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The man who pioneered the transition from blues to rock and roll died of heart failure today at his home in Archer, Florida. He was 79.
A unique talent and genuine legend, Bo Diddley's bravado style and distinctive swaggering shuffle beat decisively influenced many of the most important bands of the British Invasion, including the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, the Animals, and the Who.
Along with the legendary Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley was considered one of the most influential guitarists of the early rock era. His powerful rhythm, which became known as the "Bo Diddley beat" has been imitated by countless musicians.
Born Otha Ellas Bates in Mississippi in 1928, Bo was sent to Chicago to live with an aunt, Gussie McDaniel, who later adopted him. He dropped his first and last names to become Ellas McDaniel. His stage name Bo Diddley came from two sources; the diddley bow, an African stringed instrument, and the slang expression for a mischievous boy.
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Bo signed a recording contract with Chess in 1955, and released two songs, "Bo Diddley" and "I'm A Man." Both went to Number Two on the national R&B charts. An appearance on a nationally-televised variety show earned him a spot on a national tour. Bo's next break came in 1959 when "Say Man" appeared on the pop charts.
Bo Diddley famously infuriated Ed Sullivan in 1955, when he was invited on the Sullivan Show to sing Tennessee Ernie Ford’s "Sixteen Tons" but, instead, sang his own “Bo Diddley”. He never appeared on the show again.
The Bo Diddley beat is featured in this 1966 performance of “Hey, Bo Diddley” and “Bo Diddley”.
In 1964, the Animals recorded the six-minute saga “The Story of Bo Diddley”, which I played so much that I had it memorised. Listen to it here.
According to his Wikipedia biography, Bo attended a “born again Christian church” after settling in Florida in the early 1980s. Then there’s this, from today’s Reuters report:
Garry Mitchell, a grandson of Diddley and one of more than 35 family members at the musician's home when he died at about 1:45 a.m. EDT (0545 GMT), said his death was not unexpected.
"There was a gospel song that was sang and he said 'wow' with a thumbs up," Mitchell told Reuters, when asked to describe the scene at Diddley's deathbed.
"The song was 'Walk Around Heaven' and in his last words he stated that he was going to heaven."
God willing, Bo is now rockin' and rollin' where the music never dies. Amen to that!
Allmusic’s tribute to Bo Diddley is posted here.
Warren Zevon recorded a raucous rendition of “Bo Diddley’s A Gunslinger/Bo Diddley”, for his 1981 live album Stand In The Fire. Listen to it here.
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