It's not just that he's a man (spelled m-a-n and pronounced maaaaiiiin); to a lot of folks, Bo Diddley is the man--a man with his own beat and half a century of shaking it up under his belt. From his early, incredibly influential Chess records to switching out songs on Ed Sullivan (and getting himself banned from the show for it), to refusing to let the years get the best of him, Bo knows how to work style, flash and a good hook along with that beat.

But Bo is only one of the big names at this year's Durham Blues Festival. Sponsored by the St. Joseph's Historic Foundation and now in its 18th year, the Friday and Saturday (Sept. 9-10) festival also features Bettye Lavette, Duwayne Burnside & the Mississippi Mafia, Ruth Brown and John Lee Hooker.

Schedule and ticket info is at www.hayti.org/blues/index.asp.