Which Steely Dan songs did Rick Derringer play on? What we know as Grammy award winning song writer passes away

Musician Rick Derringer has passed away at the age of 77 in Ormond Beach, Florida, as per NBC. Derringer was an influential guitarist who impacted the work of a host of artists whom he also collaborated with over the course of his decades-long career.

One of Derringer’s most notable collaborations includes his participation in the jazz rock band Steely Dan. As per Rock and Roll Globe, Derringer’s collaboration with Steely Dan resulted in a number of hit tracks that went on to become a part of the jazz rock band’s album releases during the 70s. Rock and Roll Globe noted that Derringer played on Steely Dan’s tracks such as Show Biz Kids, Chain Lightning, and My Rival.

Apart from his contributions to the songs of Steely Dan, Derringer is also known for releasing musical parodist “Weird Al” Yankovic's debut self-titled album in 1983. The album included the single "Eat It, which was a parody of Michael Jackson’s Beat It, as per NBC. The single became an instant hit upon its release.

Derringer also worked as the producer of the single, a credit that eventually won him a Grammy Award. As per CNN, Derringer’s collaboration with “Weird Al” Yankovic spanned several years, during which period the musician released 6 albums as a producer.

Rick Derringer’s early career, explored

Rick Derringer formed his first band during his teens, noted NBC. He was the lead guitarist of the band, while his brother Randy worked on the drums. As per Guitar Player, the band went through several naming processes, and it was finally named The McCoys.

Eventually, the band, consisting of the two brothers, added Randy Ho Jobbs to its ranks, who contributed as the bassist of the group. For a brief period, Ronnie Brandon served as the keyboardist for the band, after which he was replaced by Bobby Peterson.

Derringer also contributed to The McCoys as its lead vocalist and songwriter.

The McCoys released a cover of Hang on Sloopy in 1966. The cover track became a hit upon its release, and at the peak of its popularity, it reached the 44th position on the Billboard 200 chart, as per All Music.

The popularity of the track helped the band, which originated in Indiana, gain national fame, as per Vinyl Records. The McCoys released several other tracks following the success of their Hang on Sloopy cover, which included hits like Fever and Come On, Let’s Go. Despite their initial success, The McCoys disbanded in 1969.

After working with The McCoys, a few members of the band, including Derringer, Hobbs, and Randy Zehringer, continued their collaboration when they joined the then-rising blues star Johnny Winter’s band, which was named Johnny Winter And, in 1970.

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As per Vinyl Records, it was during this collaboration that Derringer worked on the hit track Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo. The single was released as a part of the group’s debut album.

After his collaboration with Winter, Derringer joined Winter’s brother, Edgar Winter’s group. The group, which changed its name to the Edgar Winter Group, was earlier called White Trash. Rick Derringer’s collaboration with the group was a success, and as a producer, he helped the group gain commercial success with hits such as Frankenstein, as per Variety.

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