EMP|SFM Oral History VideosCategory: The BluesVideo Title: Bo Diddley Does His Own ThingWatch Video 
Who: Bo Diddley
The Player:
Bo Diddley (Dec. 30, 1928 - June 2, 2008) created one of the most hypnotic rhythms in popular music — bomp, ba-bomp-bomp, bomp-bomp, aka, shave-and-a-haircut, two bits — and helped forge a new guitar-driven style of rock 'n' roll in the mid-fifties.
Read the transcript:
Well, first I heard John Lee Hooker, you know, and I wasn't really allowed to listen to this kind of music because of my, uh, parents's, uh, religion, you know, like this was classified as devil music. You know, if it wasn't in the church, it wasn't right, you know. And that's where I came from. And, uh, it's... My brother is a minister, you know, and I'm a rock'n'roller.
When I was about thirteen, fourteen years old, the word in Chicago with all of the older dudes in my neighborhood, they were hip cats, you know. That was the word, you know. And cats used to go...go walkin' down the street and holler,[sings] hit that jive, cat, put it in your pocket and dog it back. I'm goin' downtown to see my girl. You know...Well, again... But I didn't copy none of that, you know. I wanted to be...There's one Muddy Waters, and...and one John Lee Hooker, one Jimmy Reed, and one Elmore James, and, uh, then you don't need another one. So I ain't copy nobody. I wanted my own thing, and I did it. Thank god, I did it.
So I must be doin' something that my fans like. It's the way I carry myself or what is it? Is it the music I play, the way I treat people? And I'm very happy that I was taught to do these good things. You understand?
