Bo Diddley and The Dutchess

[Art]

In the early 1960s one of Bo Diddley's group was a lady guitarist named Peggy Jones. When she left to go on her own folks at concerts started asking where the girl went? This got back to Diddley and he decided to get a replacement, the replacement , Norma Jean Wofford better known as "The Duchess" was actually a much more popular addition than the original gal guitarist. In on line videos in which she appears (she only was part of the group from 1962 - 1966) she is almost always referred to in quite a few comments ranging from "whose that girl" to people who know who "that girl" is and wax lyrical about their appreciation for "The Duchess." Female musicians in rock or country groups aren't real common today and in the mid 1960s Wofford was truely unique. Bo diddley said that she was the most honest person he had ever met in his life and during their association they became great friends. She left music in 1966 to get married and raise a family, almost quaint by todays standards.

Here is a short version of "Road Runner" in which Bo Diddley and The Duchess do a short guitar duet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hy6EiiNUmA

[Oyaji]

I'm a big fan of Bo Diddley and his music. In the video, not only was his rhythm guitarist a black woman, his bass player was a white man. One can honestly say that Bo Diddley was an equal opportunity employer.

Thanks for the post!

[dryheat]

[jon_norstog]

Thanks for that, Art!

jn