European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To never got diddle and he wants it by Larry Neumeister associated press after 35 years to diddle wants his payday. It s Nice to be called a legend. It was fun playing the White House. Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was flattering and telling Center fielder to Jackson that he did t know diddle was a laugh. But now to wants More. To wants Cash. Quot i feel like America owes me something More than just saying of the great to diddle a a the 61-year-old artist said in a recent interview in new York. Quot Elvis Presley copied me and i used to would t say anything about it. When they found the White boy who could do what i was doing then they shoved me Back in the Corner and he went on to Las vegas where All the Money was. But to diddle never got a Chance to get involved Quot he said. Quot i have no bitterness against Elvis or any other White entertainer that records Black music but i think there should be some recognition As to where he got the stuff from. Don t come up and steal my stuff and say you wrote it because that s a  appeared on the de Sullivan show shortly there adj radio disc jockey Alan freed called his music Quot Rock  Quot i was first to be called Rock n Roll. Not Little Richard not Elvis Presley not buddy Holly. None of 1 them. I was the first one Quot diddle said. He stood out on stage with his homemade Square guitar dark rimmed glasses Black leather jacket Ani Black hat with a Diamond shaped Turquoise pinned to the front. Quot i m an entertainer. In a a showman. I m not a guitarist Quot said diddle. Quot when you re dealing with it like myself you re dealing with a real entertainer a person who knows what the stage is built for Quot by la Lor i prot half the Man they first called a Rock a no Roll Quot a to diddle a is Down in the dumps. Its not just Elvis who Rode the to diddle beat to Success. The trademark guitar sound that he a played Over four decades anchors the who a magic bus Bruce Springsteen s she s the one buddy Holly s not fade away Johnny Otis Willie and the hand Jive Elvis costello s Lover s walk and George Michaels Faith diddle a like other rhythm and blues artists in the late 1940s and 50s a was paid a Flat fee for his recordings and received no Royalty payments on record sales. But Over the years he s found his music on records around the world Quot in places i ainu to never heard of in my  Quot but whereas the Money Quot he said. Quot the thing that hurts me so bad is that every time i come up with something it looks like somebody jumped on it they make Money with it and i can t get arrested with it. Quot everybody says of you be got such a negative attitude Guys can always Tell to you  be hollering about that that a water under the Bridge yes it s water under the Bridge but my kids were deprived of a lot of things because the water went under the Bridge and in a not at All Happy about  diddle has been entertaining almost from the Day he was born Otha Ellis Bates on dec. 30,1928, in Mccomb miss. He was later adopted by his Mother s Cousin and took on the name Ellis Mcdaniel which his wife Calls him to this Day. When he was 5, the family moved to Chicago where he Learned the violin at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. He Learned the guitar at age 10. He entertained passers by on Street Corners taking inspiration from the rhythm and blues bands playing in local clubs. In his Early teens he played on Chicago s Maxwell Street and acquired his stage name a Moniker derived from a Quot to diddle Quot a a one stringed guitar. For four years beginning in 1951, he played at the 708 club on the South Side. In july 1955, he was signed to the checker record Label and his first single to diddle was a Success. He its not the same at Home where he a Ellis to his wife and Quot to pop Quot to his grandchildren. He s also no rebel off stage serving a stint in the 1970s As a Sheri in new Mexico. He considers himself patriotic. A i m Here baby. In a a piece of this dirt or whatever is. I did no to come from no Africa Quot he said. Sometimes he can be found building a porch in Deboe fla., for his 70-by 24-foot trailer Home surrounded by Rose Bushes fruit Trees and grass. He said the Home is so big it makes him feel like Quot Nobil but he knows what it can connote to some people. Quot it s comfortable. It does no to bother me what people think because there s so Many people that live in Tho trailers that got More Money than to diddle i am a regular person Quot he said. He is still paying for a Large Home in Hawthorne full which he moved away from when a previous marriage ended. Someone he said should do a Benefit for Boj diddle to Clear him of his $300,000 