Rock pioneer Bo Diddley dies at age 79

Bo was one of the creators of RNR. God rest his soul.

Rest in peace! He will be missed.

go BO Diddley

I saw Bo Diddley live many years ago. His band consisted of a bunch of 20-year-olds and he was playing a bizarre square guitar through a phaser. It was almost painfully loud but still a great show from the old man. One of the originators. RIP, Bo....the Diddley beat will live forever.

I had the privilege to Bo Diddly three times in concert, he was a fabulous showman. He will be greatly missed. He was one of the best!

I met the man in the Bernalillo County court house in '92 here in Albuquerque. He was talking with an attorney friend of mine. I went up to speak to my friend and after we'd chatted for a bit he said, "Oh! Do you know Bo Diddley?" My jaw dropped, and Mr. McDaniel just beamed. This big star was _very— nice to a kid who'd heard his music my whole life.

God bless him; may he rest in peace.

Not much has ever been mentioned about Bo Diddley and the US Army. Many many GI's have run miles and miles while chanting Bo Diddley songs. I first heard them when I was in Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA, in 1970. The refrain was "Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley, have you heard, I'm gonna jump from a big iron bird. Hey, Bo Diddley, hey, Bo Diddley." There are quite a few more verses I can't remember that either time has erased or too many jumps out of airplanes. I met Bo Diddley a few years ago at the airport in South Bend, IN. He has just done a concert for a summer festival there. I was able to talk to him for a few minutes and related to him how his songs helped many of us run in step for many miles. He said, "Ya, man, I know. God bless you!" To this day when I run (reluctantly), his tunes still are in my head. I hope someone near where he will be buried places a set of Army jump wings on his grave.

I played and recorded with Bo numerous times and he was a fun guy with a great sense of humor. In the studio, the producer asked me to tune Bo's guitar and as I reached to pick it up, he said with that tongue-in-cheek voice of doom "Oh no, nobody touches Bo's guitar". So it didn't get tuned...still sounded great. At a gig, I remember playing one tune with him for about an hour-more like some blend of Nigerian highlife and blues than anything he had ever recorded, but it was something I won't forget. I am very sorry to hear of his passing.

I started buying his records when his first album came out and bought about 20 more. I still have them all. Bo was an inspiration in those days. Bo and Chuck Berry were my idols.

A true musical giant. I still play many of his CD's on a regular basis. Not too many real legends left. God rest his soul.

There is no rock and roll without Bo Diddley. No one influenced so many artists like the great Bo did. Not Elvis, Chuck B, Little Richard, Jerry Lee, or even Link Wray. No one did left such a huge print on music as Bo Diddley. No when I get to Paradise I expect to hear the famous "stomp" coming from the square guitar and maracas...Miss you already Bo..

A real musical giant !!!!!!!!!! I still listen to mcuh of his music on a regular basis. Not many musical legends left. He will be missed by fans and fellow musicians alike.

Like Tom Petty said--"Elvis may have been the king, but Bo Diddley was the daddy"!! No need to say more.

my lifelong friends changed my name from bob to bo because of my adoration for him.
one of my friends, with great reverence, is wondering about the shape of bo's casket. who do we love? we're all crackin' up at the news. i'm sorry....rock in peace.
da...da-da-da...DA DA

Bo Diddley was a was a pioneer, with his own original sound and composition.

There are many who can always improve upon things that have already been created, but few have that creative spark to come up with something truly original themselves.

Bo Diddley, may you rest in peace, and play music in heaven now :)

Art Carter

Bo Didley was a "gunslinger." He moved me early on.

Will never forget his music. A master at his craft.

Listening to Bo on Itunes right now. Vodka in hand...Here's to you Bo...Heavens' gonna have a rockin band when I get there!

I'm a rock musician (with a day job) and I never fully appreciated Bo Diddley until about 90-91. I had grown up hearing Bo's songs and loved them when I was a kid. When I was a teenager and in high school (86-90) I was a full-on metalhead and didn't think much of the "classics". Then in the late 90s, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page started talking about Robert Johnson, Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley, etc, and that made me dig back into the roots of rock (blues, country, bluegrass) and the rock of the 50s and 60s.

Bo's passing is sad, and I hope he really knows how much of an impact he had on popular music today. Rest in peace, Bo. We'll miss you.

Heaven just got another Rockin' angel. God bless Bo Diddley's soul. He is a true father of R& B and Rock n roll. My mother was a teen in the 50's and I was blessed to have grown up listening to Mr. Diddley. I will miss him, but what a musical legacy.

His music was and is exciting, infectious and at the heart of the fun side of Rock n' Roll, just listen to his Chess sides. Awesome stuff!

Bo Diddley was the Godfather of Garage, the King of Cool. Everyone at some point bore his mark: the Yardbirds, the Animals, the Stones, Tom Petty, Iggy Pop, the Smiths (remember of "How Soon Is Now?"), the Hives, the Clash, Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen -- hell, everybody!

I only got to see him once, about 15 years ago. He was unloading gear in front of the old 9:30 Club in downtown Washington, D.C. I waved and said "Hey, Bo." He waved back. Very cool dude. Rock n' roll heaven just got larger.

Bo Diddley was the Godfather of Garage, the King of Cool. Think of all the musicians who have been infleunced by him (and who in turn infleunced so many others for the better): the Yardbirds, the Who, the Animals, the Stones, Iggy Pop, the Smiths, Tom Petty, the Clash, the Hives, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Jam. Rock n' roll heaven, make room for one of the greats. Hopefully, I'll be admitted one day, too.

i'm from ohio and had heard bo diddley songs on detroit radio for years when i was younger. went to a party one night in chicago and who's been contracted to play but bo. i find a lady and rock and dance to this guy all night. most of the people there had no freaking idea until he started to crank it up. memorable show and i wish i could hook up again with that bawdy mama i danced with.