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Bo Diddley music biography continued...

30, 1928, Diddley moved to Chicago with his family as a youngster. He studied trombone and violin, but quickly took to the guitar, which he started playing for tips on the street and later in Chicago's clubs. Diddley was playing with maraca player Jerome Green and blues harmonica player Billy Boy Arnold when he got a deal with Chess Records in the early 50s. His very first single, "Bo Diddley"/"I'm a Man" (1955), was a huge double-sided home run and established Diddley as an artist. Though was never a top seller on the order of his Chess rival Chuck Berry, over the next half-dozen or so years, he produced a catalog of classics that rival Berry's in quality. These included such tunes as "You Don't Love Me," "Diddley Daddy," "Pretty Thing," "Diddy Wah Diddy," and "Who Do You Love?," He released a string of albums whose titles — including Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger and Have Guitar, Will Travel — bolstered his self-invented legend. Between 1958 and 1963, Checker Records released 11 full-length Bo Diddley albums, showcasing his prowess as a recording artist. As a live performer, Diddley also shone—his trademark square guitars, distorted amplification and distinctive beat, producing new sounds that foreshadowed the innovations of '60s guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and Keith Richard. Bo Diddley was also one of the first American male musicians to include women in his band, making him an artist truly ahead of his time.



In 1976 RCA released 20th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll, a tribute to Diddley that featured over 20 artists. Diddley also opened several dates for the Clash's 1979 U.S. tour. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1996 Diddley released his first major-label album in two decades, A Man Amongst Men, with guest artists including Ron Wood, Keith Richards, and the Shirelles. That album was nominated for a 1997 Grammy in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category. The following year, Diddley received the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award. The legendary artist died on June 2, 2008 of heart failure, having accomplished everything a musician can dream of achieving.