05 June 2008

Bo Diddley (1928-2008)

Bo Diddley in 1997

I saw blues-to-rock pioneer Bo Diddley once, at Tipitina's in 1978. Tip's is New Orleans' premiere music venue (though The Warehouse had more industrial gothic charm, and was a larger venue.) The night I saw Bo, he was on fire in a way I'd never seen. With his trademark custom rectangular electric guitar, he put out the same you-gotta-move-to-this riff the whole night. Bo Diddley, for seventy of his years, could rock the house.

Bo, rest in peace.
References (found by "Salt Lick"):

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow.. that was fancy footwork that girl tambourine player was into...

But did you notice how he OD'd his amp ?? A signature was born.

Paco Malo said...

All I could think of watching this video clip of Bo was the time I heard him do this riff live at Tip's in '78. One of the top ten life changing concert experiences of my life, with a bullet.

I'll watch it again, trying to focus on the dancer and not on Bo Diddley's left hand on his fretboard.