BO DIDDLEY - The Originator

"The Story Of BO DIDDLEY...":

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For all booking information and any other enquiries regarding LADY BO, please contact:

LADY BO
at LB-BCH Productions
Tel. 831 338-9465
or Fax 831 338-1968
or e-mail ladybo@ladybo.com

or e-mail Webmaster

BO DIDDLEY - The Originator

A Celebration of his unique contribution to Popular Music.

LADY BO - A Tribute

"She Is The Only One Who Knows The Original Ways..."

"I've known LADY BO since she was about 16 or 17 years old. I coached her and taught her to play and helped, too...She was playing a little bit, but she wanted to play like me. I let her hang around, and she picked up what she could, and she knows every move I make...She is the only one that knows the original ways..."

BO DIDDLEY

"I knew him in '56 in New York, and he was playing at the Apollo Theatre, and I ran into him on the outside when he was on a break. I had a guitar with me...I was playing a little, and he wanted to know, did I play, and I said, Yeah...why?!!! Who are you?!!! You know...in the whole of New York City this guy is asking me that...!"

LADY BO

That chance meeting was to begin the transformation of the BO DIDDLEY sound from that of a fairly basic-sounding one-chord bluesman into that of a truly versatile musician, able to create music in any number of different styles. The 2 of them began to work very closely together to develop his ideas for new material and new sounds. Additionally, she taught herself to play the guitar in his unique tunings, so that she could play in unison with him, and thus add yet a further dimension to his already dynamic sound, both on record and on stage.

PEGGY JONES was born in Eden, Somerset County, Maryland, USA on Friday July 19th 1940 and grew up in the Sugar Hill district of New York City, located in uptown Manhattan. She displayed a very early talent for music. At just 3 years of age she was already a tap dancing prodigy, and by the age of 9, studying opera and learning to master her first instrument, the ukelele. She graduated from the New York High School of Performing Arts, studying dance, drama, music theory, and several musical instruments. Influenced by artists such as Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Ruth Brown, Etta James, LaVern Baker, Mahalia Jackson, Linda Hopkins and Sam Cooke, she began to compose and arrange her own music. In 1955 she bought her very first guitar, and it was in this same year that she first heard the music of BO DIDDLEY.

In the following years she recorded 3 local hits, and in 1957 joined The Bop-Chords vocal group as first tenor, and went on to enjoy a further 2 hits with them. That year, after meeting up with BO DIDDLEY, she replaced his guitar player Jody Williams, who had been drafted for military service. The following year she was hired full-time to play on all of his recording sessions and for all of his stage performances. SHE WAS THE FIRST FEMALE LEAD GUITARIST IN HISTORY TO BE HIRED BY A MAJOR ACT. She worked full-time with BO DIDDLEY until 1961, when she formed her own group The Jewels, later to be known as LADY BO & The Family Jewel. In the summer of 1966, The Jewels recorded their classic track "We Got Togetherness" for MGM Records. This monster soul stomper is now a perennial favorite on the UK's northern soul scene. In addition, she worked as a session musician and night club singer and as a vocalist with several big bands. It was as a session percussion player that she enjoyed her biggest international pop chart success when, in 1967, "San Franciscan Nights" by Eric Burdon & The Animals (MGM Records), reached the Top 10 around the world.

Now married to her bass player Wally Malone, LADY BO & The Family Jewel continued to accompany BO DIDDLEY for many of his stage performances upto 1993. In November of that year she was the recipient of The Lifetime Achievement Award in appreciation of her contribution to the Blues, at The Third Annual South Bay Blues Awards Show, held at the San Jose Civic Auditorium. On that same evening she was presented with a plaque from Gibson Guitars USA for her years of loyalty to Gibson, plus a 20" x 26" oil portrait painted by local artist George Milo Buck. Today, LADY BO and her current group The BC Horns continue to perform to appreciative audiences around the US and worldwide. Audiences that are eager to see and to hear at first hand the woman who added so much to the distinctive BO DIDDLEY sound, and who did so much pioneer work to further the cause of women in music. In 2008, LADY BO was included in Venus Zine magazine's "Greatest Female Guitarists of All-Time" listing, in recognition of how she altered the shape of the male-dominated industry.

