According to TMZ, Variety and Hollywood Reporter, guitar heroes and rock and roll legend Rick Dillinger, the fame of “Rock and Roll Foo Cheekoo” and “Hang On, Sloopy” passed away in Ormond Beach. He was 77 years old.
Dillinger’s wife, Jenda, told TMZ that the Rockicon died “peacefully” after being removed from life support on Monday night after a medical episode on May 26th. His caretaker and best friend Tony Wilson also told TMZ that Dillinger had triple bypass surgery just two months ago, but it was working out.
That changed on Monday night, Wilson told the outlet. Dillinger went into something Wilson described as “some sort of shock” while preparing his bed.
He died in a private hospital, according to his family. Wilson told Variety that Dillinger had passed away in Ormond Beach, Florida.
Dillinger caretakers also issued a statement on Facebook.
“In a 60-year career, legendary Rick Derlinger has left an indelible mark in the music industry as a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer,” Wilson said.
“Derlinger’s legacy goes beyond his music and he is entertaining his fans with his signature energy and talent,” continued the Dillinger caretaker. “His passing leaves a blank in the world of music and he will be deeply overlooked by his fans, colleagues and loved ones.”
Rick Dillinger’s sixth grade career spanned a wide range of genres.
Over his six-year career, Dillinger was a figure like Zelig, who was involved in an astounding musical arrangement by performers who violated the genre’s expectations. Born in Serena, Ohio, Dillinger was 17 years old when he won his first chart-topping hit, “Hang On,” along with the McCoys in the summer of 1965.
From there, Dillinger continued his successful collaborations with celebrities, ranging from Johnny and Edgar Winter to Steely Dan, Alice Cooper, Kiss, the Strange Al Jankovich, Cyndi Lauper and Barbra Streisand.
Dellinger, a fiery versatility in the New York rock scene in the 1970s and ’80s, produced the 1972 single “Frankenstein” by the Edgar Winter Group, in addition to playing guitar for several years.
Rick Dillinger’s connection to guitarist and singer Dickey Betts
Rick Dillinger’s signature solo hit “Rock and Roll Foo Cheek” was released in 1973. The first poem features Dickie Betts, who grew up in the Bradenton area and died in 2024.
About 15 years after the song’s release, Betts and Dillinger performed “Rock and Roll Foo Cheek” together. This is a recording that can be heard on Bette’s concert album “Live From the Lone Star Roadhouse NYC 1988.”
Dillinger eventually moved to the Sarasota Manatee area that Betts called his hometown for much of his life.
“Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo” was originally recorded by Johnny Winter, but Dillinger’s version overturned the original. It appeared on the soundtrack for the 1993 cult classic “Dazed and Confused,” and recently resurfaced on the soundtrack for the fourth season of the Netflix Hit series “Strangers Things.”
Dillinger also toured extensively throughout the 1970s, offering heavy shows on guitar duels and showmanship.
Rick Dillinger’s work was accepted by everyone from supply to Trump
In the early 1980s he played guitar solos on two large singles written by meatloaf collaborator Jim Steinman: Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Solar Eclipse of the Heart” and “The Air Supply “Nothing at all.”
Dillinger’s collaboration with singer Cyndi Lauper in the mid-1980s brought a connection to the world of professional wrestling. In 1985 he produced the “wrestling album” for the World Wrestling Federation, which includes the theme song “Real American” by Hulk Hogan.
Like so many things that Dillinger created, the song also endured. They are employed by politicians, ranging from President Barack Obama to presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Trump.
Rick Dillinger Real Estate Runs After a Rock and Roll Lifestyle
Rick Dillinger has a connection with Florida’s Sarasota Manatee, dating back at least 20 years ago, including a stint as a real estate agent. In 2006, Herald-Tribune, part of the USA Today Network, reported that Guitar Great had become a sales agent for Sarasota’s McKenna and Associates Realty.
Dillinger and his “third and last wife” Genda were reborn Christians who like to focus on past rock and roll overload and success, according to the Herald Tribune. Still, Dillinger knew that success in real estate meant visible: “Let people know what you’re doing,” he said.
Raising Catholicism, he was reborn in 1998 during the baptism of the river. By 2006, Dillinger attended and occasionally performed at various evangelical churches in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Since getting married in 1998, he believed that he helped Genda “control not just his career, but his entire person.”
According to the Herald-Tribune, the couple owned nine investment properties scattered across southwest Florida.
Despite his wife’s concerns, Dillinger loved to perform around 30 shows each year and perform live performances. He told the Herald Tribune that he made between $5,000 and $10,000 per gig, depending on the venue.
Influence of Rick Dillinger: “He really loves music.”
In the 1990s, Dillinger met Damon Fowler, Brandon’s teen guitar wunderkind. Impressed by his performance, Dillinger produced Fowler’s 1999 debut album, “Riverview Drive.” Fowler later moved to Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, where her 2021 album, “Alafia Moon,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues album chart, becoming a national blues star.
“Rick is a really great guy, a very interesting companion and I learned a lot from him,” Fowler said on the phone on May 27th.
Fowler added: “I don’t think you understand how involved Rick is in music. He played all sorts of genres. He was a producer. He played on Steely Dan Records. He helped Cindy Lauper get record deals and performed in early demos.
