Bo Diddley Helped Put Pleasant Street on the Touring Map

In January 1985, Bo Diddley arrived at a Morgantown room called the Underground Railroad. The address was 123 Pleasant Street; the club name familiar today was still years away.

Marsha Ferber had opened the Underground Railroad in 1982. Its music community extended beyond the stage, with WVU’s U92 radio station and Backstreet Records helping original music find an audience. According to the venue’s history, Bo Diddley’s appearance began a new phase of nationally known bookings.

That sequence matters. A local scene had already taken shape before a rock-and-roll pioneer came through its door. The building would acquire the 123 Pleasant Street name in 1998, but this earlier booking belongs to the foundation beneath it.

Explore the 123 Pleasant Street venue guide.

Sources: Source