Bo Diddley “Bo Diddley” 1958. Chess Records. Today, December 30th, would have been Bo Diddley’s 90th birthday (b. Ellas Otha Bates, but went by Ellas McDaniel after being adopted at a young age, as well as his stage name, Bo Diddley, 1928, d. 2008. Interestingly, the bio on the back of this LP lists his birth year as 1932). Bo Diddley was his first full-length record, a collection of singles he recorded between 1955 and 1958, and it popularized the massively influential Bo Diddley beat which “is essentially the clave rhythm, one of the most common bell patterns found in sub-Saharan African music traditions,” though he certainly wasn’t the first to use it on American recordings; “Diddley came across it while trying to play Gene Autry’s “(I’ve Got Spurs That) Jingle, Jangle, Jingle.” Three years before his “Bo Diddley,” a song with similar syncopation, “Hambone,” was cut by the Red Saunders Orchestra with the Hambone Kids. In 1944, “Rum and Coca Cola,” containing the Bo Diddley beat, was recorded by the Andrews Sisters.” (Wiki)

Allmusic says about Bo Diddley “For anyone who wants to play rock & roll, real rock & roll, this is one of the few records that you really need. Along with Chuck Berry, Elvis, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and a few select others, Bo Diddley was one of the founders of the form – and he did it like no other. Diddley had only one real style, that being the Bo Diddley beat: a syncopated, rhythmic drive, loaded with tremolo. There are 12 examples of it on this record, and that is about all you need. It’s one of those records that, after listening to just a few cuts, will find you tapping the beats on every available surface. Diddley’s guitar and vocals have a gruff feeling that recalls bluesmen such as Waters, yet he has his own style. Buttressed by drums, funky piano, and usually maracas, it’s absolutely infectious. This is one of the greatest rock sounds that you’re likely to hear, and it’s all on this one record, too.” It’s true! My favorites are “Bo Diddley,” “I’m A Man,” “Hey’ Bo Diddley,” “Hush Your Mouth,” “Diddey Wah Diddey,” “Who Do You Love” and “Pretty Thing`,” many of which have been covered by lots of other great groups over the years (ie Buddy Holly, The Who, Grateful Dead, Captain Beefheart, Ty Segall, The Jesus and Mary Chain and JD McPherson.

We got a chance to see Bo Diddley back in 2003 at Summerfest in Milwaukee. He performed at one of the smaller side stages to maybe a hundred people in the middle the afternoon. Since it’s been awhile, I don’t remember too much about the set but I do remember him doing some kind of rapping about convincing kids not to do drugs. That was weird, but I’m grateful I got a chance to see this legend play live.