Born Ellas Otha Bates in McComb, Mississippi, (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008) Diddley was adopted by his mother's cousin, Gussie McDaniel, who moved to Chicago's South Side when he was 6 years old. The musically talented Ellas McDaniel excelled at trombone and violin. Inspired by the pulsating rhythms he heard in his Pentecostal church, McDaniel was hooked on the music's sound and energy. In 1940 he picked up his first guitar and changed popular music forever.
By the mid-1950s, McDaniel was becoming professionally known as Bo Diddley, a nickname he'd picked up as a youth. Diddley joined a band, the Langley Avenue Jive Cats, playing local venues in between playing for tips on the street. In 1954, a demo record he made with Billy Boy Arnold's band caught the attention of a record producer. In 1955, Checker Records released a single with two of Diddley's songs, including his rendition of "Bo Diddley" on Side A. The tune was an instant hit, staying on the rhythm and blues charts for 18 weeks. The record is thought to be the first recording to introduce African rhythms into rock-and-roll music.
By the mid-1950s, McDaniel was becoming professionally known as Bo Diddley, a nickname he'd picked up as a youth. Diddley joined a band, the Langley Avenue Jive Cats, playing local venues in between playing for tips on the street. In 1954, a demo record he made with Billy Boy Arnold's band caught the attention of a record producer. In 1955, Checker Records released a single with two of Diddley's songs, including his rendition of "Bo Diddley" on Side A. The tune was an instant hit, staying on the rhythm and blues charts for 18 weeks. The record is thought to be the first recording to introduce African rhythms into rock-and-roll music.
|
|
1970
|
1988
|
2004
1969
|
|
|
|
