Bo Diddley, Father of Rock, Dies at 79

Posted by Rachel Scall 06/02/2008 6:43 PM

Bo Diddley, one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, died today at age 79. Diddley is known best for his home-crafted square guitar and is credited with penning and popularizing the "shave and a haircut, two bits" rhythm (or the "bomp ba-bomp bomp, bomp, bomp" rhythm) which has been called "the most plagiarized rhythm" in rock music. It has been sampled in songs including the Rolling Stones' "Not Fade Away" and John Otis's "Willie and the Hand Jive." To learn more about Bo Diddley, click here, or listen to the Animals' "Story of Bo Diddley" to understand his legacy (without having to make the effort to read anything!).