I am a singer and worked opposite Bo Diddley on a gig in Washington DC in 1970. He was a wonderful and comical man. I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet him. God bless his spirit.
I met Bo in the late 70's he was the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet..never know he was the legend that he was...he talked to me for an hour..then played his set..came down off stage and sat with me again! he said "Boy what you drinkin'? I said beer..he said to the bar tender..get this boy a pitcher of beer..and Bo payed for it! I asked him questions about Jimmy Page and Robert Plant..he said I know them boys them and the Rolling Stones..they are really nice boys...He was the coolest guy..I'm 61 now but I'll never forget Bo Diddley and his kindness to me!
+Darrin Baker Just like Ginger Rodgers, she did everything Fred Astaire did, but did it backwards while looking forward, and in hills. She didn't play an instrument at the same time though.
My mom saw The Doors, Iron Butterfly, The Supremes, a ton of Motown acts, and many others when she was a teenager in the mid to late 60s and she said that hands down, the best show she ever saw was Born Diddley in '66. She said his voice was so powerful, it was as loud as the sound coming out of the speakers. She said it was the most energetic performance she ever saw.
Stop it. He's one of the most beloved musicians of all-time. A pioneer who is well regarded in all circles. Where you get the idea he was "underrated" is beyond me
+Allan Ostermann Some might laugh at this statement but I stand firmly by it....what you see here is the kicking fetus of Heavy Metal being born. Bo was a pioneer and a complete badass.
+Allan Ostermann Nunyun Bizz' statement is spot on. He cranked those Fenders up until the power tubes were frying. And that droning sweet rolling thunder that poured forth was indeed the amino acid genesis of Heavy Metal baby!
Dude played the guitar as a PERCUSSION instrument.. completely novel approach and a totally unique sound that set the bar for everything after it… Bo is a true Maverick
That's it. Bo Diddley has been underrated and not often enough included in the group of rock 'n' roll pioneers. At a concert with Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and others I attended he brought the house down! We weren't only movin' with his music -- we were entranced. And I've since thought that Bo Diddley more than any other evoked some sense of African music into rock 'n' roll. And maybe that is his percussive factor on the guitar, as you importantly point out. And then he influenced the many other genres mentioned which followed. 🎶🪘🎶🎸🎶
The music is great, no doubt about it. What's encouraging and inspiring about this show: The kids really get the music and the rhythm. The kids just go cracy, clapping, cheering, dancing sitting on their chairs. They enjoy the joy of the music. Black and white. Unite, united. Bo Diddley's music, and especially his signature rhythm, was and is loved all over the world. I think, great music, like the music of Bo Diddley, connects people from different cultures or countries: At least they have one thing in common: The love for Bo Diddley's music.
It hit the audience so hard, it was like they almost didn't even know how to dance to it, they just reacted to what they were feeling. Bo still does that today....
His “riffs” were original, but there are clips available showing Chuck Berry and others poking fun at the Diddley style. Primitive but original. Bo used a capo and open tuning to change keys. He was movin and groovin too, not a simple accomplishment. More interesting was his choice of guitar,Gretsch. He designed both this one and the rectangular “cigar box” and had them custom built. Probably the first in rock to do that. The only missing element here is Jerome Greene, maraca man extraordinaire. Bo had a man that played maracas in the band. They broke the mold when Bo arrived.
Great comment. Also, Gretsch makes a “BillyBo” model, shaped like the one Bo’s playing here. It’s a tribute to Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and of course Bo Diddley.
Saw him in 1996 at an airport in North Carolina! Went over and said Hello. He was such a great person, asked me to sit and chat. Gotta tell ya', this man was the real deal, no B.S. no overbloated ego, totally down to earth and full of Rock & Roll. Got his autograph and got on my plane. Never forget that!!!
Saw him in the Village in 1966. His set was a half-assed two song performance, no moves, no expression, no act. He didn’t want to be there and he made no effort to hide it.
you should see the clip of him fully dressed for the stage with his guitar frying some chicken on a hot plate im assuming backstage at a show total boss
3 men in tuxedos, 3 women in long gowns, all singing, dancing and playing instruments live and driving those teenage girls crazy. Show 1 person who could do all that today. Talent, class, skill, soul etc
This man has never been given credit that he was due. And I cannot believe Norma is playing the guitar in heels while singing and dancing. I had the rare and great opportunity of seeing Bo Diddley in 2005 in a tiny Park in Poughkeepsie New York where there was only like 200 people. I had such a great time I was right up there center stage and dancing and these two little girls came up and they asked me to teach him how to dance so I did. Have to crowd was just sitting down how can you sit down to this kind of music or when he plays The blues? At that concert he had a signature cigar box guitar. I don't remember if you guys remember but 2005 gas was over $3 a gallon so he changed the lyrics to one of his songs, about how we can't even see our relatives because gas is so expensive he was amazing and he was so old but he could still Rock and he could still play those blues.
I'm SO glad I got to see Bo Diddley TWICE when he toured Australia in the early 1980's. In many rock-related threads, I see endless praise for Chuck Berry. I make a point of reminding people of the greatness, and huge influence, of Bo Diddley in the rock music world.
