Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley (born
December 30,
1928) "
The Originator", is an influential
American rock and roll singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is often cited as a key figure in the transition of
blues into
rock and roll, by introducing more insistent, driving
rhythms and a hard edged guitar sound.
He was born
Otha Ellas Bates in
McComb, Mississippi and later took the name
Ellas McDaniel, after his adoptive mother, Gussie McDaniel. He adopted the
stage name Bo Diddley, which is probably a southern black slang phrase meaning "nothing at all", as in "he ain't bo diddley". Another source says it was his nickname as a
Golden Gloves boxer. The nickname is also linked to the
diddley bow, a one stringed instrument used in the south by mainly black musicians in the fields.
Bates was given a guitar by his sister as a youth, but also took
violin lessons. He was inspired to become a musician by seeing
John Lee Hooker.
He recorded for Chicago's
Chess Records subsidiary label Checker. Diddley is best known for the
"Bo Diddley beat", a
rhumba-based beat (see
clave) also influenced by what is known as "
hambone", a style used by street performers who play out the beat by slapping and patting their arms, legs, chest, and cheeks while chanting rhymes.
The beat has been used by many other artists, notably
Johnny Otis on "Willie and the Hand Jive", which is more about hambone than it is a direct copy of Bo Diddley,
Bruce Springsteen's "She's the One,"
U2's "
Desire",
Guns N' Roses's "
Mr. Brownstone" and
Buddy Holly's "
Not Fade Away" as well as more obscure numbers such as "Callin' All Cows" by the Blues Rockers.
Bo Diddley used a variety of rhythms, however, from straight
back beat to pop ballad style, frequently with
maracas by
Jerome Green. He was also an influential
guitar player, with many special effects and other innovations in tone and attack. He also plays the
violin, which is featured on his mournful
instrumental "The Clock Strikes Twelve".
Rhythm is so important in Bo Diddley's music that
harmony is often reduced to a bare simplicity. His songs (for example "Hey Bo Diddley" and "Who Do You Love?") often have no
chord changes; that is, the musicians play the same chord throughout the piece, so that excitement is created by the rhythm, rather than by harmonic tension and release.
His own songs have been frequently covered. The
Rolling Stones covered "Mona" early in their career.
The Animals recorded "The Story of Bo Diddley",
The Who and
The Yardbirds both covered "I'm a Man" and both
the Woolies and
George Thorogood had hits with "Who Do You Love", which was also covered by
Quicksilver Messenger Service and was a concert favorite of
The Doors. Bo Diddley's "Road Runner" was also frequently covered, including by
The Who in concert and on an
Aerosmith album.
Muddy Waters' "Mannish Boy" (originally "Manish Boy") was an adaptation of Diddley's "I'm a Man" and also an
answer song, the title being Muddy's take on his younger rival. "Say Man" was Bo Diddley's only
Top 40 hit.
The Jesus and Mary Chain also recorded a tribute song "Bo Diddley is Jesus".
Ronnie Hawkins recorded and covered "Hey Bo Diddley", "Bo Diddley" and "Who Do You Love" during his many recording sessions, including those with his backing band of the time, The Hawks, of course, later known as
The Band.
On
November 20,
1955, Bo Diddley was the first
African-American to appear on
The Ed Sullivan Show, only to infuriate him ("I did two songs and he got mad." Diddley later recalls, "Ed Sullivan said that I was one of the first colored boys to ever double-cross him. Said that I wouldn't last six months."). Diddley was asked to sing
Tennessee Ernie Ford's hit "
Sixteen Tons". But when he appeared on stage, he sang his #1 hit
Bo Diddley. He was banned from further appearances.
The Doors and comedian
Jackie Mason would later join Diddley on the list of performers banned from the Ed Sullivan Show.
Although Bo Diddley was a breakthrough crossover artist with white audiences, appearing on the
Alan Freed concerts, for instance, he rarely tailored his compositions to teenaged concerns. The most notable exception is probably his album
Surfin' With Bo Diddley, which featured "Surfer's Love Call", and while Bo may never have hung ten in his baggies to catch the big wave, he was definitely an influence on surf guitar players.
His lyrics are often witty and humorous adaptations of
folk music themes. His first hit, "Bo Diddley" was based on the
lullaby "Hush Little Baby". Likewise, "Hey Bo Diddley" is based on the folk song, "Old Macdonald". The
rap-style boasting of "Who Do You Love", a
wordplay on
hoodoo, used many striking lyrics from the
African-American tradition of toasts and boasts. His "Say Man" and "Say Man, Back Again" have been connected with rap, but actually feature the insults known as the
Dozens: "You look like you been in a hatchet fight and everybody had a hatchet except you."
In addition to the many songs identified with him, he wrote the pioneering
pop tune "
Love Is Strange" for
Mickey and
Sylvia under a pseudonym.
