Bo Diddley

The Kid Who Wouldn’t Take No From The Man Who Knows

When as a teenager Dennis first heard BO DIDDLEY, little did he know that he would not only meet Bo but also that BO WOULD BECOME HIS FIRST GUITAR TEACHER. That unique lead-and-rhythm timing technique Bo based on a hambone rhyme “shave and a haircut…two bits” (Da Da Da Da Da pause Da Da) intrigued Dennis-the-pianist. Wanting to play that syncopated style; he wanted to learn guitar. But, how?

While attending Miami University, Dennis would steal away nightly to catch Bo’s act at SPATZ SHOW BAR in Hamilton, Ohio. Bo noticed him, the only person NOT of color, (it WAS 1959) sitting front and center studying Bo’s hands. After a few nights he invited him backstage. He challenged Dennis saying, “FIGURED IT OUT YET? I’LL SHOW YOU BUT ONCE. LEARN IT RIGHT!” Bo’d even LOAN HIM THAT FAMOUS “SQUARE”GRETSCH GUITAR for overnight practice. (By the way, a couple of years ago, owners of Spatz Showbar got back in touch with Dennis. You can read about that in the detailed bio).

Back to about Bo and Dennis getting back in touch, too. It was many years after those first days together at Spatz Showbar that Dennis had the opportunity to be “tested” by this “teacher”. It happened when he and his band “The Stratophonics” BACKED BO FOR A CONCERT in 1985. It was held at Dewey Forward’s “Peabody’s” in Cleveland’s Flats. He “graded” him an A+ when Bo Diddley said with paternal-like pride, “DENNIS IS THE BEST EXPONENT YET OF THE DIDDLEY STYLE (besides my daughter) and… BO KNOWS!”

In the fall of ’99, DENNIS AND BO RECOMMENCED THEIR ROCK ‘n’ ROLL FRIENDSHIP during a reunion before Bo’s appearance at the Crooked River Jazz and Blues Fest in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Their reunion was arranged by singer SASHA SIMS, (a native Clevelander who sang backup for WAYNE NEWTON and later BELUSHI’s BLUES BROTHERS). The outgoing and personable Sasha convinced concert promoter, TONY RUBINO to let her arrange the SURPRISE REUNION. Why was it so meaningful Bo is surprised? The last time they talked was years earlier and it was by telephone. The circumstances? It was while Dennis was recovering from chemotherapy for leukemia (type AML). Phone calls during his long and lengthy convalescence were precious reminders of the life Dennis had before cancer. Once recovered from the chemos, his focus was found to be towards mending in other ways, too, (i.e., financially). It was a long, long coming out of the woods, so to speak. Seeing Dennis so healthy-looking made Bo “very, very happy!”, he said.

Sadly, Bo Diddley passed away on June 6, 2008. Here is a link to his obituary.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/arts/02iht-02diddley.13403665.html?pagewanted=all

Great News about Bo’s music still being played. Two musician members of Bo Diddley’s extended family are LADY BO and her husband bass player WALLY MALONE. Bo taught them firsthand and much more … they played with… wrote for him… and recorded with him! Read all about LADY BO on the website listed below. Dennis met Lady Bo and Wally at the 2010 International Convention of the American Federation of Musicians held at The Riviera in Las Vegas. It was at one of those nightly after-jams held after business was done earlier in the day. What a week it was. Dennis looks forward to seeing them and all the other world class musicians he got to meet (and jam with). But, this next time, he’ll have to take his Bo Diddley guitar (that Bo got him). Why do I say that; he only had a piano to play the last time out there? I can see it now, Dennis, Lady Bo and Wally putting out that backbone-of-a-Bo-backbeat and me? I’ll be “DANCIN’ TO BO DIDDLEY”.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0540493/bio