Yes the amps back in those days were designed with big headroom so they stayed clean and didn’t distort at high volumes. I can hear he has those amps cranked up so loud that the power tubes are saturating and you’re starting to hear that growling sound. This must have been like heavy metal back in those days. And the way he uses his guitar almost like a percussive instrument, that droning horrendous growling clang clang clang. I just love this shit to death. Bo Diddley was a total badass.
HEY Bo Diddley ❤ RIP and many thanks for leading the way in rock N'Roll. Rolling Stones saw his gift and also ran with it. Thanks to Chuck Berry too. RIP. They just don't make em like that anymore. Amazing times for music in the 60s. ❤❤❤
I saw him play the Cabooze in Minneapolis in the early 1980’s. It was one of the most fun, rockin’ shows I ever saw. The place went nuts. The next morning I was grabbing a late breakfast Uptown, my head still reeling from the night before, and in walked Bo, sporting his bowler and wide-rim glasses. I sprang out of my chair, rushed up to him and told him what a great show it had been. He was very gracious. I’ve seen a lot of live music before and since, none as rockin’ as that night. RIP Bo Diddley. You were the Man
Yes ! It's all here in that relentless driving beat !!! The coloured folks in America had all this great stuff together early on but for a long time White America didn't want to know. !!!! The Blues only really came up after the Stones ,Peter Green,and and John Mayall etc took it back to them. !!!!
@@peteraustin370 It all came from Black America, people don't realize that a lot of what we enjoy today and have so much enriched culture has came from Black Americans. We take it for grated cause we have ulterior motives to why people want to keep their contributions hidden but you will soon realize that Black America is America.
The comments here are the best ever. I'm 60yrs old and this is simply the best performance in rock history. John Peel introduced me to the great man way back in 77 when a Punk in N.I. So with "The Fall" instant love affair🔥
I really love that the "backup singers" are front and center. Those three ladies are just absolutely killing it.... plus they look like take no shit from noone. And Norma Jean Wofford singing, dancing and playing guitar (in goddamn heels!) is more bad ass than most punk rockers. Just in case you want to hear her guitar sound, listen to the end when Bo stops playing. One of best performances in rock history in my opinion.
That was actually Peggy Jones. She returned briefly to help Bo get his backing band together after Norma Jean left to start a family. You can see Norma Jean here. Looks quite different and rarely sang. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5yipVhZfcIw.html
Diddley included women in his band: Norma-Jean Wofford, also known as The Duchess; Gloria Jolivet; Peggy Jones, also known as Lady Bo, a lead guitarist (rare for a woman at that time).
I agree with you. The "back up" girls are usually the backbone of the show. Bo Didley, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and others inspired many players. Jimi Hendrix turned up in the mid-sixties and that was that.
What great comments! Now let me share some I hope you'll find interesting. I went to a dance club dance - lol - in 1957, while a sophomore in high school. I was told somebody named Bo Diddley would be playing. Never heard of him. He was essentially a trio then, like the picture on his first album. One guy playing one snare drum, and the other playing maracas. Later I went on to play in a pretty good pop band, had one national and several regional hits. Thought the Beatles were the best. HOWEVER, I have NEVER experienced anything like that night hearing Bo live, up close. I'm positive it was the single most INCREDIBLE experience I've ever had. This massive, jungle-like rhythm simply devoured the room. People were going CRAZY! It was the beat, the rhythm, that possessed something way, way beyond magic. I HAD to learn to play his style. Some secrets: He tuned his guitar to a E chord, then muffled the sound a bit with his left hand. I used a piece of surgical tubing under the strings near the bridge to get the same effect. He had many more variations than you see on this show. He would play harmonics and straight chords at the octave fret and so much more. I bought every album, and you guys are right, they were never as good as live. "Don't sing Bo, just play," I would scream! Now think of this. He is playing lead, rhythm and bass at the same time, and all he is doing is strumming!! He didn't need ANYBODY else, not the girls, the bass or the drummer, in my opinion. There has never been anyone like him! Thank you, thank you, Ellas McDaniel (better known as Bo Diddley) and rest in peace.
He is certainly on of the essential roots of rock and roll. An incredible entertainer with the sound and creativity to back it up. It's a shame he doesn't get the recognition he deserves.
Yo, DE EDWARD - It's cool hearing these stories about Bo in the early days, and about all his innovations. It must've been INSANE to see him in the fifties, especially when you didn't have a clue what to expect! I was ten in '57, and of course I'd never been to a rock show, but some years later I'd become obsessed. I can feel/see what you're talking about at that show, he must've blown the roof off the place! Damn!
Look at the woman on the right playing rhythm guitar. She's keeping up with Bo. So unflappable, so cool. She's got the look that says, Go ahead Bo, whatever you do, you can't lose me.
The man basically built a career on the back of a single riff, but it was brilliant and way ahead of its time. It's proto-heavy metal/funk/punk all in one, love it...
