On November 20, 1955, Bo Diddley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.
The show had requested that Diddley sing the Merle Travis-penned
Tennessee Ernie Ford hit “Sixteen Tons” but when he appeared on stage,
he sang “Bo Diddley” instead. This substitution resulted in his being banned
from further appearances. “I did two songs and Ed Sullivan got mad,”
Diddley later recalled. “He said that I was one of the first colored boys to ever
double-cross him. Said that I wouldn’t last six months.”
(via broadminded)
