Go, Bo Diddley
Sunday 2/16
With time to kill in the Atlanta airport, I picked up a New York Times. I was amazed to see Bo Diddley right there on the front page, with a jump to a big spread inside. This is a guy who’s been too long neglected. From the first time I heard Not Fade Away, I was hooked. He IS rock and roll. While a bunch of yuppies nearby squawked about their impending trip to the Bahamas, I read the story of Bo Diddley. Fascinating stuff. Ed Sullivan gave Bo his first big TV break, but Sullivan wanted it on his terms. He wanted Bo to do Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “16 Tons,” but Diddley came out rocking with “Bo Diddley.” Apparently, Sullivan was so pissed, he made Bo give back the $750 performance fee and vowed Diddley would never be on TV again. Sullivan came close to making good. It was another seven years before Bo was on camera. And then another decade before he made it again. Amazing. Bo never did get his due. He’s now on a small spread in Florida, still making music and stewing in bitterness.
Particularly odd was The New York Times’ insistence on referring to Bo as “Mr. Diddley” throughout the article. Somehow, that was jarring, out of place. I guess the gray old lady is ruthlessly consistent, if nothing else . . ..
Posted by Bob Benz at February 20, 2003 12:00 AM
Comments. . .
"Mr. Diddley" sounds like a pet name for a penis.
Posted by: Leanne at February 20, 2003 2:26 PM
YES! Bring it to Jerome! Before You Accuse Me! Hush Your Mouth! Diddley Daddy, I'm a Man, Who Do You Love, and Dearest Darlin'. But the greatest of these was Bring it to Jerome. And Hush your Mouth. No...(the debate rages in my mind even now).
When I was in graduate skyewl at UAB (aka Insignificant U.) and living in my lowly efficiency nestled deep in the bowels of Southside, I spent much time at Charlemagne records at Five Points South. It was there I purchased a cassette of early Bo Diddley. Oh mama.
How many nights did I drive from Joe to the gas station bar smelling that old Birmingham smell of honeysuckle and smokestacks and singing Bring it to Jerome instead of grading crappy freshman papers or responding to Wollstonecraft's "Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman."
If Wollstonecraft could have only heard Bo Diddley, she'd have Hushed her Mouth, Brought It to Jerome, and maybe brought me a beer and a sandwich during Monday Night Football.
Posted by: C-H-Isolationist-R-S at February 20, 2003 12:25 PM