Bo Diddley's Gutsy Performance On The Ed Sullivan Show

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Back in the day, I used to watch a lot of iconic performances on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Ed was a big deal. He was super charismatic and seemed to be able to connect with viewers of all ages. And you’ve got to give him credit for introducing a huge variety of acts to America. Everything from comedians and dancers to opera singers and rock and roll stars.

But one of the most impactful performances I saw, other than the Beatles of course, was Bo Diddley’s.

Apparently, the producers wanted Bo to perform the old country song “Sixteen Tons”. Ed also agreed and thought this would be a safe choice for his audience.

But Bo Diddley at the last minute went rogue.

Instead of performing “Sixteen Tons”. He played his own brand new song called “Bo Diddley”.

Yup.

“Bo Diddley” by Bo Diddley

This was a bold move. He had some serious guts to defy the wishes of such a powerful television program at the time. In fact, some accounts of it say that Ed was so pissed he stormed off set during the middle of the performance.

Unfortunately, Bo Diddley was banned from ever returning to the show.

But what happened next was…

His beat and groove struck a chord with listeners all over the U.S.

You see, it was a fresh new sound that varied from the typical styles on the show.

This all led to him becoming a massive national sensation!

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Jon MacLennan