Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley (born December 30, 1928 in McComb, Mississippi), "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 harder-edged guitar sound.

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December 30 - 1928 - McComb, Mississippi - Rock and roll - Blues - Rhythm

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He was born Ellas Bates 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.

Related Topics:
Stage name - Golden Gloves - Boxer

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He 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.

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Violin - John Lee Hooker

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He recorded for Chicago's Chess Records subsidiary label Checker.

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He 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 Bo Diddley beat is often illustrated with the phrase: "shave 'n' a haircut - two bits".

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Rhumba - Clave - Hambone

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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, U2's "Desire", and Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" as well as more obscure numbers such as "Callin' All Cows" by the Blues Rockers.

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Johnny Otis - U2 - Buddy Holly

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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".

Related Topics:
Back beat - Maraca - Jerome Green - Guitar - Violin - Instrumental

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Rhythm is so important in Bo Diddley's music that harmony is often reduced to a bare minimum. His songs (for example "Hey Bo Diddley" and "Who Do You Love?") often have no chord changes; that is, they are not written in a musical key, and the musicians play and sing in the same chord throughout the piece.

Related Topics:
Harmony - Chord - Key

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His own songs have been frequently covered. The Animals recorded "The Story of Bo Diddley", The Yardbirds covered "I'm a Man", their guitarist Eric Clapton later covered "Hey Hey", and both the Woolies and George Thorogood had hits with "Who Do You Love", also a concert favorite of The Doors. His "Road Runner" was also frequently covered. It shall be noted that Muddy Waters' "Mannish Boy" was an adaptation of Diddley's "I'm a Man". ("Say Man" was his only Top 40 hit.) The Jesus and Mary Chain also recorded a tribute song "Bo Diddley is Jesus".

Related Topics:
The Animals - The Yardbirds - Eric Clapton - The Woolies - George Thorogood - The Doors - Top 40 - The Jesus and Mary Chain

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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 boy to ever double-cross him. Said that I wouldn't last six months."). Diddley was asked to 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 performing on Sullivan's show.

Related Topics:
November 20 - 1955 - ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' - Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons - The Great Stoneface - Jackie Mason - The finger - 1962 - 1964 - 1969 - The Doors - Jim Morrison - September 17 - 1967

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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.

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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 Dirty Dozens: "You look like you been in a hatchet fight and everybody had a hatchet except you."

Related Topics:
Folk music - Lullaby - Rap - Wordplay - Hoodoo - African-American - Dirty Dozens

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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.

Related Topics:
Pop tune - Love Is Strange - Mickey - Sylvia

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His trademark instrument is the square-bodied 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.

Related Topics:
The Clash - Rolling Stones

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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. 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.

Related Topics:
Rock and roll - Washington Area Music Association - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Rhythm and Blues Foundation - Grammy Awards

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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.

Related Topics:
Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame - North Florida Music Association - National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters - Broadcast Music Incorporated

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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".

Related Topics:
United States House of Representatives - Hon. John Conyers, Jr. - Michigan - Rock and roll

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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.

Related Topics:
Mickey - Sylvia - Love Is Strange - Blues Foundation - Rolling Stone

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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.

Related Topics:
Australia - Europe - North America - Eric Clapton - Robbie Robertson - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Uncut

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