Line Out Music & the City at Night

Slog

News & Arts

@SEAshows
Twitter feed of Seattle shows on sale now

« One of the More Depressing Year-End… | One Thing I Most Definitely Do Not… »

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Genius Happy Birthday, Ellas Otha Bates!

Posted by Derek Erdman on Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 10:31 AM

On this day in 1928, Bo Diddley was born in Mississippi. Soon after, he was adopted by his mother's cousin who took him to the south side of Chicago. After seeing John Lee Hooker in concert, Bo Diddley decided to invent Rock & Roll. There couldn't possibly be a way to measure Diddley's impact on music, so let's just use this space to share our favorite songs and stories regarding this undeniable legend.

“I thank you in advance for the great round of applause Im about to get.”

“I thank you in advance for the great round of applause I'm about to get.”

My favorite Bo Diddley LP is Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger. My favorite song off of that record is "Doing the Craw-Daddy", which features the line, "You're looking good, you've been eatin' regular huh? If you do the crawdad right, I'm gonna buy you a popsicle tonight."

LEST WE FORGET: THE DUCHESS. Oh man, perfectly brilliant.

FacebookShare

Comments (10) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Bo Diddley is an undeniable ruler. "Black Gladiator" is amazing, through and through. Bo Diddley is wodnerful music to listen to while smoking a little reefer and playing dominoes while camping.

Posted by carnivorous chicken on December 30, 2010 at 12:23 PM

Bo Diddley is an undeniable ruler. "Black Gladiator" is amazing, through and through. Bo Diddley is wonderful music to listen to while smoking a little reefer and playing dominoes while camping.

Posted by carnivorous chicken on December 30, 2010 at 12:23 PM

"Who Do You Love?" is a classic. my all time favorite song. next favorite is 'say man', an early early song with just guitar and maracas, trading insults back and forth. i wish i'd seen him before he passed. no one else comes close to that bo diddley beat.

Posted by scary tyler moore

on December 30, 2010 at 12:26 PM

Derek Erdman, I think I love you.

http://cherrycanoe.wordpress.com/2008/06…

Posted by kerri harrop

on December 30, 2010 at 12:52 PM

BD's Gunslinger is also my fave, "Ride On Josephine" is my jam off that LP. I think I got that record in like 1988 and was STUNNED silly it was so good. Uh, not on LP, it came out in 1988 on CD, I think I've only ever seen that LP in person, once (but it was a stereo copy and beat, so I passed).

Posted by nipper on December 30, 2010 at 12:56 PM

@3 I found a pretty battered but perfectly playable 45 of "Say Man" at a yard sale and it has not left my setlist ever since. It is a TOTAL CUT.

Posted by kerri harrop

on December 30, 2010 at 12:59 PM

I saw him back in '87 or '88 on a double bill with Fats Domino. Fats was great, but I have to say, unfortunately Bo was a little disappointing. Kept playing new songs and trying to be relevant, telling stories about the Grateful Dead, of all people. But I loved him anyhoo.

Posted by catsnbanjos on December 30, 2010 at 1:45 PM

Didja know he also wrote "Love is Strange"? Credited to his mother, I believe.

Posted by catsnbanjos on December 30, 2010 at 1:46 PM

I tunes says I have played '16 tons' over a 2 trillion times this year.
I am not a 'play a youtube for people' person but the only 2 timea I ever have was the 'bo diddley' from TAMI you have up.
I would also like to buy this picture!

Posted by Lars Finberg on December 30, 2010 at 9:50 PM