Rick Derringer dead at 77: Grammy-winning classic rock guitarist who worked with Cyndi Lauper & had number 1 hit dies
ROCK STAR GONE Rick Derringer dead at 77: Grammy-winning classic rock guitarist who worked with Cyndi Lauper & had number 1 hit dies
RICK Derringer, guitarist behind the garage rock number-one hit Hang On Sloopy, has died at 77.
The musician passed away surrounded by his loved ones on Monday, according to a Facebook post by longtime friend and carer Tony Wilson.
Advertisement
3
Rick Derringer has died at 77
Credit: Getty
3
Seen here around 1980, Rick shot to fame aged just 17 after his band's debut single hit number one in 1965
Credit: Getty
3
Rick performing in Michigan in 2012
Credit: Getty
Rick had suffered from several health issues in recent months, according to the post, though no specific cause of death was given.
He shot to fame when he was just 17 after his band, The McCoys, recorded 'Hang On Sloopy" in 1965.
The record hit number one and is revered as a classic from the garage rock era.
After four years of touring, three members of The McCoys including Rick joined forces with the long-white-haired blues rocker Johnny Winter, in 1969.
Advertisement
As a four-piece the group put out an album called Johnny Winter And.
Rick later joined Johnny's brother, Edgar Winter, full-time in his band White Trash, releasing the EP Roadwork.
In 1973, he worked a solo album, All American Boy, which featured the hit single Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.
He is also credited with discovering Weird Al Yankovic, producing music for his albums and videos, such as the Michael Jackson parodies 'Eat It' and 'Who's Fat.'
Advertisement
Rick's sole Grammy Award came from his work producing Yankovic's albums.
More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Love Island's Harry reveals surprising encounter with A-list actress, boasting ‘I think I had a chance'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LOVE Island's Harry has revealed a surprising encounter with a huge A-list actress. On last night's Unseen Bits on ITV2, the islanders were going through their celebrity crushes in the Beach Hut Bonanza segment. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Footballer Harry Cooksley told viewers about his celebrity crush in the beach hut 5 He admitted on the show that he met the Oscar nominee on a plane Credit: Getty Farnham Town footballer Harry Cooksley, 30, was delighted to recall an encounter on an airplane with a very famous movie star. He admitted on camera: "The incredible Margot Robbie. "And I'll tell you exactly why, I sat next to her on a flight, we chatted the entire way." He added: "And I actually thought I had a chance with her." Margot, 34, is best known for her huge roles as Harley Quinn in the Suicide Squad movies. She also starred alongside Brad Pitt in films such as Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and Babylon. This was after she had her mainstream breakthrough for her role in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. The Barbie actress is also well known to be a superfan of the long-running ITV reality series. For her 31st birthday she celebrated with her nearest and dearest with a Love Island themed party. She has also met various former contestants including Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti. Maura Higgins does SHOTS with Margot Robbie as Hollywood's biggest Love Island fan invites her out for lunch The Oscar nominee also previously invited Maura Higgins out for a boozy lunch. They both did shots together after they ordered a whole bottle of Margot's own gin, Papa Salt Coastal gin to the table. In 2020, Chris Taylor met the superstar actress at the afterparty of Birds of Prey which led to him getting a cameo in Barbie as a human Ken doll. The reality personality previously told Cosmopolitan: "She's just really down to earth and cool. She's one of the nicest people I've ever met." 5 The reality star thought that he 'had a chance' with the actress as they chatted for the whole flight 5 Margot rose to A-list status after starring in The Wolf Of Wall Street with Leonardo DiCaprio Credit: Getty 5 She has since appeared in huge productions alongside the likes of Brad Pitt, Will Smith and John Cena Credit: Getty Love Island continues on ITV2 and is available to stream on ITVX.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
My daughter died on her 25th birthday cruise – her pals made baffling choice with body and we still want answers
WALKING on board the ship with her boyfriend and friends, Ashley Barnett couldn't wait to celebrate her 25th birthday on a three-day cruise through the crystal-clear waters of the Pacific ocean. Less than 24 hours, however, the aspiring actress would be found dead in her cabin - and her tragic death still remains shrouded in mystery. 8 Within less than 24 hours of being on the vessel, Ashley was found dead Credit: Getty 8 An aspiring actress, Ashley was working on American TV 8 Ashley's mum spoke exclusively to The Sun about her daughter's tragic death 8 The Paradise cruise ship set sail from Long Beach, California Credit: Alamy With the 20th anniversary of Ashley's death next October, her heartbroken mum, Jamie, revealed to The Sun that she's still searching for answers on what happened to her beloved daughter. "It was a long, perilous journey, which had no real answers in the end,' she said. "I'll never get all the answers. That's one of the most heartbreaking aspects of all… losing someone like that on a cruise ship. "It's just all different when it happens at sea - and people don't realise that at all." After boarding Carnival Cruise Line's Paradise in Long Beach, California on 14 October, 2005, Ashley's boyfriend said they hit up the casino and a concert before returning to their cabin for the night. But following an alleged disagreement, her boyfriend went back out - leaving her alone in the room. He said he returned in the early hours after continuing his night out onboard, falling asleep next to Ashley, before waking up hours later to join pals upstairs. Ashley remained in bed, her boyfriend believing she was still fast asleep from celebrations the night before. After partying some more, he returned to the cabin once again - except this time he tried to wake her up. When he was unable to rouse her, he went running into the hallway screaming that his girlfriend wasn't breathing, with another passenger scrambling to call 911 after hearing his cries. While a nurse began to perform CPR, the ship's doctor arrived - but efforts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful. There were allegedly few defibrillators on the ship and no opioid-overdose inhibitors to aid medical staff. Ashley was pronounced dead soon after. Holidaymaker, 60, killed in 'fight' on luxury cruise ship hours after leaving UK as man, 57, arrested over 'murder' Following Ashley's shocking death, the boat docked in Ensenada on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Here, authorities boarded the ship to determine if there were any suspicious circumstances, while the FBI back in the US were notified. With Ashley's body handed over to a Mexican morgue, instead of staying with her, the young woman's boyfriend along with the rest of the group stayed on the party ship and, shockingly, returned to California. 