Inside Rick Derringer's Tragic Ending as Iconic Rocker Underwent Surgeries and Suffered Major Complications Before Death

Legendary guitarist and singer Rick Dellinger has died at age 77, RadarOnline.com can confirm.

The singer had a decades-spanning career and included hits like Hang On Sloopy and the beloved theme music for wrestler Hulk Hogan.

Derringer collaborated with artists like Steely Dan and Barbra Streisand, and wrote hits like the 1960s Sloopy, 1970s hit Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo and in the 1980s and 1990s wrote songs for the then-WWF.

Longtime friend Tony Wilson shared news of the death on Tuesday, May 27, in a Facebook post.

He wrote: "Derringer's legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent. His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones."

Wilson’s post states that Derringer died Monday evening in Ormond Beach, Fl. No cause of death was announced, although he had been battling several health issues in recent months.

Wilson told TMZ Derringer had a triple bypass just two months ago but was doing well.

However, late Monday night, he experienced some sort of "shock" as he got ready for bed, and he was rushed to the hospital. Derringer's wife Jenda said he died "peacefully" after being taken off life support Monday night following the medical episode.

Both she and Wilson were by his side when he died, with Jenda reflecting: "We thought we had years left, but God's timing is perfect."

Derringer was just 17 when his band The McCoys recorded the No.1 hit Hang On Sloopy in the summer of 1965. The song was actually responsible for knocking Yesterday by The Beatles out of the top spot.

His songs and work have been a popular part of the entertainment zeitgeist. Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo was featured prominently during the fourth season of Stranger Things, and he is credited with discovering "Weird Al" Yankovic, and won a Grammy for producing Yankovic’s first albums.

In the 80s, Derringer's friendship with Cyndi Lauper led to him producing 1985’s The Wrestling Album with David Wolff and, along with Jim Johnston, its 1987 sequel Piledriver: The Wrestling Album II.

He also wrote the song I am a Real American, which became synonymous with Hogan and his Hulkamaniacs. Yet Derringer always hoped for more for the song.

He previously explained: "We were really happy about all that, but still somewhere in the back of my mind I thought, 'Man, this song should be somehow more legit than just a wrestler’s theme song.'

"We had wanted to write this fabulous patriotic song for all Americans. We saw it somehow on a different level than a wrestler’s theme song, so in some ways I was a little let down."

He would eventually get his wish, as Hillary Clinton used the song at a few rallies during the 2018 Democratic primary election.

"It’s no commentary on Hillary, whether you like her or not, but we were excited because all of a sudden the song had become somehow a lot more legitimate than simply a wrestler’s theme song," he told Mel Magazine.

The song was then used by Newt Gingrich in 2012 during his run for the White House, President Barack Obama when he unveiled his birth certificate, and most recently President Donald Trump.

Derringer added: "We're very excited in general that it’s a great wrestler’s theme song, but (also) that it’s become almost a new national anthem in some points of view, and remains one of the most heard and recognized songs that’s never been released as a single."