Bo Diddley
1,100,113 plays (164,026 listeners)
He was born Otha Ellas Bates in McComb, Mississippi and later took the name Ellas McDaniel, after his adoptive mother, Gussie McDaniel. He adopted the stage name Bo Diddley, which is probably a southern black slang phrase meaning “nothing at all,” as in “he ain’t bo diddley. ” Another source says it was his nickname as a Golden Gloves boxer. The nickname is also linked to the diddley bow, a one stringed instrument used in the south by mainly black musicians in the fields.
He is best known for the “Bo Diddley beat,” a rhumba-based beat (see clave) also influenced by what is known as “hambone,” a style used by street performers who play out the beat by slapping and patting their arms, legs, chest, and cheeks while chanting rhymes. The Bo Diddley beat is often illustrated with the phrase: “shave ‘n’ a haircut - two bits.”
The beat has been used by many other artists, notably Johnny Otis on “Willie and the Hand Jive,” which is more about hambone than it is a direct copy of Bo Diddley, Bruce Springsteen’s “She’s the One,” U2’s “Desire,” Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and Rolling Stones’ “Mona” as well as more obscure numbers such as “Callin’ All Cows” by The Blues Rockers.
Top Albums
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Ride On / The Chess Masters 1960-1961
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500% More Man
Bo Diddley
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His Best
Bo Diddley
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Super Blues
Bo Diddley
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Bo Diddley
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I'm A Man
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Who Do You Love
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Pretty Thing
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Bring It To Jerome
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Diddley Daddy
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Say Man
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Hey! Bo Diddley
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Crackin' Up
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Who Do You Love?
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The Story Of Bo Diddley
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Pills
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Diddy Wah Diddy
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Road Runner
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Videos
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Recent Activity
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RAYMONDR042807 and Gunnariedebo added Bo Diddley to their libraries. yesterday evening
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Arimiridorinki tagged Bo Diddley with old, blues and rock and roll. yesterday evening
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williamoria, ratty370, redux_walter and 8 other people added Bo Diddley to their libraries. yesterday afternoon
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tuRRtuRR tagged Bo Diddley with blues, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Saturday afternoon
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PhilAbernethy connected Bo Diddley to the group Chess Records. Saturday morning
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tomporker tagged Bo Diddley with soul, rock, rock and roll and 2 other tags. Monday morning
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tomporker added Bo Diddley to tomporker’s library. Monday morning
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thomas10 wrote about Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley in Best Albums of the Late Fifties (1956-1959). August 2009
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