Who is Bo Diddley?
Bo Diddley is often thought of as a pioneer of bringing rhythm and blues elements into rock and roll. Born Elias Otha Bates in 1928, Bo Diddley was raised by a second cousin, and sometimes used her surname, McDaniel. The McDaniel family moved to Chicago when Bo Diddley was fairly young, and he early showed a talent for music, studying first the violin and then the guitar. Diddley combined hard work with a fledgling music career in his late teens. He worked as both a carpenter and mechanic, but also began work as a street musician, before getting regular gigs at Chicago clubs in the early 1950s. By the mid 1950s, Elias McDaniel became Bo Diddley, at least while performing on stage, and in 1955, he had a bonafide R & B hit with the song “Bo Diddley.” On thing Diddley is known for is pioneering a specific beat “One and two and three and four and…” repeated for a second measure. This beat takes its inspiration from rumba rhythms and has been used often by some of the great rock musicians,
The Chess Box When people discuss Bo Diddley’s music, as many did after his death earler this year, they either talk about his influence on later artists or the influence on him of African and Cuban music. Bo Diddley’s output, however, is wonderful in its own right; distinctive, with several all-time Rock and Roll songs such as I’m a Man and You Can’t Judge a Book by it’s Cover and some gems with which few casual Rock and Roll fans, tragically, are familiar. From the pre-soul period, and, therefore not much influenced by gospel, but not quite blues, all of his songs combine great guitar playing, clever and original song writing, and vastly under-rated vocals full of personality. That his songs are personality-driven may be why Bo Diddley isn’t as well known as other Rock pioneers, for, like Otis Redding, few big, mainstream acts have dared to remake his songs (Please don’t bring up the awful George Thorogood.). Or, maybe 60 years after first on the scene, the music is still too origina
