b. Otha Ellas Bates, a.k.a. Ellas McDaniel, 30th December 1928, McComb, Mississippi, U.S.A.
d. 2nd June 2008, Archer, Florida, U.S.A.
Bo Diddley rose to fame in 1955 and his hits included 'Who Do You Love', 'Before You Accuse Me', and 'Mona'.
His own style of guitar playing, he called the 'Bo Diddley beat' influenced rockers from Buddy Holly, to Bruce Springsteen and U2.
Born Ellas Otha Bates in Mississppi in 1928, he changed his name to McDaniel when he was adopted by his mother's cousin.
He moved with his new family to the South Side of Chicago where he acquired his Bo Diddley nickname at school.
In his teens, he trained as a boxer while regularly playing guitar on street corners when not in school. He built his first rectangular guitar, that was to become his hallmark, while still a student.
Later Bo performed at regular gigs at the 708 Club during 1951.
By 1955, he had signed to Leonard Chess's Checker label.
His first single, the classic 'Bo Diddley', reached number one on the R & B charts.
Bo's greatest pop successes came in 1959 when 'Say Man' hit the Top 20, and in 1962 when 'You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover' entered the Top 50.
Playing live, his group featured Jerome Green, Otis Spann, Billy Boy Arnold, Frank Kirkland, and, later, his half-sister 'The Duchess'.
Bo Diddley toured extensively throughout the 1960s and 70's.
He played with The Clash in 1979, introducing his sound to a new generation.
In the late 1980s, he toured with Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood as The Gunslingers and released the album 'Live at the Ritz'.
In 1989, Bo appeared with baseball star Bo Jackson in a TV commercial for sports shoes, and in 1996, he released his first major album in two decades, 'A Man Amongst Men', with guest artists that included Ron Wood, Keith Richards and The Shirelles.
He also made some cameo appearances in movies playing a pawnbroker in the Eddie Murphy film 'Trading Places' and in 1998 he appeared in 'Blues Brothers 2000'.
Bo Diddley died at the age of 79 in 2008.
He died of heart failure in Florida, and had suffered a heart attack in August 2007, three months after suffering a stroke which affected his ability to speak.
Bo was a member of The Hipsters and Langley Avenue Jive Cats and was a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee, Mississippi Musicians Hall Of Fame Inductee, Washington Area Music Association's Hall Of Fame Inductee, Blues Hall Of Fame Inductee and North Florida Music Association's Hall Of Fame Inductee.
You can check out Bo's website right here...
Albums:
Bo Diddley (Checker 1957)
Go Bo Diddley (Checker 1958)
Have Guitar Will Travel (Checker 1959)
Bo Diddley In The Spotlight (Checker 1960)
Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger (Checker 1961)
Bo Diddley Is A Lover (Checker 1961)
Bo Diddley (Checker 1962)
Bo Diddley Is A Twister (Checker 1962)
Hey Bo Diddley (Checker 1963)
Bo Diddley And Company (Checker 1963)
Bo Diddley Rides Again (Checker 1963)
Bo Diddley's Beach Party (Checker 1963)
Bo Diddley Goes Surfing aka Surfin' With Bo Diddley (Checker 1963)
Hey Good Looking (Checker 1964)
with Chuck Berry: Two Great Guitars (Checker 1964)
500% More Man (Checker 1965)
Let Me Pass (Checker 1965)
The Originator (Checker 1966)
Boss Man (Checker 1967)
Superblues (Checker 1968)
The Super Super Blues Band (Checker 1968)
The Black Gladiator (Checker 1969)
Another Dimension (Chess 1971)
Where It All Begins (Chess 1972)
The Bo Diddley London Sessions (Chess 1973)
Big Bad Bo (Chess 1974)
Got My Own Bag Of Tricks (Chess 1974)
The 20th Anniversary Of Rock N'Roll (1976)
I'm A Man (1977)
Signifying Blues (1993)
Bo's Blues (1993)
A Man Amongst Men (Code Blue 1996)