debt. Quot at 55,1  retire. I could t even think about it Quot he said. Meanwhile hell keep touring the country playing Here and there and mostly near his Home in the Samel sort of venues where he a been displaying his act for f parts of five decades. With All his business failings one of diddle s greatest achievements came last year when he was ii the Nike sneaker commercial. Quot the Nike commercial did More for me than any third done for me in the last 20 years. Everybody knows to diddle now just because i said a you Don t know diddle that s All i said. I Ain t done nothing else us Tyr so by Cois it live or is it. Just a tape by David Bauder associated press at Many pop music concerts these Days a listener can hear intricate Horn riffs and vocal harmonies with no brass in sight and Only one Singer at the microphone. The growing use of canned music and Quot lip syncing Quot at concerts has drawn the ire of lawmakers in new York and new Jersey who say listeners should be told if the live performances they re paying for Arentt entirely live. The lawmakers Are going after big names. Artists like Madonna and Milli Vanilli Are among those who have been accused of augmenting their live shows with tapes. Quot the More we get into it the More i hear it s very prevalent Quot said democratic assemblyman Joseph Mecca who proposed the new Jersey Bill. The new Jersey Bill would require concert promoters to warn ticket buyers in advertisements and on ticket stubs if an artist is using recordings in place of live Lead vocals. Otherwise reproduced. Lip syncing in t particularly new. Neither Are musical tapes a artists As diverse As James Taylor David Byrne and Sinead o Connor have Sang onstage with Only a tape player behind them. It s complicated however by technology like synthesizers samplers and drum machines that give hit songs a highly mechanized sound that can to be duplicated cheaply if at All by live musicians. Carl freed executive director of the North american concert promoters association estimated that 90 percent of the Rock or rap artists out on the Road either use tapes or reproduce instruments through synthesizers. Dance pop duo Milli Vanilli winners of this year s grammy for Best new artist speak in heavily accented English Between songs but sing with amazing clarity in concert said Chris Willman a pop music critic for the los Angeles times. He says it s Clear they re faking. A spokesman for Arista records the duos Label said Quot there is some use of backing vocals on tape. Lead vocals Are live the band is playing  the spokesman refused to give his name for attribution. Its a Touchy subject in the music business. Admitting to an extensive use of tapes shows an inherent deception about what a advertised As a live show. Quot most people a a vast majority of people a Don t care Quot freed said. Quot but when it comes to people who lip sync 100 percent of their shows people do care. They feel ripped  but those cases Are unusual. And promoters complain that the new York Bill does no to differentiate Between a Complete miming act and occasional augmentation. In her current tour Madonna does a duet with a dancer who lip syncs a song that Warren Beatty Sang on Madonna a new album. In the 1960s, can to afford a Horn Section the Road so they use a synthesizer to duplicate Horn riffs on some songs said j their manager Keith Beccia. Beccia said the new York Bill would leave Many bands with several unpleasant options a Cut their hits Iron the show turn off tapes or simply avoid j playing in new York altogether. Freed called the Bills another attack of artistic Freedom on an Industry already reeling from a Public scrap about parental warning labels on albums that use explicit lyrics. The rascals who recorded Good lovin new York s Bill sponsored by Republican state sen. Eugene Levy goes even further it would require disclosures in advertisements for All music that has been recorded or watch for the Best new kids reviews both lawmakers say they re not trying to prevent artists from using tape but just want them to be upfront Abou i Quot i would be very disappointed if Paul Mccartney decided he wanted to do a Little bit More dancing on stage and started to use tapes Quot Mecca said would want my Money Back to the the truth. But i was t reared on Miv promoters say the ticket buying Public should decide whether canned is Good or bad. If people done to like it they won t come to the shows freed Sai Quot i done to think it takes away from the effect of the show Quot freed said. Quot i think it adds it they re trying to give kids a repro u of what they see on mtg a so they or have to hear an artist breathing har w they re doing dance  Page 16 a a a the stars and stripes wednesday june 6,1990