Rock 'n' roll pioneer Bo Diddley, who made hit songs powered by the relentless "Bo
Diddley beat" that influenced rockers from Buddy Holly to U2, died
today at the age of 79.
Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida, his management
agency, Talent Consultants International, said in a statement.
"One of the founding fathers of rock 'n' roll has left the building he helped
construct," the statement said.
Diddley suffered a stroke during a concert in Iowa in May 2007 and was
hospitalised in Omaha, Nebraska. In August 2007 he had a heart attack in
Florida.
In a career spanning more than five decades, Diddley composed a substantial
body of rock classics, including "Who Do You Love," "Bo Diddley," "Bo
Diddley's a Gunslinger," "Before You Accuse Me," "Mona," "I'm a Man" and
"Pretty Thing."
He cranked them out on a signature rectangular guitar, setting many of them to
the rumba-like rhythm of his "Bo Diddley beat" that gave rock 'n' roll a
powerful rhythmic foundation.
Along with such contemporaries as Chuck Berry and Little Richard, he was among
a pioneering group of black recording artists who crossed the American
racial divide with music that appealed to white audiences and was emulated
by white performers.
Although Diddley recorded relatively few chart-topping hits, his seminal role
in the formative years of rock music was recognised by his induction into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and with a Grammy lifetime
achievement award in 1998.
Born Ellas Bates in 1928 in McComb, Mississippi, he took the last name
McDaniel from his adoptive mother, and played classical violin as a boy.
He was given the nickname Bo Diddley as a teenager after moving to Chicago,
where he started playing music on street corners in the 1940s.
Inspired by blues musician John Lee Hooker's classic "Boogie Chillen," Diddley
used his violin skills to craft a guitar sound that laid the basis for the
funk music of the 1960s.
He found fame in the mid-1950s with his signature song "Bo Diddley." Even
among the first wave of rock music, the song stood out with its tremolo
guitar, maracas and trademark beat.
Diddley's unique guitar playing and rhythm influenced generations of rockers
from Elvis Presley to Bon Jovi. Keith Richards and Ron Wood of the Rolling
Stones and Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi made guest appearances on his records
and Diddley played with the likes of The Clash and The Grateful Dead.
Arguably the greatest mainstream success of a song with the Bo Diddley beat
was Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away," recorded in the 1950s and which saw
renewed success when it was covered by the Rolling Stones in the 1960s.
In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald in March 2007, Diddley insisted
he was the real father of rock, saying: "Little Richard came two or three
years later, along with Elvis Presley. In other words, I was the first dude
out there."
Diddley frequently complained about not being paid royalties during his peak
years, telling The New York Times, "Have I been ripped off? ... You bet I've
been ripped off."
In 1955 Diddley became the first black artist to appear on "The Ed Sullivan
Show" and was promptly banned from further appearances because he defied
Sullivan's instructions to sing a cover song and instead performed his own
hit "Bo Diddley."
Diddley had harsh words for the direction black music had taken in recent
years, telling Reuters that "gangsta" rap made his blood boil.
"I hate it. I call it rap-crap," Diddley said in a 1996 interview. "I can't
seem to get my records played but they'll play all this garbage."
Diddley liked to help out in his local community in Florida. A father of five,
he said he was deeply concerned about the direction of children in American
society.
He worked with his local police department to warn teenagers about the dangers
of drugs and gang violence.
Diddley was still touring and making records in recent years, not least
because he said he needed the money.
His agency said public and private services are planned for this weekend.
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