Full Name: Ellas Bates McDaniels
Profession: Pioneering Rock Guitarist
Biography: Bo Diddley was an iconic American singer-songwriter, guitarist and music producer, whose sound was influential in the development of rock and roll and rhythm and blues in the 1950s. He was given the nickname “Bo Diddley” by his friends at an early age, and it became his stage name.
Bo Diddley is most well-known for his self-titled hit “Bo Diddley,” released in 1955. He released numerous albums over his career, including Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger (1960), Bo Diddley in the Spotlight (1961), Have Guitar, Will Travel (1959), and Big Bad Bo (1974).
Bo Diddley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2003, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2017.
Born: December 30, 1928
Birthplace: McComb, Mississippi, USA
Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Dragon
Star Sign: Capricorn
Died: June 2, 2008 (aged 79)
Cause of Death: Heart failure
Historical Events
- 1962-09-29 Music single "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" by Bo Diddley peaks at #48
- 1963-09-29 Rolling Stones 1st tour, as opening act for Bo Diddley & the Everly Brothers
- 1969-07-25 70,000 attend Seattle Pop Festival (across 3 days); performers included: Bo Diddley, Flying Burrito Brothers, Ten Years After, Guess Who, Santana, Tim Buckley, Byrds, Ike & Tina Turner Revue, Chicago Transit Authority, Chuck Berry, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors
- 1987-01-21 Second Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: The Coasters; Eddie Cochran; Bo Diddley; Aretha Franklin; Marvin Gaye; Bill Haley; B.B. King; Clyde McPhatter; Ricky Nelson; Roy Orbison; Carl Perkins; Smokey Robinson; Joe Turner; Muddy Waters; Jackie Wilson; Louis Jordan; T-Bone Walker; Hank Williams; Leonard Chess; Ahmet Ertegun; Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller; and Jerry Wexler
Carol Kaye
George Thorogood
Johnny Ramone
Robert Johnson
Tom Morello
Waylon Jennings