Bo Diddley's custom guitar strap
Owner
Bo Diddley
(American, 1928 - 2008)
Datec.1966-1969
ClassificationsMusic
DescriptionBo Diddley's custom guitar strap. The strap features hand-tooled leather with brass rings and buckles. It is signed on the inside “Bo Diddley / Ellas McDaniel / USA.” Diddley used this guitar strap for over twenty years. He can be seen wearing this strap on the album cover for The Black Gladiator (1970).
Bo Diddley (1928-2008), born Ellas Otha Bates, was a pioneer of rock and roll. His take on traditional blues music helped spur the new popular music genre and influenced artists such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles.
Diddley was an inventive guitar player, known for his use of tremolo and reverb effects. His often covered 1955 single “Bo Diddley” laid the foundation for rock, hip-hop, and modern R&B music with the use of an Afro-Cuban inspired clave beat.
