Bo Diddley dies at 79

Guitar legend killed by heart failure

02 June 2008 - He was the one man to have a rhythm named after him, “The Bo Diddley Beat”, but at the age of 79, the guitar legend has died.

The rock 'n' roll pioneer, famed for his homemade square guitar, suffered a stroke in May 2007 while touring,  which was followed by a heart attack in August the same year.

Doctors say he died from heart failure, and a family spokesperson revealed he passed away in Florida, surrounded by family and friends.

" I play the guitar as if I were playing drums.”
Bo Diddley

As a contemporary of Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Elvis Presley, Bo Diddley was admired by many, and inspired many, including Richard Hawley:

“It’s always upsetting when you hear one of the greats has passed away, ‘cos it kind of takes us away from the source of what makes great music, and I just hope people keep on listening to Bo Diddley for a thousand years.

"Musicians will inevitably gravitate towards the source of the river, to the mountain top, and that’s where Bo Diddley was.”

Bo once summed up his passion for music by explaining how he tackles his approach to music:

“I’m into playing chords and stuff like that, I’m a rhythm fanatic, I play the guitar as if I were playing drums.”


Jo Youle