I was crushed when I read on Monday that Bo Diddley had died. I came to him through a circuitous route that started with a searing Grateful Dead version of “Not Fade Away,” then to Buddy Holly and finally to the source, big bad Bo.
Most of the tributes I’ve been reading have focused on the famous Bo Diddley beat that’s that’s spine of so many rock songs, but this homage on Literary Kicks focuses on Bo’s verbal prowess. Great read and right on the money. To wit:
“Ellis ‘Bo Diddley’ McDaniels lived to tell stories and create characters. His songs are what made him famous, even more than his beat. His words were as simple as his guitar playing, and just as strong.”
Funny that author Levi Asher also refers to the Live at the Ritz CD that features Ronnie Wood. That was the first Bo Diddley CD I bought, and I knew it wasn’t quite on target. Asher’s assessment of it is right on. Glad I tried again and got to know the real Bo.
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Mostly unknown gem: “Bo Diddley is a Gun Slinger.”
CD and song.
How many musicians have a “beat” named after them … the Bo Diddle beat … “Bo Diddley, (Bo Diddley),” “Who Do You Love (Bo Diddley),” “Not Fade Away, (Buddy Holly)” “Lust for Life (Iggy Pop),” “Are You Going to Be My Girl (Jet),” “Desire (U2),” “Magic Bus (The Who)” … the list goes on.
That’s an impressive legacy.