A Bristol oldies guru remembers Bo Diddley...

Bo Diddley, a Rock N Roll Legend, has passed away. Bo was one of the pioneers of Rock N Roll. Here is my Bo Diddley experience. I helped my kids put together a rock group, called The Fabulous Showstoppers. The Showstoppers played all over the state of Florida. On a spring day in 1989, We were to play at Little Darlins Rock N Roll Palace, in Kissimmee, Florida. As it turns out I meet Bo Diddley, ready to have dinner before it was his turn to take the stage. I asked him to follow me out to the audience area of Little Darlins to watch my kids play some oldies. He was very impressed. So much so, he invited us to dine with him backstage in the kitchen area of the club. He started telling stories about the early days of Rock N Roll. He showed us his world famous cigar box shaped guitar. One thing sticks in my mind, He said to me he always had chicken wings soaked in oil before he went on a stage. He had been doing that for 35 years. He explained that the oil coated his lips and throat. (Bo never missed a gig due to a sore throat.) He treated my kids with the greatest respect, which threw them for a loop. Here was the great Bo Diddley paying them compliments. When Bo Diddley took the stage that night, it was just like magic. The crowd jumped to its feet and for over an hour they never sat down. It was sure an electric feeling. This my personal experience with a legend. If there is a Rock N Roll Heaven, rest assured Bo Diddley is playing there tonight and many nights to come! He was a great man. Jim Kane