One of the men who has helped shape the culture of Ohio State athletic teams has passed away at the age of 77. While he never played in a game, Rick Derringer played something else that would make a lasting impression in the hearts of Buckeye fans all over the world. Derringer was a guitarist with a band called “The McCoys” who brought the song Hang on Sloopy to Buckeye Nation. The song made its Ohio Stadium debut on October 9, 1965 by the OSU marching band and was named the state’s official rock song on November 20, 1985.
If you’re any kind of Ohio State fan and if you read Buckeyes Wire, you most likely are, you instantly know the rhythmic beat to the famed Sloopy. The tune has become a staple of just about every OSU sporting event since 1965, especially in the Horseshoe on Saturday afternoons in the fall. Just this past weekend, my wife and I were at a reception in Illinois, of all places, and the cover band began playing the familiar notes to the song. We both perked up and added the “O-H-I-O” at the appropriate time, to the looks of bewilderment from those not from the Buckeye State.
People come and go as is the nature of life. Our hope is that when we’re gone, we’ll leave some type of lasting impression, hopfully in a positive way. Rick Derringer was part of something that did just that. Although he and the band proably didn’t know it at the time, they have become part of tradition that makes college sports so relatiable and brings people from all walks of life closer together.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State rock’ n’ roll icon passes away after decades of bringing fans closer together
Reporting by Mark Russell, Buckeyes Wire / Buckeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
