Belated Death League Update: Bo Diddley

June 12, 2008 | Comments (0) | by T.R.

I didn't know Bo. The blues were not prominent in our household in my youth. Oh sure, the black and blues were, but that wasn't music, just a lot of thumping, slapping, and screaming. And crying. Anyway, Bo Diddley died on June 2, 2008. The man could play the guitar. The Drunk Hobo leads me to believe that Mr. Diddley recorded at least 38 studio albums and was somewhat of a godfather to aspiring Black musicians.

You likely know Bo best from his television spots and ad campaign with Bo Jackson in the late 1980s. The theory goes that Jackson was quite adept at a range of activities. As he would display his prowess for a wowed audience, Diddley would chime in and say "Bo, you don't know Diddley". This was a play on names, as both were given the Christian name of Bo upon birth, and Diddley is synonymous with "very little or nothing". It played well amongst younger demographics.

Bo Diddley was 79. Five points are awarded to Brant Brown.

0 comments: