Timeline Bo Diddley: The Originator

A square guitar and a beat everyone borrowed — Bo Diddley, one of rock and roll's founding fathers.

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Dashed left edge = started before this timeline · Dashed right edge = still ongoing

Bo Diddley: The Originator 11

1928 Bo Diddley born in McComb, Mississippi Ellas Otha Bates Raised in Chicago by his mother's cousin, taking the name McDaniel.
1951 Bo Diddley plays Chicago's 708 Club Street-corner musician Playing the South Side clubs and street corners.
1955 Bo Diddley releases Bo Diddley The Bo Diddley beat His debut single introduces the beat — number one R&B.
1955 Bo Diddley banned from The Ed Sullivan Show Sixteen Tons Plays his own song instead of the one he was told to.
1956 Bo Diddley records Who Do You Love? Rock standard Later covered by the Doors and George Thorogood.
1962 Bo Diddley releases You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover R&B hit A Willie Dixon song.
1963 Bo Diddley tours Britain with the Rolling Stones British Invasion Tours with the Everly Brothers and the young Stones.
1979 Bo Diddley opens for The Clash US tour The punk band picks him as support.
1987 Bo Diddley inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Hall of Fame Inducted in the second class.
1989 Bo Diddley stars in Nike's Bo Knows ad With Bo Jackson A TV ad that introduces him to a new generation.
2008 Bo Diddley dies Archer, Florida Dies at home, aged 79.