Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Time: 8:38 PM
Song: Real American
Artist: Rick Derringer
Mode of Consumption: Listening on Spotify.
Link to song: https://open.spotify.com/track/1KKFrs4CkKQvqP1DWHwJ9y?si=a5a29eb46774462c
I saw earlier today that Rick Derringer died on Monday. With Monday being a holiday, I hadn’t spent much time following the news or checking social media. So I was a little late to game on this one.
Somethings about Derringer:
He got his start with the McCoys in the 1960s. Their biggest hit was “Hang On, Sloopy.” I remember this song being on a compilation album that my parents had and I played it often on my Fischer Price turntable
He then went solo, hitting it big with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.” That’s probably the song where I learned his name, as it continues to get consistent play on classic rock stations.
I didn’t know he also played with Edgar and Johnny Winter, playing lead guitar on their hits “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride.”
He collaborated with many others including Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, and Weird Al Yankovic.
All that said, the song I know I’ve heard more than any other from Derringer is “Real American.”
I was probably six or seven when I first heard it as the theme music for Hulk Hogan of the World Wrestling Federation. I was a wrestling addict at that point of my life, and you could count me as a “Hulkamaniac.”
Pretty much every video tape that the WWF (now known as WWE) distributed concluded with Hogan posing to this song after vanquishing another villainous foe. It was schtick that worked, and worked well to the tune of millions and millions of dollars for Hogan, Vince McMahon, and I assume probably Derringer, too.
It’s since been used often by politicians including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Newt Gingrich and Donald Trump.
I have at least one Derringer album down in my boxes of vinyl to listen to, so I’ll have to check what other bangers he crafted.
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