Rock pioneer Bo Diddley dies at age 79 (AP)

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Rock pioneer Bo Diddley dies at age 79

By RON WORD, Associated Press Writer

1 hour, 58 minutes ago

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.

The legendary singer and performer, known for his homemade square guitar, dark glasses and black hat, was an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, and received a lifetime achievement award in 1999 at the Grammy Awards. In recent years he also played for the elder President Bush and President Clinton.

Diddley appreciated the honors he received, "but it didn't put no figures in my checkbook."

"If you ain't got no money, ain't nobody calls you honey," he quipped.

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I heard about Bo Diddley. Not long before it was Harvey Korman & Sidney Lumet Now the story all over the news is Sen. Kennedy's Brain Tumor. I'm hoping he pulls through ok. I don't always agree with his politics, but it's not something I'd wish on anybody.

Hehe, I only care about famous musicians, not politicians or other famous people. Ted Kennedy would have to be a friend or relative for me to be concerned about his brain. Probably sounds harsh, but I'm just being honest - I can't expend lots of energy worrying about people I don't know.

The exception is anyone who has played an important role in rock and roll or any related form of music. I went out to a huge open mic last night. The place was packed with literally 100 musicians and no one said anything about Bo Diddley. That makes me sad because I think people should care about those who have paved the way for whatever they have chosen to devote their life to. It doesn't take much effort to learn a little history and respect one's elders.

R.I.P. Bo Diddley.

I always use to get a kick of his name.

I don't know which is sadder, the fact that Bo Diddly is dead, or the fact that a lot of people who, (perhaps a bit indirectly) owe a lot of their inspiration to play music to the man.

I'm more sad about his profound influence on rock and roll going unrecognized, even right after his death (which tends to grossly inflate celebrity status). He was pretty old. I'd be happy to die at the age of 79.

In particular, it irks me when musicians who are into "roots" type music don't know anything about the history of American music or even want to know anything. (This open mic I went to was at a venue that specializes in rootsy, "Americana" type music.)

I talked to one such guy a few years back, who said that he was the Next Big Thing and therefore did not need to know anything about music history, except for a basic understanding of Bob Dylan. He claimed to be a huge Dylan fan and then said it was too bad that Dylan had died long ago and therefore was no longer writing songs. That guy didn't last in the music business very long - it wasn't what he expected it to be.

You met Vanilla Ice! Nobody could plagarize a Queen song like the Ice Man!

Back to Bo Diddley, along with Eddie Cochran he is the only 50s Rocker who's music I like. I wasn't aware when I first heard George Thourogood that he was so derivative of others. Of course by the mid 1970s the only Bo Diddley on the radio was being played by Eric Clapton , as far as I know.