Bo Diddley: A Friend Remembers

By Chris Manson July 10, 2008 Issue

Tom Ford fills in some holes from my editorial in the June 12 edition of The Beachcomber. Ford—co-owner of the Sunside Cafe in Miramar Beach and a partner in the new Bluz club next door—got to spend some quality time with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bo Diddley when the legend played at the old Blues club in July 2001.

Ford was running Blues at the time and was able to book Diddley through Keith Caton, whose group the Accelerators collaborated with Diddley on many occasions.

"I heard his music in the '50s," says Ford. "I knew the dynamic of what he had done. When the Beatles hit America, John Lennon told a reporter the first thing he wanted to do was meet Bo Diddley. John Fogerty and Robbie Robertson both said 'Bo Diddley' was the record that influenced them most."

Diddley also wowed the staff of Leitz Music in Fort Walton Beach when he stopped in to pick up some guitar strings. "I picked him up at the airport, and he said, 'I gotta get me some of those coat hangers!'" says Ford.

"He did a personal appearance at Mike's Music, too. He lectured a bunch of kids--'Don't do drugs.' Bo didn't smoke, drink, or do drugs." Ford suspects that high blood pressure finally took its toll on Diddley, whose main vice was his love of fried chicken.

"I spent every moment with him for the four days he was here," says Ford. "He was a great person, and I never felt that he carried his fame when he spoke to you. He didn't mind stopping and talking to people, especially kids." When he chatted with Diddley, Ford avoided music for the most part, keeping the conversation focused on sports, weather, and women.

After the Blues appearance with the Accelerators and Chubby Carrier’s band, Diddley returned to the area in 2003 to perform at Gulf Place Amphitheatre on a Sunday afternoon. "Just when Bo was ready to go, a squall came down so hard they had to cancel," says Ford. "They paid Bo 50 percent, and he was on his way." But patrons who stopped in to hear Caton and his band at the now-defunct Capo's the Friday and Saturday nights prior got an unexpected treat as Diddley sat in with his famous rectangular guitar and revolutionary rhythm.

Call to Musicians
The Beat is planning a MySpace roundup for a future installment of this column. If you work or play from Pensacola to Panama City Beach, befriend me at myspace.com/chriscmanson.

#$@%&*
George Carlin made a lot of great albums during his life, the best of which is 1972's Class Clown, a comic masterpiece that includes not only the infamous "seven words" but also an extended monologue on Carlin's Catholic school upbringing. I still have a soft spot for FM/AM, snagged from my father's vinyl collection decades ago and funnier than hell when I listened to it the day I heard the news. On Carlin's recent HBO specials (also on CD)—Complaints and Grievances and Life Is Worth Losing—the comedian-author-actor-philosopher was as sharp and hilarious as ever, highlights being his respective bits on the ten commandments and autoerotic asphyxiation.

The Beat's Record Roundup
- Steinski: What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective (Illegal Art). Best hip-hop mix-up collection ever.
- EOTO: Razed (Sci Fidelity). I can't get enough of bizarro electronic music these days. EOTO has a slight edge over other outfits because normal people can dance to them.
- Alejandro Escovedo: Real Animal (EMI-Manhattan). One of the best straight-up rock and roll discs of 2008.
- Dr. John & the Lower 911: The City that Care Forgot (429 Records). Yet another fine post-Katrina album. The doctor still keeps the funk lines raised high, but his message rings loud and clear.
- Lalah Hathaway: Self-Portrait (Fantasy/Stax). Daughter of near-legend Donny exceeds all expectations with this forceful contemporary soul album.
- Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III (Motown). The be-all and end-all of modern rap. Weezy does a lot of boasting, but he lives up to most of it. Nothing quite as compelling as "Dying" from one of the gazillion mix tapes on the Web, but don't miss "Dontgetit," in which Al Sharpton gets his.
- Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend (XL/Beggars Group). A standout among current indie bands thanks to irresistible hooks, clever instrumentation, and--most crucial of all-- a spirit of fun.
- Chicago: Stone of Sisyphus (Rhino). The band's rejected album from 1993 finally sees an official release. An interesting set that, of course, fails to live up to the hype.

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