JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock ‘n’ roll whose distinctive “shave and a haircut, two bits” rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of other musicians, died Monday after months of ill health. He was 79.
Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., said spokeswoman Susan Clary. He had suffered a heart attack in August, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa.
Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.
The legendary singer and performer, known for his homemade square guitar, dark glasses and black hat, is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and received a Grammy for lifetime achievement.
In recent years, he also played for former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, one of his favorite politicians.
“I think Clinton is going to be the mechanic to change the motor and bad parts that are ruining the country,” Diddley told The Denver Post in 1993. “I refer to him as a good mechanic to make the system run right again.”
Golden’s Buffalo Rose and the Jazz Aspen Labor Day Festival in Snowmass have hosted Diddley on his stops in Colorado. He was forced to cancel a pair of shows in Thornton and Golden in 1990 due to a leg injury.
His last concert here was on March 2, 2007, at the Soiled Dove Underground in Lowry.
Born Ellas Bates on Dec. 30, 1928, in McComb, Miss., Diddley was later adopted by his mother’s cousin and took on the name Ellis McDaniel, which his wife always called him.
Bo Diddley was a stage name whose origins are a mystery. “I don’t know where the kids got it, but the kids in grammar school gave me that name,” he once said. Other times, he gave somewhat differing stories. Some experts think a possible source is a one-string instrument used in traditional blues music called a diddley bow.
His first single, “Bo Diddley,” introduced record buyers in 1955 to his signature rhythm: bomp ba-bomp bomp, bomp bomp, often summarized as “shave and a haircut, two bits.” The B side, “I’m a Man,” with its slightly humorous take on macho pride, also became a rock standard.
The company that issued his early songs was Chess-Checkers records, the storied Chicago-based labels that also recorded Chuck Berry and other stars.
Howard Kramer, assistant curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, said in 2006 that Diddley’s Chess recordings “stand among the best singular recordings of the 20th century.”
Diddley’s other major songs included, “Say Man,” “You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover,” “Shave and a Haircut,” “Uncle John,” “Who Do You Love?” and “The Mule.” Diddley’s influence was felt on both sides of the Atlantic.
Buddy Holly borrowed the bomp-ba-bomp-bomp-bomp-bomp rhythm for his song “Not Fade Away.” The Rolling Stones’ bluesy remake of that Holly song was their first chart single in the United States in 1964. The following year, another British band, the Yardbirds, had a Top 20 hit in the U.S. with their version of “I’m a Man.” Diddley was also one of the pioneers of the electric guitar, adding reverb and tremelo effects.
Growing up, Diddley said, he had no musical idols, and he wasn’t entirely pleased that others drew on his innovations.
“I don’t like to copy anybody. Everybody tries to do what I do, update it,” he said. “They copied everything I did, upgraded it, messed it up.”
Despite his success, Diddley claimed he only received a small portion of the money he made. Partly as a result, he continued to tour and record music until his stroke.
Between tours, he made his home near Gainesville in north Florida.
You know Diddley
The “Bo Diddley beat” was copied by countless artists and underscored many hits: Buddy Holly used it on “Not Fade Away,” Elvis Presley on “His Latest Flame” and Johnny Otis on “Willie and the Hand Jive.” Other artists who incorporated it were Duane Eddy (“Cannonball”), the Strangeloves (“I Want Candy”), the Who (“Magic Bus”), the Stooges (“1969”), David Bowie (“Panic in Detroit”), Bruce Springsteen (“She’s the One”), the Smiths (“How Soon Is Now?”), Guns N’ Roses (“Mr. Brownstone”) and U2 (“Desire”).
Chicago Tribune
