Bo Diddley was a rock singer and guitarist who appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on November 20, 1955. He’d initially planned to perform his namesake song, but was asked by Sullivan to instead play Tennessee Ford’s “Sixteen Tons.” While he initially agreed to the change, he decided to revert to his original plan last minute and performed his own track.
This greatly upset Sullivan, who said, “You are the first black boy that ever double-crossed me!” This greatly upset Diddley, who compared being called “black” to another derogatory term. The decision hurt Diddley’s relationship with the television host, and he never appeared on the show again.
This greatly upset Sullivan, who said, “You are the first black boy that ever double-crossed me!” This greatly upset Diddley, who compared being called “black” to another derogatory term. The decision hurt Diddley’s relationship with the television host, and he never appeared on the show again.
