Rick Derringer Had a Career That Spanned Decades, but His Net Worth Doesn't Show It
Rick Derringer was a bit of a Renaissance man.
Published May 27 2025, 6:33 p.m. ET
When it comes to diversifying one's portfolio, few musicians did it better than Rick Derringer. The man responsible for hits like "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" and "Hang on Sloopy" passed away May 26, 2025, at the age of 77, leaving behind a legacy that spans decades. Throughout his career, Rick was part of several groups and dipped his toes into a few genres. He also had a fairly impressive solo career.
His last solo album was released in 2010, which might have something to do with the fact that he and his wife were hit pretty hard by the 2008 housing crisis. Rick was able to crank out some compilation albums while finding gig work when he could, but the guy responsible for Hulk Hogan's theme song could never wrestle himself out of his problems. Unfortunately, Rick's net worth was hit pretty hard. Here's what we know.
Rick Derringer's net worth was shockingly small.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Rick Derringer had a net worth of $500,000. Rick started his first band, The McCoys, in 1962 when he was only 15 years old. Three years later, The McCoys were asked by the New York-based band the Strangeloves if they were interested in recording a song called "My Girls Sloopy," which later became "Hang On Sloopy." The song reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, staying above the Beatles for a brief but glorious time.
Rick Derringer
Musician, producer, and songwriter
Net worth: 500,000
Rick Derringer was an American musician, producer, and songwriter. He gained success in the 1960s with his band, the McCoys.
Birth date: Aug. 5, 1947
Birthplace: Celina, Ohio
Birth name: Richard Dean Zehringer
Father: John J. Zehringer
Mother: Janice Lavine
Marriages: Liz Derringer, Diane Derringer, Jenda Derringer
The McCoys broke up in 1969 and by 1973, Rick was recording his first solo album "All American Boy" which included the hit song "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo." Rick was also a hired gun, playing guitar for folks like Steely Dan, Meatloaf, and Todd Rundgren. Things got very interesting for Rick in the 1980s when he produced "The Wrestling Album" for the then-WWF. This is when Hulk Hogan's theme song was born.
According to the Herald-Tribune, by June 2006 Rick was working as a real estate agent in Florida when the housing bubble was on its way out. The former musician worked at Sarasota's McKenna and Associates Realty and was pushing Fidelity Investments via television commercials. "I got my license just when the market went dead," he told the outlet. Four years later, the couple lost two homes to foreclosure, and then a third in 2014.