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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZDIDDLEY, Bo(b Elias McDaniel, 30 December 1928, McComb MS; d 2 June 2008, Archer FL) R&B singer, composer, guitarist; studied violin in high school. One of the most profoundly influential R&B artists of the mid-'50s, whose trademark 'hambone' or 'shave-and-a-haircut, six-bits' beat has been imitated by countless lesser acts (Johnny Otis says Mississippi-born bandleader Count Otis Matthews was playing it on the West Coast mid-'40s; musicologists think it came from the Caribbean). He also used maracas in his rhythm section, and a hypnotic tremolo on his guitar that inspired one of the first electronic attachments, to do what Diddley did without a gizmo. Diddley's father's name was Bates; he was adopted. He moved to Chicago as a child and was self-taught on guitar; he played in a school band with Earl Hooker, played trombone in a church band and led a washboard trio 1946-51. Recording for the Checker/Chess labels 1955-74 he had eight R&B hits '55-62 including the two-sided hit 'Bo Diddley'/'I'm A Man' '55 at no. 2, also 'Diddley Daddy' (no. 11), 'Say Man' (no. 3, crossed to top 20 on pop chart), 'Road Runner', 'You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover', etc. 'Crackin Up' '59 made the Hot 100 pop but not the R&B chart; he came back in 1967 with 'Ooh Baby' (top 20 R&B, Hot 100 pop). He appeared on the Ed Sullivan show and toured with a Dick Clark show on the strength of his few hits but his powerfully rhythmic guitar, songs and delivery were slightly menacing yet comic, wise and dumb, more influential than chart entries would indicate: in fact his boastful signifying looked more influential as the years went by. (When the Beatles first came to the USA, John Lennon was asked what he wanted to see; he replied 'Bo Diddley', and the journalist said 'What's that?') 'Diddey Wah Diddey', 'Who Do You Love', 'Bring It To Jerome', 'Dearest Darling', others on his classic Bo Diddley album ('55-8 tracks) are just as important as the better-known tracks; the album charted briefly '62 on Checker, and was reissued '87 on Chess, as well as Go Bo Diddley from the same period. He continued touring and recording: Toronto Rock'n'Roll Revival 1969 Vol. 5 on Accord; Road Runner on Black Lion UK was made at Joyous Lake, Woodstock in the late 1970s. 20th Anniversary Of Rock'n'Roll on RCA was overproduced '76 with too many guests; Hey Bo Diddley '86 was made live on tour backed by Dick Heckstall-Smith's Mainsqueeze, Live At The Ritz '87 with Ron Wood as the Gunslingers. His profile was raised '89 when he appeared in a Nike TV advert, and Breakin' Through The B.S. '89 on Triple X that year was a rare studio album, not followed up until A Man Amongst Men '95 on Code Blue/WB/Atlantic, with Keith Richards, Ron Wood, Billy Boy Arnold, Johnnie Johnson, Johnnie 'Guitar' Watson, the Shirelles etc, which did not do him justice. He always said that he and Chuck Berry had invented rock'n'roll and neither of them got enough credit. |