HomeMusic NewsOn this day in 2005…..
Anyone who's ever seen clips of Bo Diddley and his band tearing it up on "Hey, Bo Diddley" and "Bo Diddley" in the 1966 movie The Big TNT Show knows The Duchess. The embodiment of tough-yet-graceful rock'n'roll cool, sharing a microphone with the equally glamorous Bo-ettes (Lily "Bee Bee" Jamieson and Gloria Morgan), she dominated the stage in a shiny ankle-length dress, churning primal chords and rhythms out of her Gretsch guitar that gave even Diddley a run for his money.
Lending her inimitable style to the grooves (and sleeves) of 1962's "Bo Diddley & Company" and 1963's "Bo Diddley's Beach Party" albums, she accompanied him on his first tour of England that same year, where her guitar prowess created a stir equalled only by that of her skin-tight gold lamé cat suit. Asked by one dauntless investigator how she managed to get into it, Norma-Jean responded by pulling out an over-sized shoehorn. Eric Burdon later immortalised her in the Animals' "Story Of Bo Diddley".
Here's Norma in action with Bo Diddley…..