The one guitarist Joe Strummer called his “hero”
As a movement, Punk was founded on the principles of DIY creation and a rejection of tradition. Particularly in the UK, punk bands like the Sex Pistols or The Damned sprang up in opposition to the complacency of mainstream pop and the old-school rock from the 1950s and 1960s that was still being lauded over. Joe Strummer and The Clash were a crucial aspect of this musical revolution in England, but they weren’t so quick to cast off the rock stars of the past.
Within the first wave of punk, few bands were as diverse in their output as The Clash. Earning a name for themselves through energetic live shows, abrasive rock music, and politically active songwriting, Strummer and the gang went on to embrace everything from dub to hip-hop. Whereas many other groups stuck rigidly to the basic, DIY sounds of punk, The Clash sought to switch up their sound in an effort to remain fresh and relevant. Even on their debut record, the band drew upon styles of ska and rocksteady, which had never previously been embraced by a white rock band.
One of the most unexpected genres that The Clash took on over the years was rockabilly, the early sounds of rock ‘n’ roll that had captivated audiences back in the 1950s. On their seminal release London Calling, the band even covered Vince Taylor’s ‘Brand New Cadillac’, showing their commitment to the style. Seemingly, this influence was largely down to Joe Strummer and his hero worship of early rockabilly stars like Bo Diddley.
Emerging in the mid-1950s, Diddley was an essential figure in the development of rock ‘n’ roll, bridging the gap between old-school American blues music and this exciting new musical style. Throughout his career, Diddley showed a constant ability to adapt and change with the times, reinventing himself and his music multiple times – much like Joe Strummer and The Clash.
Speaking to Mojo in 2002, shortly before his death, Strummer voiced his adoration of the rock pioneer, sharing, “My hero is Bo Diddley. People can get caught thinking it’s all about technique when it’s not really about technique at all; it’s about something even more exciting and unidentifiable.”
Continuing, the frontman explained, “Everybody else was playing 12-bar blues at the time. He looked around and he was like: ‘I’ve got to do something different if I want to make it in this town.’”
The Clash had such a deep-rooted appreciation for the inventive sounds of Bo Diddley that, during their very first tour of the United States in 1979, they invited the guitar master to be their support act. Although Strummer was in awe of seeing his guitar hero in the flesh and performing alongside him, the tour was pretty disastrous. Audiences who had paid to see The Clash were not particularly impressed with Diddley’s retro sound, and his performances were often drowned out by fans shouting for “The Clash!”
Diddley himself wasn’t so keen on the tour either, seeing no enjoyment in this modern, abrasive, and loud style of rock. Years later, he lamented the band for how loud they were, saying, “That was ridiculous. My ears are hurting, still, from listening to that crap.”
Their joint tour might not have been a very harmonious affair, but that did not stop Strummer from worshipping at the feet of Bo Diddley, in awe of his pioneering guitar style and infallible attitude. Punk might have sought to tear down the musical establishment, but the scene was always indebted to groundbreaking figures like Diddley, and Strummer was all too aware of that fact.