His trademark instrument is the rectangular-bodied
Gretsch (although he has had other similar-shaped guitars made for him by other manufacturers) guitar that he developed and wielded in thousands of concerts over the years—from sweaty
Chicago clubs to rock and roll oldies tours and even as an opening act for
The Clash and a guest for the
Rolling Stones. In March of 1972, he played in
New York City with
The Grateful Dead.
In recent years, Bo Diddley has received numerous accolades in recognition of his role as one of the founding fathers of
rock and roll. In 1986, he was inducted into the
Washington Area Music Association's Hall of Fame. The following year saw his induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the
Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In 1996, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the
Rhythm and Blues Foundation. The following years saw his 1955 recording of his song "Bo Diddley" inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as a recording of lasting qualitative or historical significance and he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the
Grammy Awards Ceremony.
The start of the new millennium saw Bo Diddley inducted into the
Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame and into the
North Florida Music Association's Hall of Fame. In 2002, he received a Pioneer in Entertainment Award from the
National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters and a
Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) Icon Award in recognition of his many contributions to contemporary music.
In 2003, tribute was paid to Bo Diddley in the
United States House of Representatives by
Hon. John Conyers, Jr. of
Michigan, who described him as "one of the true pioneers of
rock and roll, who has influenced generations".
In 2004,
Mickey and
Sylvia's 1956 recording of his song "
Love Is Strange" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as a recording of qualitative or historical significance and he was inducted into the
Blues Foundation's Blues Hall of Fame.
Rolling Stone magazine named him as one of its Immortals - The 50 Greatest Artists of All-Time.
In
2005, Bo Diddley celebrated his 50th anniversary in music with successful tours of
Australia and
Europe and with coast to coast shows across
North America. He performed his song "Bo Diddley" with
Eric Clapton and
Robbie Robertson at the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 20th annual induction ceremony and in the
UK,
Uncut magazine included his 1958 debut album "Bo Diddley" in its listing of the '100 Music, Movie & TV Moments That Have Changed The World'.
In 2006, Bo Diddley participated as the headliner of a grass-roots organized fundraiser concert, to benefit the town of
Ocean Springs,
Mississippi, which was devastated by the
Hurricane Katrina. The 'Florida Keys for Katrina Relief' was originally set for
23 October,
2005, but
Hurricane Wilma barreled through the
Florida Keys on October 24 causing flooding and economic mayhem. In January 2006 the Florida Keys had recovered enough to host the fundraising concert to benefit the more hard hit community of Ocean Springs. When asked about the fundraiser Bo Diddley stated, "This is the United States of America. We believe in helping one another." See the video at [
1]
He spent many years in
New Mexico, not only as a musician, but as a law officer. He lived in
Los Lunas from 1971 to 1978 while continuing his distinguished musical career.
Diddley served for two and a half years as Deputy Sheriff in the Valencia County Citizens' Patrol; during that time he personally purchased and donated three highway patrol pursuit cars.
He currently resides in
Archer, Florida, a small farming town near
Gainesville, Florida where he attends a born again Christian church with some of his chidren, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He continues to tour around the world, and as of the summer of 2006 was planning to record some faith-based songs, at least some of which would be utilizing his own original music.
Bo Diddley (
1958)
Go Bo Diddley (
1959)
Have Guitar-Will Travel (
1960)
Bo Diddley In The Spotlight (
1960)
Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger (
1960)
Bo Diddley Is A Lover (
1961)
Bo Diddley's A Twister (
1962)
Bo Diddley (
1962)
Bo Diddley & Company (
1962)
Surfin' with Bo Diddley (
1963)
Bo Diddley's Beach Party (
1963)
Bo Diddley's 16 All-Time Greatest Hits (
1964)
Two Great Guitars (with
Chuck Berry) (
1964)
Hey Good Lookin' (
1965)
500% More Man (
1965)
The Originator (
1966)
Super Blues (with
Muddy Waters &
Little Walter) (
1967)
Super Super Blues Band (with
Muddy Waters &
Howlin' Wolf) (
1967)
The Black Gladiator (
1970)
Another Dimension (
1971)
Where It All Began (
1972)
Got My Own Bag of Tricks (
1972)
The London Bo Diddley Sessions (
1973)
Big Bad Bo (
1974)
20th Anniversary of Rock & Roll (
1976)
I'm A Man (
1977)
Ain't It Good To Be Free (
1983)
Bo Diddley & Co - Live (
1985)
Hey...Bo Diddley in Conce rt (
1986)
Breakin' Through The BS (
1989)
Living Legend (
1989)
Rare & Well Done (
1991)
Live At The Ritz (with
Ronnie Wood) (
1992)
This Should Not Be (
1993)
Promises (
1994)
A Man Amongst Men (
1996)
Moochas Gracias (with
Anna Moo) (
2002)
Dick's Picks #30 (1972 5-song Live Session with
The Grateful Dead) (
2003)
* Authorized Website
Bo Diddley-The Originator* Discography Albums & Singles
StarPulse.com/Music/Diddley, Bo
