the heavens.”

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Rick Derringer’s net worth: Career in the music industry and other details

The Celina, Ohio native accumulated a huge fan base over the years with his journey as a solo artist and association with The McCoys at the same time. Rick’s work in the musical world was also his source of income. However, Rick struggled with some financial problems despite being a successful artist.

Celebrity Net Worth stated that the economic crisis in 2008 left an impact on Derringer’s houses in Ellenton, Florida, as they had to face foreclosure proceedings. Rick Derringer had a pending payment of almost $45,119, and while he continued battling the financial issues, another one of his houses faced foreclosure around ten years ago.

According to The New York Times, Rick’s real name was Richard Zehringer when he was born. He was an eighth-grade student when he established The McCoys, as per Entertainment Weekly.

Rick’s biography on his self-titled website says that The McCoys managed to deliver their debut album, Hang on Sloopy, when Derringer was 17 years old. The group continued releasing albums like You Make Me Feel So Good, Infinite McCoys, and Human Ball under record labels such as Bang and Mercury.

Rick Derringer slowly expanded his career to collaborations, where he was featured on the albums of musicians like Richie Havens, Steely Dan, and Alice Cooper. He even joined Edgar Winter on the latter’s album White Trash and later gained recognition for the single, Real American.

He also became famous for writing and producing the theme song for professional wrestler Hulk Hogan’s wrestling album, I Am A Real American. He continued working with Edgar Winter on many other occasions and produced projects like The Wrestling Album.

In between all these, Derringer also started establishing himself as a solo artist. He had many albums in his credits, including Face to Face, Electra Blues, Free Ride, Rockin’ American. Live in Japan, and more. He also released some compilation albums like Joy Ride: Solo Albums and Collection: The Blues Bureau Years.