Biography

August 5, 1947 · Fort Recovery, Ohio, USA

Rick Zehringer

5′ 4″ (1.63 m)

Former member of The McCoys.

Was a lead guitarist with The Edgar Winter Group and Johnny Winter.

He wrote and performed "Real American". Wrestler Hulk Hogan has used it for his entrance theme music.

He produced all of 'Weird Al' Yankovic's albums in the 80s and did the guitar solo on "Eat It". He won his only Grammy Awards for his work with Yankovic.

He played guitar on two songs written by Jim Steinman, "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" by Air Supply and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler. He also played guitar on Barbra Streisand's cover of "Left in the Dark".

And what makes me happy now has changed as well . . . It's one thing to play in a bar or at a biker festival, and hear a guy who's been drinking beer all day come up and tell you how good you are. For a long time in your life that will make you happy.

I just really longed to do music that reflected me as an adult and music that I thought was for other adults.

There was nobody at the time who was playing slide guitar like Johnny (Johnny Winter), and nobody, or no white guys at least, that was playing country blues like that on the acoustic guitar. And it was at that point that I realized what Johnny had to offer.

[in 2002] I started The McCoys in 1962, so I'm approaching my 40th year in the entertainment business.

Because I was successful over the years, I never had the opportunity to do the stuff I really wanted.