Bo Diddley’s pre-language rock 'n' roll rhythm, the “Bo Diddley Beat,” was permanently embedded in the human consciousness in 1955 when Ellas Otha Bates (a.k.a. Ellas McDaniel, a.k.a. Bo Diddley) appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show playing it, instead of the Tennessee Ernie Ford song he had agreed to perform. The rest is indeed history as Diddley remains one of the three most important figures in the creation of rock 'n' roll and its subsequent offshoots. Like Chuck Berry's and Little Richard’s, Diddley’s influence was pervasive, and instrumental in the formation of the rock vocabulary -- legend has it that early Rolling Stones shows featured the band simply playing the "Bo Diddley Beat" for the entire night to a roomful of ecstatic kids.
In addition to contributing his trademark rhythm, Diddley was also constantly experimenting with the sonic possibilities of his guitar, often physically manipulating the fretboard and strings way before Jimi (check him four and a half minutes into “Chuck’s Beat,” a jam featuring him and Chuck Berry dueling in studio, off of Berry’s Chess Box), totally overworking the reverb knobs and using early effects pedals to create an utterly distinctive and often otherworldly, almost psychedelic sound. Despite a lull in popularity with the waning of the rock 'n' roll era he had a hand in launching, Diddley was revered and active his whole life, recording and touring up until a stroke slowed him down in 2002, appearing in commercials and devoting much time and energy to various Katrina Relief projects. The 79-year-old mammoth figure of modern music may have died of heart failure yesterday but he staked a claim to eternity long ago.
Further Listening:
Bo Diddley Playlist
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.
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