I remember two small wall hangings my Grandmother had above her stove in her kitchen. One said, “No matter where I serve my guests, it seems they like my kitchen best.” And the other one I like even better. It said, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.” And I remember her telling me that when it seems like you’re getting farther away from something or someone, it can feel like it’s one step forward and two steps back.
But she had a solution to that farther away problem.
When you feel like life is one step forward and two steps back, turn around and walk backwards.
Yeah, you gotta think about that for a second or two. But your brain made sense of it immediately even if you didn’t.
Anyway…
I read some interesting news about a classic rocker that I wouldn’t have guessed. And I remember his big hit song that’ll stick in your brain when you give it a listen. But check out what he wrote about himself:
“…I was very successful. My records were selling like hot cakes! I played on the entire 1966 American tour of the Rolling Stones. And I played music with John Lennon and became friends with Jimi Hendrix and later Stevie Ray Vaughn. I played on most of the records of Steely Dan, recorded with Barbara Streisand. And began writing and touring with Cyndi Lauper. Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band told me that my guitar playing influenced him to play slide guitar. I have to admit, some people I worked with seemed pretty ungodly. People like KISS and Alice Cooper.”
And this guy has some impressive credentials.
Not the least of which is a Number 1 Billboard hit when he was only 17. And his hit song knocked none other than “Yesterday,” by the Beatles, off that position on the chart.
Plus, he was the producer on one of my favorite all-time rock instrumentals, “Frankenstein,” by the Edgar Winter Group. And he produced other gold and platinum albums by Edgar and his brother Johnny Winter.
In addition to the other artists I’ve already mentioned, this guy has appeared on numerous albums with Richie Havens, Todd Rundgren Steely Dan, Barbra Streisand, Mason Ruffner, and Madam X.
And get this. In the mid-80s, he discovered Weird Al Yankovic. And he produced Weird Al’s music for Grammy-winning albums and videos. In fact, according to information on his own website, his productions of the Weird Al’s Michael Jackson parodies, the No. 1 hit “Eat It”, and “Who’s Fat”, have been Yankovic’s most successful recordings.
But here’s the coolest part of all.
With all the music business success and accolades he’s received, he figured out something about himself that he didn’t like. As he put it, “I was getting farther and farther from the Lord.”
His so-called “earthly fame and fortune” took him down the all-too-familiar path so many celebrities crash through. Drugs and alcohol. But here’s what he said he did that kept him from going farther away from God:
“It all came to a head in 1997; and even though my troubles at the time seemed overwhelming, I finally remembered there is someone to turn to, our Savior, the Lord, Jesus Christ. I got down on my knees and started to praying. I asked for forgiveness. I asked for advice. And I asked for Divine guidance and help. The Lord keeps His promises. Ask and you shall receive. He gave me the answers I needed. And the strength to do what I had to do.”
And so, Rick Derringer, whose band “The McCoys” bumped the Beatles off the Number 1 spot in 1965 with “Hang On Sloopy,” got back on track. You might say he got his Rock and Roll to Hoochie Koo. Well, you probably wouldn’t say that. But I couldn’t resist.
So, in case you didn’t know it before, now you know some of the rest of the cool story of Rick Derringer. And I guess you can blame me if you walk around with “Hang On Sloopy” in your brain, today.
Hang on, Sloopy, Sloopy, hang on
Yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah)
Hang on, Sloopy, Sloopy, hang on
Yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah)
Hang on, Sloopy, Sloopy, hang on
Stay tuned,