LADY BO Discography:

Continentals, Picture of Love/Soft & Sweet (Whirlin' Disc 105) 1957
Bop-Chords, Baby/So Why (Holiday 2608) 1957
Greg & Peg, Honey, Bunny, Baby/Why Do I Love You Like I Do (Ro-Nan 1001) 1957
Bob & Peggy, Everybody's Talking/I'm Gonna Love My Way (Peacock 1927) 1963
Jewels, I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles/We Got Togetherness (MGM K 13577) 1966

LADY BO Session Recordings (Guitars/Percussion) (#=highest US pop chart position):

Les Cooper & The Soul Rockers, Wiggle Wobble/Dig Yourself (Everlast 5019) 1962 #22
Les Cooper & The Soul Rockers, Wiggle Wobble LP (Everlast ELP-202) 1962
Fred Waring Orchestra with The Jewels, The Two Worlds Of LP (Decca) 1966
Eric Burdon & The Animals, San Franciscan Nights/- (MGM 13769) 1967 #9
Various Artists, Feeling Happy Children's LP (Riekes Music 2921) 1978
Various Artists, The Doo Wop Era - Harlem, New York 2-LP (Collectables COL-7001) 1987
Various Artists, New York Rhythm & Blues, Vol. 1 - Harlem Holiday LP (Collectables COL-5051) 1988
Various Artists, King Curtis & Other Golden Classics - Soul Twist LP (Collectables COL-5119) 1988

LADY BO & The Family Jewel Unissued Recordings For Country Singer Linda Ellas, March/June 1978 (Original Music Arrangements and Studio Production by LADY BO & The Family Jewel):

March 1978:
We Got It Special (take 4)
You Can Dance (take 1)
Lazy Good Time Love's Gone By (take 3)
I Feel Something Special (take 2)
Boy, Boy, Boy (aka I Slipped & Fell In Love) (take 4)
June 1978:
Looking Back
Thank You Love
I Can Feel It Coming On (aka Nightlife)
Blues Is Here To Stay
I'm Confessing

Original BO DIDDLEY Releases 1957-1984 that feature LADY BO as Band Member, Session Musician, Guitarist, Vocalist or Arranger:

US Singles (#=highest US R&B chart position):
Hey Bo Diddley/Mona (Checker 860) 1957
Say, Boss Man/- (Checker 878) 1957
Hush Your Mouth/- (Checker 896) 1958
Willie & Lillie/Bo Meets The Monster (Checker 907) 1958
I'm Sorry/- (Checker 914) 1958 #17
Crackin' Up/- (Checker 924) 1959 #14
Say Man/- (Checker 931) 1959 #3
Say Man, Back Again/She's Alright (Checker 936) 1959 #23
Road Runner/My Story (Checker 942) 1960 #20
Walkin' & Talkin'/Craw-Dad (Checker 951) 1960
Gunslinger/Signifying Blues (Checker 965) 1960
Aztec/Not Guilty (Checker 976) 1961 (All guitars & arrangement on "Aztec" are by LADY BO)
Pills/Call Me (Checker 985) 1961
US Albums:
Bo Diddley (Chess 1431) 1958
Go Bo Diddley (Checker 1436) 1959
Have Guitar, Will Travel (Checker 2974) 1960
Bo Diddley In The Spotlight (Checker 2976) 1960
Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger (Checker 2977) 1960
Bo Diddley Is A Lover (Checker 2980) 1961
Bo Diddley's A Twister (Checker 2982) 1962
Ain't It Good To Be Free (New Rose 34, France) 1984

Note: Duchess (Norma-Jean Wofford) played guitar on the following original BO DIDDLEY LPs:

Bo Diddley (Checker 2984) 1962
Bo Diddley & Company (Checker 2985) 1962
Surfin' With Bo Diddley (Checker 2987) 1963 (Although credited to BO DIDDLEY, he only appears on 4 of the 12 tracks. The remainder are by Billy Lee Riley & The Megatons)
Bo Diddley's Beach Party (Checker 2988) 1963 (Recorded live at Beach Club, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, July 1963)

Repackaged & Reissued BO DIDDLEY Album Releases 1964-to date that feature LADY BO as Band Member, Session Musician, Guitarist, Vocalist or Arranger:

