By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and use of cookies and similar technologies. We store cookies and similar technologies on your computer or device to provide you with a great experience and help our website run effectively.
Who Taught the Blues to Rock & Roll?
Bo Diddley
Black History Month Dispersed Gallery
The 20th century had its share of legendary guitarists, but few can compare to Bo Diddley. For Black History Month 2024, we’re celebrating the extraordinary legacy of this American musical icon, recognized as a core influence on the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Clash, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and countless others, as well as a key driver of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll.
Our curatorial team has dug into MoPOP’s permanent collection to bring together a vintage Bo Diddley performance poster from Portland’s Crystal Ballroom, a custom Gretsch electric guitar played by Bo Diddley c. 1960, and an exclusive oral history for an intimate look at where modern American music really started and the artist who taught it to rock.
Who Taught the Blues to Rock & Roll?
Bo Diddley
Black History Month Dispersed Gallery
The 20th century had its share of legendary guitarists, but few can compare to Bo Diddley. For Black History Month 2024, we’re celebrating the extraordinary legacy of this American musical icon, recognized as a core influence on the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Clash, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and countless others, as well as a key driver of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll.
Our curatorial team has dug into MoPOP’s permanent collection to bring together a vintage Bo Diddley performance poster from Portland’s Crystal Ballroom, a custom Gretsch electric guitar played by Bo Diddley c. 1960, and an exclusive oral history for an intimate look at where modern American music really started and the artist who taught it to rock.
Artifact Feature
Bo Diddley and his Orchestra, the Soulful Deacons and their Orchestra, at the Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Oregon, July 2, 1967
Diddley’s songs regularly charted on the US R&B and Pop charts for a decade after his first record debuted in 1955. By the mid-1960s his prominence on the charts had waned, but his influence and legacy continued to grow due to his iconic sound, enduring hits, and incessant touring schedule, including this stop in Portland in 1967. He continued to regularly record and tour until he suffered from a heart attack in 2007.
MoPOP Permanent Collection