Violin bow owned by Bo Diddley

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

Rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley, born Elias Otha Bates, began his musical journey soon after moving from Mississippi to Chicago as a young child. In Chicago, he became active in the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he learned to play the trombone and violin. His musical ability was so remarkable, he was playing classical violin by age 7 and was invited to join the church’s orchestra. He continued playing with the orchestra until his teenage years, when he became inspired by the energetic music from nearby Pentecostal churches and switched to the guitar. The distinctive guitar rhythms he developed, which Diddley believed were influenced by the churches of his youth, are some of the most influential in the history of rock and roll. A violin bow with a dark brown finish and strung with light colored horse hair. The bow has a brass screw at the end and a black frog with pearl decoration.

Catalog date

mid 20th century

Recorded places

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Recorded subjects

African American; Blues (Music); Composers (Musicians); Instrumentalists (Musicians); Men; Musicians; Rhythm and blues (Music); Rock and roll (Music)

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