WRESTLING NEWS
The Story Behind Hulk Hogan's Real American Theme
By RANCE MORRIS
The song "Real American," written by Rick Derringer and Bernard Kenny, first appeared on a 1985 WWF compilation called "The Wrestling Album." The song became a WWF staple after Vince McMahon heard the song while finalizing the album, and soon afterward, it was transitioned to Hulk Hogan, who defined the theme.
Although Hogan had his own entrance theme performed by the WWF All-Stars when "The Wrestling Album" was released, he debuted the song as his own theme while in a feud with the Iranian star The Iron Sheik. Hogan became synonymous with the song for the rest of his career.
Despite its popularity, Rick Derringer has been disappointed in how the song ended up, noting, "We saw it somehow on a different level than a wrestler's theme song, so in some ways, I was a little letdown." Moreover, the drummer in the recording session, Jimmy Bralower said that Bernard Kenny voiced the powerful track and not Derringer.