Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates, December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known as Bo Diddley, was an American R&B singer, guitarist, songwriter and music producer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll, and influenced artists including Elvis Presley,[1] Buddy Holly, the Beatles,[2] [3] the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, Eric Clapton,[4] the Who, Jimi Hendrix, George Thorogood, Parliament-Funkadelic, and The Clash.[5]

His use of African rhythms and a signature beat, a simple five-accent hambone rhythm, is a cornerstone of hip hop, rock, and pop music.[2] [3] [6] In recognition of his achievements, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation [3] [7] and a Grammy Award [8] from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He is also recognized for his technical innovations, including his distinctive rectangular guitar.

Born in McComb, Mississippi, as Ellas Otha Bates,[9] he was adopted and raised by his mothers cousin, Gussie McDaniel, whose surname he assumed. In 1934, the McDaniel family moved to the South Side of Chicago, where he dropped the Otha and became Ellas McDaniel. He was an active member of Chicagos Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he studied the trombone and the violin, becoming so proficient on the violin that the musical director invited him to join the orchestra. He performed until he was 18. However, he was more interested in the pulsating, rhythmic music he heard at a local Pentecostal church and took up the guitar.[10] [11]

Inspired by a performance by John Lee Hooker,[3] he supplemented his income as a carpenter and mechanic by playing on street corners with friends, including Jerome Green (c. 1934–1973),[12] in the Hipsters band, later renamed the Langley Avenue Jive Cats. Green became a near-constant member of McDaniels backing band, the two often trading joking insults with each other during live shows.[13] [unreliable source?] During the summers of 1943 and