I always thought that he looked like this sort of nerdy bookworm type person with the hair and glasses done the way they were, but then he picks up the guitar, starts playing, singing and dancing and suddenly he turns into one of the coolest people you've ever seen. What a legend
@@daveconleyportfolio5192 . . . or a Black Buddy Holly? (Or maybe Buddy was trying to be a "white Bo" -- after all, he used that beat on "Not Fade Away" . . .)
@@garyhawkesford2253 Yeah, it's primitive. It is monotonous rhythmically and harmonically. He was no Beethoven. That doesn't mean that it can't be enjoyed.
Primitive Yes! That's what Rock And Roll is. That's why Wild Thing,Gloria,Pushin' Too hard, Satisfaction beat some Jackass that can play every note on their instrument,but can't put 3 together that sound like music.
This is just bloody incredible Bo and his band plus the gorgeous Bo-ettes with The Duchess on second guitar. Just listen to the power, excitement and reverberating rhythm here on these two Bo Diddley standards and the kids tremendous reaction back then. Wonderful stuff. It doesn’t get much better. Bo Diddley is my absolute favourite rhythm & blues / rock & roll artist. Great rhythm/lead guitar and a soulful powerful vocalist. He was innovative and ahead of the game on all fronts. Chris 🎼
An icon! Bo Diddley was the man! And those drop dead gorgeous sisters rocking it! The Supremes and the Ronettes had nothing on them. However Ronnie was a scintillating Goddess. She was the queen.
I saw Bo Diddley in concert at the Santa Monica Civic in Santa Monica, California in 1979 or 1980. I was 23/24. He opened up for The Clash. To my surprise all the punk rockers (which I was myself at that time, and in my late 60's I still am at heart of the punk rock and new wave music of 1976 into 1980) really got into Bo Diddley as well as I did. I was familiar with Bo Diddley's music back in the 60's when I was a kid.
How this man could play a guitar, sing, and put the moves on stage he did, is amazing to me. I remember the first time I heard “Bo Diddleys is a gunslinger.” I WAS HOOKED ON BO.
Music like kids have no hate or greed in their hearts Amazing time in history when it comes to music like Boddy Holley playing the APPLO . Music is one of those thing's that can cross the line's of time or life into the hearts of people with open mine's and no hate . Thanks for posting
People who dislike this have no soul, literally, figuratively and metaphorically speaking!!! The shots of Norma Jean Wofford singing, dancing and playing guitar alone is AWESOME!!!
I was very fortunate & got to see him play live 3 times! The last time was around 2003, I was working in Albuquerque, & a guy who worked for me & I went to a Casino outside of town, they had an outdoor arena, I heard them announce that Bo Diddley was playing that night, so I immediately went & bought 2 tickets & we got to see the great virtuoso play!
This just blows me away on so many levels, especially since a good friend married his niece and was his musical director. Keeping it short, remember Bo also played a mean violin, and plucked it as well, which was innovative like his guitar strumming and sound effects with the tube amps, girls in gowns and tom toms not snares in the drummers pattern coupled with maracas. Lastly, Bo's dance style reminds me of the early 60s parties in DC when all of the cool cats were '(bare) footin' exactly like Bo. What a treasure!
This man was one of the biggest influences for the English Beat, if not the most important. Almost all the groups played his songs and tried to get the beat if his guitar sound. The Stones, The Animals, Who, Mody Blues, The Nashville Teens, The Kinks, The Sorrows, Manfred Man, Them, The Shadows, The Mind Benders and many others made a song with his beat. The Pretty Things took their name of one of his songs. He made possible the transition from Blues to Rock.
I agree with most of what you said yet in regards to The Moody Blues. Between Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry there was guitar Rock N'Roll....along with Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis too. ❤❤❤
ermmm...Buddy Holly? I'm gonna tell you,,,, Holly and the Crickets recorded the song in Clovis, New Mexico, on May 27, 1957, the same day the song "Everyday" was recorded.[1] The rhythmic pattern of "Not Fade Away" is a variant of the Bo Diddley beat, with the second stress occurring on the second rather than third beat of the first measure, which was an update of the "hambone" rhythm, or patted juba from West Africa
The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and even Bob Dylan have all acknowledged Bo Diddley as being a major influence on them, he is, alongside, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis, Jery Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly as one of the founding fathers of Rock n roll.
@@RichardKoenigsberg "Bo Diddley" (the song) was 18 weeks in the Billboard R&B chart, two weeks at No1. The 17th best selling R&B record of 1955, according to Billboard.
@@ianlucas8116 OK, I think I may have been a little frightened of him when I was young. I liked the Moonglows, the TeenQueens, the Jacks, also Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard (wild types). But he seemed somewhat threatening, harsh, not too much melody. He disturbed me a bi. So I guess I didn't pay attention to him early on. Something like Jimi Hendrix later on. Almost a criminal persona, absence of melody.
I remember watching this taped performance as little girl with my Dad. Memories. Bo was one of my dad's influences for playing the guitar, when he was a child. This performance will always be one of my favs of all time. Of any artist.
It's 1965, and nobody had seen the power of the electric guitar unleashed like Bo. The teenaged audience appropriately shakes and screams, the only response to an event like this.
