Bo Diddley may not be a household name like James Brown, Chuck Berry or Little Richard, but as one of the founding architects of rock ‘n’ roll he is surely just as important.
While many think of rock as a white-dominated genre, those in-the-know realize that its legends: the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles all owe the beat that drove many of their tunes to Diddley, who died June 2 at his home in Archer, Fla. He was 79.
Born Ellas Bates in McComb, Miss., Diddley helped to recast the aesthetics of popular music on a global scale by drawing on the conventions of blues, Southern gospel, R&B and the cultural vibe of African American sensibilities.
Photo: stuff.co.nz
At the heart of Diddley’s innovations is his famous syncopated beat – three strokes/rest/two strokes – which evolved into a staple rhythm of rock ‘n’ roll.
Ben Ratliff of the New York Times noted that Diddley’s signature beat can be found throughout the catalog of great rock hits such as Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away,” Johnny Otis’s “Willie and the Hand Jive,” the Who’s “Magic Bus,” Bruce Springsteen’s “She the One” and U2’s “Desire.”
Of his now ubiquitous beat, blues scholar Pete Welding told USA Today, “It’s ‘one of the fundamental building blocks of the new musical vocabulary’ of rock ‘n’ roll.”
Diddley was also known for his distinctive square guitar, which he designed himself, long before unique personalized shapes became in vogue.
In performance, Diddley was viewed as a wild showman – leaping, rising on his toes and shaking his knees, kinda like Presley in the movie Jail House Rock.
And, unfortunately, like many artists in the mid-20th Century, Diddley got the fame, but his notoriety out-paced his paycheck. The Times reported that Diddley was often frustrated that he didn’t earn royalties from the songs that borrowed heavily from the beat he created.
Diddley may have left the planet but he will certainly live on the music of countless artists he has influenced.
Bonnie Raitt told USA Today, “Bo Diddley was a monumental figure in early rock ‘n’ roll, a huge influence on everyone. He was a wonderful man, a true original musician and beloved the world over. He will be sorely missed.”
--PGS Staff
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