Lady Bo was an American musician and a pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll. She was one of the first female rock guitarists in a highly visible rock band and the “Queen Mother of Guitar”.
Lady Bo was born Peggy Jones in Harlem, New York City. She attended Manhattan’s High School for the Performing Arts where she trained in opera, tap dancing, and ballet. At 15 she bought her first guitar and two years later she met Bo Diddley before a show at the legendary Apollo Theatre. He was so impressed by the fact that she was a female guitarist that he invited her to play with him in his dressing room after a show. Diddley asked her to replace Jody Williams who had been drafted and taught her his distinctive open tuning. Jones began to experiment with a bold use of effects that contributed to her unique style, a soulful and playful way of playing guitar.
Together they created the definitive sound of rhythm and blues in the 60’s, switching back and forth between rhythm and lead guitar so so effortlessly that it often sounded like one player. Jones played guitar and sang on recordings such as “Road Runner” and “Hey Bo Diddley.” In 1961 she recorded the instrumental “Aztec,” where she demonstrated her guitar skill and personal style by playing all of the guitar parts.
Jones also had a solo career as a songwriter and bandleader. She released a string of singles with groups like the Bopchords, the Continentals, Les Cooper, Eric Burdin and the Animals and the Soul Rockers as well as forming her own band, The Jewels. In 1961 she left Bo Diddley’s band to focus on The Jewels. Jones was the lead vocalist, guitarist, arranger, and sometime songwriter for the band and during the ’60s and ’70s they became one of the top R&B bands on touring the East Coast club circuit. Jones also did a brief stint in James Brown’s backing band.
In 1970 Jones rejoined Bo Diddley, with her band becoming his new backing band. At their first show together the crowd began chanting “Lady Bo”, creating her famous nickname.
Lady Bo was an innovator, experimenting with new guitars, effects and sounds, allowing not just her, but Bo Diddley to evolve musically despite his stubborn insistence on sticking with the cigar box guitar that made him famous. She also pushed boundaries as the first female R&B guitarist. She continued to perform regularly with her band Lady Bo and the BC Horns into her 70’s. She passed away at the age of 75 in September 2015.