Bo Diddley was born in McComb, Mississippi, as Ellas Otha Bates (also stated as Otha Ellas Bates or Elias Otha Bates). He was the only child of Ethel Wilson, a sharecropper's teenaged daughter, and … See more

Marriages and children
Bo Diddley was married four times. His first marriage, at 18, to Louise Willingham, lasted a year. Diddley married his second wife Ethel Mae … See more

The "Bo Diddley beat" is essentially the clave rhythm, one of the most common bell patterns found in sub-Saharan African music traditions See more

Studio albums
• Bo Diddley (Checker, 1958)
• Go Bo Diddley (Checker, 1959)
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Inspired by a John Lee Hooker performance, Diddley supplemented his income as a carpenter and mechanic by playing on street … See more

Bo Diddley died on June 2, 2008, of heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida at the age of 79. Many family members were with him when he died … See more

Bo Diddley was posthumously awarded a Doctor of Fine Arts degree by the University of Florida for his influence on American popular music. In its People in America radio series, … See more