NEW YORK — Classic rock guitarist and “Real American” singer Rick Derringer has died. He was 77 years old.

His longtime wife, Jenda Derringer, told TMZ he died “peacefully” at a hospital in Ormond Beach, Florida, after being taken off life support following a medical emergency involving his heart. He reportedly underwent triple bypass surgery two months ago.

The Ohio native first gained fame with his band the McCoys, whose “Hang on Sloopy” was a No. 1 hit in 1965. He went on to work with Edgar and Johnny Winters in their bands, playing on classic rock radio staples like “Frankenstein,” another No. 1 hit.

He also collaborated with Steely Dan, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Todd Rundgren, Alice Cooper, Barbara Streisand and toured several times with Cyndi Lauper. He played the guitar solo on Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” written by frequent partner Jim Steinman.

Derringer had a solo hit of his own with “Real American,” a song recorded for a soundtrack for the World Wrestling Federation that became Hulk Hogan’s theme music for several years. Lauper provided backing vocals on the tune.

Richard Dean Zehringer was born in Celina, Ohio, on Aug. 5, 1947. He began playing music with his brother Randy in the late 1950s. Their band the McCoys was chosen by a set of record producers to record “Hang on Sloopy,” which has since become a popular in-stadium anthem at Ohio State football games and Cleveland Guardians games.

Later in his career, he joined star-studded lineups on tours with Ringo Starr and Peter Frampton while ultimately releasing more than 25 albums, including several blues and jazz LPs.

Following a late-in-life conversion, he and his wife produced several Christian-themed albums.

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