RIP Bo Diddley

A great man has passed away from the music world. I heard earlier this week that Bo Diddley, legendary and innovative guitarist had died. I'm not going to write about how he died, or his funeral or any of that stuff. I would like to just take a moment to acknowledge what an incredible musician and revolutionary he was. Without Bo Diddley, it's been said that there probably would be no Beatles, no Stones, no rock n roll as we know it.

In the 1950's, Bo Diddley penned songs like "Road Runner" and his aptly named "Hey Bo Diddley". His signature homemade rectangular electric guitar shucked out the rhythms that instantly got an audience moving. Bo Diddley contributed to the history of Rock n Roll as we know it, and many of his peers regarded him as a model for what good music was all about. Fun, honest and dancable tunes were his specialty.

All you have to do is look back over the years at the many many guitarists who have either collaborated with Diddley or sought their inspiration and style from him. He was said to be the GODFATHER of rockin' blues. The Clash, The Who, Patti Smith, The Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, CCR and countless other bands have covered Bo's songs, and many will continue to do so.

Artists just getting their start today, or the artists of tomorrow probably won't be exposed to Bo Diddley directly, since his passing. But I know that his influence through the years will no doubt continue to shine through in all the best music of the rockin' blues, honkey tonk, boogie-woogie, rhythm & Blues and many other styles of music for decades to come. Rest in Peace Bo Diddley (1928-2008)