For Immediate Release
September 29, 2009

Contact: Jennifer K. Davis

(850) 245.6527
jkdavis@dos.state.fl.us

Bo Diddley and Christopher Still to be inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame

Tallahassee, FLORIDA –  

Secretary of State Kurt S. Browning is pleased to announce the selection of the late recording artist Bo Diddley and painter Christopher Still for induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. Both artists were recommended for the Hall of Fame honor by the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and will be inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame during Florida Heritage Month, March 2010.

Bo Diddley

“Bo Diddley was a founding legend of popular music as we know it,” said Secretary of State Browning. “He also deserves recognition for his commitment to at-risk youth, often through support of charity events and music education programs.”

Bo Diddley, born Ellas Otha Bates MacDaniel, of Archer, Florida died in 2008 at the age of 80. An internationally renowned musician, songwriter, performer and music industry pioneer, he represents the foundation of rock and roll in its cultural transition from blues roots. Known for originating the distinctive rhythmic backbeat of early Pop Music in the 1950s, Bo Diddley influenced major recording artists of his day and performers in recent decades, who embraced his intentionally distorted electric guitar sound. He made his debut on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1955, had many charted hits during his career, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He received many of the entertainment industry’s lifetime achievement awards for his influence in the world of music.

Christopher Still

A Florida oil painter with an international reputation, Christopher M. Still has received many awards and commissions for his images of Florida’s cultural and natural history. Among his most admired are the large-format visual narratives on the walls of the Florida House of Representatives in the Capitol. At work in his Tarpon Springs studio, each of the artist’s paintings is informed by very thorough historical and environmental research. Mr. Still’s work is represented in galleries, museums, universities, government buildings, and in the private collections of major Florida art investors. Considered one of Florida’s finest master artists, Mr. Still often gives his artwork and time to support community preservation efforts and education.

“Mr. Still is a shining example of what a commitment to the study of art will do for a person’s life. He is not only a consummate painter, designer, and researcher, but also a model citizen who expresses love for his native state in his detailed images. We are very proud to have him among us,” said Secretary Browning.

Established by the Florida Legislature in 1986, the Florida Artists Hall of Fame recognizes persons, living or deceased, who have made significant contributions to the arts in Florida either as performing or practicing artists in their disciplines. These individuals contribute to Florida's national or international reputation as a state with a sustained commitment to the development of cultural excellence. The Florida Artists Hall of Fame currently consists of over 30 inductees, including musician and performer Ray Charles, actor and director Burt Reynolds, writers Zora Neale Hurston, Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway, filmmaker Victor Nunez, and visual artists Duane Hanson, Robert Rauschenberg and James Rosenquist.

For more information about the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, contact Ken Crawford, tel. 850.245.6395, email kcrawford@dos.state.fl.us, or visit http://www.florida-arts.org/programs/halloffame/index.cfm.