Bo Diddley's 16 All-Time Greatest Hits (Checker 2989) 1964
Road Runner (Checker 2982) 1967 (Repackage of Bo Diddley's A Twister LP)
Go Bo Diddley (Checker 3006) 1967 (Reissue of 1959 LP)
Boss Man (Checker 3007) 1967 (Repackage of Bo Diddley 1958 debut LP)
Got My Own Bag of Tricks (Chess 60005, 2 LP set) 1972
The Chess Box (Chess 19502, 2 CD Box Set) 1990
Rare & Well Done (Chess 9331) 1991
The EP Collection (See For Miles 321, UK) 1991 (Credited)
Bo's Blues (Ace 396) 1993 (Credited)
Bo Diddley-The Chess Years (Charly R&B Red Box 8, UK, 12 CD Box Set) 1993 (Credited)
The Mighty Bo Diddley (Triple X Records) 1995 (Repackage of Ain't It Good To Be Free LP)
Bo Knows Bo (MCA 20872) 1995 (LADY BO is pictured with BO DIDDLEY on the cover of this CD. She is playing a Gibson L6S guitar, whilst he is pictured playing LADY BO's spare Les Paul. His guitar was misplaced at the airport.)
Bo Diddley-His Best (Chess CHD-9373) 1997 (Credited)
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection - The Best of Bo Diddley (Universal/MCA 112163) 2000
Universal Masters Collection (Universal CD 1122442) 2000
Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger (Chess 000176102) 2004 (includes previously unreleased bonus tracks) (Credited)
Best 1200 limited edition "Best Of" collection (Universal CD UICY 9954) 2005
The Story of Bo Diddley-The Very Best of Bo Diddley (Chess 9832296) 2006
Bo Diddley - Definitive Collection (Geffen 000878602) 2007 (Credited)
I'm A Man/The Chess Masters, 1955-1958 (Hip-O Select CD 923102) 2007 (limited edition, includes previously unreleased tracks, alternate takes etc) (Credited)
Rock 'N' Roll Legends: Bo Diddley (Universal CD 5305167) 2008
Road Runner/The Chess Masters, 1959-1960 (Hip-O Select CD) 2008 (limited edition, includes previously unreleased tracks, alternate takes etc) (Credited)
The Chess Box (Universal SHM-CD UICY-91042) 2008 (Credited)
Bo Diddley (Universal SHM-CD UICY-93722) 2008 (Credited)
Have Guitar, Will Travel (Universal SHM-CD UICY-93723) 2008 (Credited)
Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger (Universal SHM-CD UICY-93724) 2008 (includes bonus tracks) (Credited)
Bo Diddley Is A Lover (Universal SHM-CD UICY-93725) 2008 (Credited)
Bo Diddley & Company (Universal SHM-CD UICY-93726) 2008 (Credited)
Bo Diddley - Gold (Geffen 001178102) 2008 (Credited)
Bo Diddley - iTunes Esssentials download album (iTunes) 2008 (Credited)
Ride On/The Chess Masters, 1960-1961 (Hip-O Select) 2009 (limited edition, includes previously unreleased tracks, alternate takes etc) (Credited)

LADY BO & The Family Jewel BO DIDDLEY Sessions January & March 1978. (Original Music Arrangements & Studio Production by LADY BO & The Family Jewel):

I Don't Know Where I've Been (aka Back There, Going Back There, and I'm Going Back There Again)
I Ain't Gonna Force It On You
Evil Woman
Let The Fox Talk
(The above 4 titles were released on Side 2 of the Ain't It Good To Be Free LP (New Rose Records) in 1984, and reissued as The Mighty Bo Diddley CD (Triple X Records) in 1995.)

Unissued titles recorded at the same sessions:

Visions of You
You're All I Got
Come On And Get Me Baby
(Bo Diddley) Can You Handle It
(Bo Diddley Is A) Hell Of A Man
Noxema
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (Instrumental written by LADY BO & Wally Malone)
Get On Up, Get Down (Instrumental written by LADY BO)

Notable TV, Movie & Video Appearances:

The Cheetah: A Mod Mecca (San Isidro Production/WABC-TV Color Special) (with The Jewels) 1966
Rollin' On The River (The Kenny Rogers Show) (CTV, Canada) (BO DIDDLEY with LADY BO & The Family Jewel) 1972
Donny & Marie (ABC) (BO DIDDLEY with LADY BO & The Family Jewel) 1976
Maximum Louie Louie Marathon on KFJC Radio (USA Video) (with Richard Berry and Jack Ely of The Kingsmen) 1983
The Bammies, Bay Area Music Awards (KQED-TV, San Francisco, CA) (BO DIDDLEY with LADY BO & The Family Jewel) 1986
I Don't Sound Like Nobody (Channel 1, Sweden) (BO DIDDLEY with LADY BO & The Family Jewel, live concert from Club Karlssons, Stockholm, Sweden) 1987, and A&E Network 1990, and Castle Hendring UK video 1990
The Lost Boys (Warner Bros. Movie) (Plays a guitarist in the band scene on Boardwalk Beach) 1987
Third Annual South Bay Blues Awards Show (KNTV-11, San Jose, CA) (BO DIDDLEY with LADY BO & The Family Jewel) 1993
Flashbacks: Soul Sensations (USA Video) (BO DIDDLEY with LADY BO & The Family Jewel, Kenny Rogers TV Show 1972) 1994
Live In Concert (USA Video) (LADY BO & The BC Horns, live concert from the Monterey Bay Blues Festival) 1995
Eyewitness News: 5 Reports (KPIX Channel 5 TV, San Francisco, CA) 2000
National Geographic's True Originals: American Voices: Blues & Doo Wop Music (National Geographic Channel) 2001
Chic-a-Go-Go: Lil' Ratso in New Orleans (Chicago Cable Access, Channel 19 TV, Chicago, IL) 2005
Chic-a-Go-Go: Clifton James Memorial (Chicago Cable Access, Channel 19 TV, Chicago, IL) (with Jody Williams) 2006