Bo Diddley
“He gave rock and roll a beat so distinctive it still carries his name.”
In March 1955 Chess Records released his debut single 'Bo Diddley' backed with 'I'm a Man,' built on the hypnotic 'shave-and-a-haircut' rhythm that became known as the 'Bo Diddley beat.' The record was a hit and made the rectangular-guitar-wielding showman a founding architect of rock and roll. He became a star in 1955.
A Beat of His Own
Trained on violin in a Chicago church, Bo Diddley switched to guitar and forged a hypnotic, African-rooted rhythm all his own. Few stars could claim, as he did, to have invented a beat that bears their name.
Rock and Roll Pioneer
His 1955 Chess debut and a string of follow-ups fused blues grit, R&B swing and streetwise humor into something brand new. He used tremolo, fuzz and feedback years before the guitar heroes of the 1960s.
Influence Over Hits
He scored relatively few chart hits but towered as an influence, inspiring the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and countless rockers. He entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and toured into old age.
Career Timeline
- 1928Born Ellas Otha Bates in McComb, Mississippi
- 1934Family moves to South Side of Chicago
- 1940sStudies violin; takes up guitar as a teen
- 1951Lands regular spot at Chicago's 708 Club
- 1955Debut single 'Bo Diddley' / 'I'm a Man' is a hit
- 1955Appears on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'
- 1959Scores hit with 'Say Man'
- 1962Releases 'You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover'
- 1963Tours Britain influencing the Rolling Stones
- 1987Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- 1996Receives Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2008Dies of heart failure in Archer, Florida
Biggest Hits
- He played a custom rectangular 'cigar box' guitar that became as much a trademark as his rhythm.
- His syncopated beat influenced Buddy Holly, the Rolling Stones, the Who, U2 and George Michael, among many others.
The Moment You Remember
That insistent, hambone rhythm kicks in, the maracas rattle, and the rectangular guitar growls. The first time a listener recognized the Bo Diddley beat, it was clear this was a sound that could not be unheard, woven forever into the fabric of rock and roll.
Portrait: Chess Records (photographer unknown) · Public Domain · via Wikimedia Commons