1960s
When he was seventeen years old, his band The McCoys recorded "Hang on Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, which became the number one song in America before "Yesterday" by The Beatles knocked it out of the top spot. The song was issued by Bang Records. He adopted the

stage name which was inspired by the Bang Records logo which featured a

pistol
1970s

also recorded and played with a version of Johnny Winter's band called "Johnny Winter And ..." and both Edgar Winter's White Trash and The Edgar Winter Group.

also had a successful solo career, and his solo version of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" was a hit single. He also recorded extensively with Steely Dan, playing lead guitar on songs such as "Show Biz Kids" and "Chain Lightning".

appeared on Alice Cooper's Killer album in 1971, playing the solo on "Under My Wheels."

opened for Led Zeppelin on their last American tour.

was also a featured guitarist on several Todd Rundgren albums in the 1970s, including Something/Anything? (1972), A Wizard, a True Star (1973), Initiation (1975) and the live album Back to the Bars (1978).
1980s
In the 1980s,

expanded his producing skills, discovering "Weird Al" Yankovic as well as Mason Ruffner. He also played on the second Silver Condor album on the track "Thank God For Rock and Roll", produced and sung by Joe Cerisano. He has played for "Weird Al" on many of his albums, playing guitar and mandolin; on the track "Eat It",

played the guitar solo, an homage/parody to Eddie Van Halen's solo on the Michael Jackson song "Beat It".