8 Ashley Barnett tragically died on board a cruise after suffering a drug overdose Credit: Getty 8 Ashley boarded the cruise with her boyfriend and friends to celebrate her 25th birthday Credit: Getty 8 For decades Ashley's mother Jamie Barnett has been working to change the way deaths on cruises are treated Two decades later, Jamie is still outraged by the decision. "They just left her body there," she said. "Not the boyfriend, not one of those other folks, not a representative from the cruise line." Jamie said she didn't even hear from Ashley's boyfriend - the last person to see her alive - until a full day after her daughter's tragic passing. He claimed he had no idea what had happened to her - but revealed that some of his medications was missing. It was later concluded that Ashley had died from a methadone drug overdose - something that shocked her grieving family and friends who insist she was extremely anti-drugs. Methadone is what's dubbed a "legal high" drug, traditionally used to help addicts stop taking heroin - despite both being Class A. Jamie says Ashley was "autopsied and, before she could come back to the United States, her body had to be embalmed". This meant that by the time her body was returned to her family, "any forensic pathologist had very little to go on to figure out what happened" - shrouding even more mystery over Ashley's death. With Jamie still desperate for answers, the family hired a private pathologist to carry out a forensic autopsy. They found exactly what Jamie thought - healthy organs in a healthy body, with some evidence of alcohol consumption. No signs of trauma were discovered either. Still bewildered by her shocking passing - and the cause behind it - the family then requested a test of Ashley's hair follicles. The test confirmed that there were zero signs of habitual drug use. Therefore the question remained: why was Ashley found dead having overdosed on methadone? Ashley's passing - and the reason behind it - has tormented her family for 20 years. They are yet to receive real answers. Despite the nightmare Jamie has endured over the last two decades, her trauma ignited a need to help others who have endured similar nightmares. It's just all different when it happens at sea, and people don't realise that at all. Jamie Barnett Jamie has been pivotal in developing stricter laws surrounding crimes and deaths on cruises in her role as president of lobbying group International Cruise Victims. The grieving mum believes cruise-goers are often "lulled into a false sense of security". She explained to The Sun: "Don't get on a ship and think nothing could happen to you. "It's like a small city where anything can happen. "You can't let your guard down. You have to still be mindful and keep your eyes open." Jamie also described how difficult it is for authorities to investigate crimes that happen at sea and collect key evidence. This means many cases on board ships remain unsolved - leaving grieving families with unanswered questions about their loved ones. Jamie, who campaigns through International Cruise Victims, said: "We're there to help folks who have found themselves victims of either some kind of crime at sea or some kind of negligence or traumatic event at sea. "When that happens to people, because of laws being so wishy-washy, if they even exist on the high seas, they don't know where to turn to or what to do. "And most of us who are leading this organisation remember that vividly and how that feels. "We do everything we can to take somebody's hand and walk them through all of these things should they find themselves a victim in any way." The chancing of dying on a cruise ship were recorded as being roughly 1 in 6.25 million in 2019, according to Forbes - suggesting it as being one of the safest ways to travel for holidaymakers. But the statistic misses out crimes committed on ships, or missing persons. Jamie claims that some cruises only put out a "soundbite" on missing persons on board the ships, along with what could have happened to them. She said families are often told their loved one was "depressed" or "this person had a fight with their partner". Jamie explained: "So right away you're thinking it was intentional, when it's very important for us hearing those reports to stay neutral, to wait. "How do you know? What leads you to say that?" Advocates have claimed that cruise lines have a "spotty" record of crime reporting, which makes actual statistics hard to determine. But through her work at International Cruise Victims, Jamie looks to hold cruise lines more accountable for what goes on on their ships, while also protecting future cruise-goers on their holidays. Jamie added: "The cruise industry loves to say 'passenger safety is our number one priority'. "We're over here saying - put your money where your mouth is."
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Sanford and Son and The Waltons star dies aged 95 as heartbroken family pay tribute to ‘extraordinary life'
STAR GONE Sanford and Son and The Waltons star dies aged 95 as heartbroken family pay tribute to 'extraordinary life' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GOLDEN Girls and The Waltons star Lynn Hamilton has died aged 95. The actress died of natural causes on Thursday at her home in Chicago. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 2 Lynn Hamilton appearing in the ABC tv series 'ABC Afterschool Specials' Credit: Getty 2 The actress died of natural causes on Thursday Credit: Getty The star's former manager and publicist Rev. Calvin Carson announced the tragic news on social media. He said: "With profound gratitude and admiration, we celebrate the extraordinary life of iconic actress Alzenia 'Lynn' Hamilton-Jenkins, whose remarkable legacy continues to uplift and inspire. "Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, motivating audiences across the globe through her work as a model, stage, film and television actress." Hamilton was known for her roles including Donna Harris, Fred Sanford's girlfriend and later fiance on the sitcom Sanford and Son. She appeared in this between 1972 to 1977. The star also played Verdie Grant Foster in The Waltons from 1973 to 1981. In the 1979 miniseries Roots: The Next Generations, she played Cousin Georgia Anderson. Hamilton has also appeared in various other series like Good Times, 227, Dangerous Women, and The Golden Girls. More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
