Peggy Jones (later Malone, July 19, 1940 – September 16, 2015), known on stage as Lady Bo in recognition of her relationship with
Bo Diddley
Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...
, was an American musician. A pioneer of
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
, Jones played rhythm guitar in Bo Diddley's band in the late 1950s and early 1960s, becoming one of the first (perhaps ''the'' first) female rock guitarists in a highly visible rock band, and was sometimes called the ''Queen Mother of Guitar''.
Early life
Born in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, in 1940, Jones grew up in the Sugar Hill section, and attended the High School of Performing Arts where she studied tap and ballet dance and trained in opera. Even from a very young age, she found herself completely consumed with music; purchasing her first guitar at the age of 15. She was briefly in a local doo-wop group, the Bop Chords, which disbanded in 1957. A chance meeting with Bo Diddley, who was impressed to see a girl with a guitar case, led to an invitation to join Diddley's band as a guitarist and singer. She recorded with him from 1957 to 1961 or 1963, appearing on singles including "
Hey! Bo Diddley
"Hey! Bo Diddley" is Bo Diddley's eighth single released by Checker Records (not to be confused with the song "Bo Diddley") and was released as a single in April 1957 by Checker Records. The single's B side was " Mona" (later known as "I Need You ...
", " Road Runner", "Bo Diddley's A Gunslinger", and the instrumental "Aztec" which she wrote and played all the guitar parts. However, throughout her career, Peggy Jones always strived to be an independent artist and was involved in an R&B band known as the Jewels, among other various names.
Throughout her time with Diddley, Jones maintained the separate career she had begun independently as a songwriter, session musician, and bandleader. She led her own band, the Jewels (also known as the Fabulous Jewels, Lady Bo and the Family Jewels, and various other names, but not to be confused with
The Jewels
The Jewels (initially The Impalas, later The Four Jewels) were an American girl group from Washington, D.C., United States.
Overview
The group began singing as The Impalas in 1961; its members had attended Roosevelt High School and sang in T ...
), which became a top R&B band on the New York – Boston east coast club scene the 1960s and 1970s. She eventually left Diddley's band to concentrate on the Jewels and other activities. She was replaced with another female guitarist,
Les Cooper
Les Cooper (March 15, 1921 – August 3, 2013) was an American doo wop musician, best known for his hit rock instrumental "Wiggle Wobble".
Cooper was born in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. He sang in several New York doo wop groups, including ...
's 1962 instrumental "
Wiggle Wobble
"Wiggle Wobble" is an instrumental written by Les Cooper and performed by Cooper & the Soul Rockers. The single was produced by Bobby and Danny Robinson. It was featured on their 1963 album ''Wiggle Wobble Dance Party''.
Background
The sax pl ...
" and percussion on the 1967 hit "
San Franciscan Nights
"San Franciscan Nights" is a 1967 song performed by Eric Burdon and The Animals. Words and music were composed by the group's members, Eric Burdon, Vic Briggs, John Weider, Barry Jenkins, and Danny McCulloch. A paean to San Francisco, it was th ...
" by Eric Burdon and The Animals and other recordings and later backed James Brown and
Sam & Dave
Sam & Dave were an American soul and R&B duo who performed together from 1961 until 1981. The tenor (higher) voice was Sam Moore (born 1935) and the baritone/tenor (lower) voice was Dave Prater (1937–1988).
Nicknamed "Double Dynamite", "The ...
. She remained musically active well into the 21st century.
Solo work
She left Bo Diddley's band in 1961 to focus on her work with the Jewels. In 1970, she re-joined Bo Diddley’s band, bringing The Jewels with her.
Jones was known for playing the Roland guitar synthesizer, an experimental instrument not typically heard in rhythm and blues music.
Relationships
Jones met Bo Diddley in 1956 backstage after playing with the Bop-Chords in the Apollo Theater in the neighborhood of Harlem. Many assumed that Lady Bo and Bo Diddley were a couple but that was not the case. She was married to the band’s bass player, Wally Malone.
Malone lived in the mountains of western Pennsylvania when he first met Jones in a New York club in the 1960s. Later, Jones invited Malone into her band in 1968 and got married. They both moved to
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...
where Jones played at a show with Bo Diddley and that was the time she received her nickname, “Lady Bo.” In 1962 Jones left Bo Diddley and recruited The Duchess to play for him. In 1979, Malone and Jones moved to Boulder Creek.
Death
At the age of 75, Peggy Jones died on September 16, 2015, leaving behind her husband, Wally Malone. He announced his wife’s death via Facebook, saying, “Today is one of the saddest days of my life. My wife and partner of 47 years has been called up to that great rock & roll band in the heavens to be reunited with Bo Diddley, Jerome Green and Clifton James. The last hour and a quarter I spent by her side and the last thing I said to her was the quote above regarding Diddley and band. The other thing I added at the end of it is that band doesn’t have a bass player and for them to please hold that seat until it is my time to join them. The incredible part of this is immediately after saying this to her there was a quick sound that came from her and right then her heart stopped beating. Many of you know about the Bo Diddley connection but in case not my wife’s professional stage name is Lady Bo.”
Discography
With
Bo Diddley
Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...
*''
Go Bo Diddley
''Go Bo Diddley'' is the second album by American rock and roll musician Bo Diddley, released in July 1959. The album was Bo's first studio album that included some material that hadn't been prereleased on singles, and his first LP for Checker R ...
Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger
''Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger'' is the fifth studio album by American rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley released in December 1960 by Checker Records. The album title comes from the album's first track called "Gunslinger" and the cover art has Bo ...
Bo Diddley
Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...