[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 11, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SALUTING THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF THE LATE BO DIDDLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 9, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the life 
and legacy of a man whose work in Rock 'n' Roll has been called 
``ground breaking.'' Bo Diddley was born Ellas Otha Bates in McComb, 
Mississippi, on December 30, 1928 and passed away on June 2, 2008 at 
the age of 79.
  Diddley was raised by his mother's cousin, Gussie McDaniel, whose 
surname he legally adopted. The family moved to Chicago when Diddley 
was seven. Bo broke new ground in rock and roll's formative years with 
his unique guitar work, indelible African rhythms, inventive 
songwriting, and larger-than-life persona. He will forever be known for 
popularizing one of the foundational rhythms of rock and roll: the Bo 
Diddley beat. He employed it in his namesake song, ``Bo Diddley'' 
(which earned him a rightful place in the Grammy Hall Of Fame). This 
African-based rhythm pattern was picked up from Diddley by other 
artists and has been a distinctive and recurring element in rock and 
roll through the decades. His beats have influenced the music of 
artists such as Buddy Holly, the Rolling Stones, Johnny Otis, the 
Strangeloves, the Who, and Bruce Springsteen.
  Diddley is the author of a body of songs--including ``Who Do You 
Love?'' ``Road Runner,'' ``Mona,'' ``Before You Accuse Me'' and ``I'm a 
Man''--that are among the earliest examples of rock and roll rising out 
of rhythm and blues. Diddley married into his music two worlds he knew 
well--the Deep South and the streets of Chicago. He formed a band 
called the Hipsters while in high school and landed a regular spot at 
the 708 Club on Chicago's South Side in 1951.
  Diddley's earliest records were contemporaneous with those of label 
mate Chuck Berry. He signed with the Checkers label in 1955 and his 
debut single was a two-sided classic that paired ``Bo Diddley'' with 
``I'm a Man.'' It was the first in a string of groundbreaking songs 
that walked the fine line between rhythm & blues and rock & roll. 
Others included ``Diddley Daddy,'' ``Pretty Thing'' and ``Road 
Runner,'' which were all Top Twenty R&B hits. Oddly, Diddley's only 
crossover success came with ``Say Man,'' a laugh-filled exchange of 
jive talk between Diddley and his maraca player, Jerome Green. Their 
verbal sparring derived from the African-American pastime of 
``signifying' or ``doing the dozens'' and foreshadowed the battle 
rapping of the present day.
  Diddley was also an inventor, devising his own tremolo effect and 
playing a unique, rectangular ``cigar box'' guitar that he designed in 
1958. His ever-fertile mind also inspired him to set up one of the 
first home studios. The prolific singer/guitarist released a string of 
albums whose titles--including Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger and Have 
Guitar, Will Travel--bolstered his self-invented legend.
  Diddley also traveled with the rock and roll revues of the day. He 
retained his iconic status as a rock and roll pioneer, steadily 
releasing albums on Checkers through the mid-Seventies. Meanwhile, 
Diddley continued to work the live circuit in tireless fashion.
  Bo Diddley was one of rock 'n' roll's true pioneers. He has been 
righteously outspoken on the subject of underpayment, bad contracts and 
other rip-offs that denied many early rock and rollers (he among them) 
what was due them and in 1987 he was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll 
Hall of Fame.
  A regular at Harlem's Apollo Theatre, Bo Diddley has indelibly 
stamped his mark on rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll and popular music. 
His innovative trademark rhythm, his electric custom built cigar box 
guitar, and his wild stage shows predate all others. Diddley leaves a 
permanent mark on American music and culture, and our deepest 
sympathies go out to his family, friends and fans. The 'Bo Diddley 
beat' surely will continue on.

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