Date of Birth:12/30/1928
Date of Death:06/02/2008
Age at Death:79
Cause of Death:Heart failure
Bo Diddley hospitalized with stroke
Thursday, May 17, 2007 | 9:26 AM ET

U.S. singer Bo Diddley is in intensive care after suffering a stroke in western Iowa.

Diddley, 78, was listed in guarded condition a Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., Susan Clary, a publicist for the musician's management team, said Wednesday.

Bo Diddley performs at B.B. Kings Blues Club in New York in August 2006. He suffered a stroke Sunday after performing in Iowa.
(Jeff Christensen/Associated Press)

He was hospitalized Sunday after becoming disoriented following a concert in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Doctors discovered he had suffered a stroke, which has impaired his speech and speech recognition, Clary said.

Diddley, whose home is in Florida, has a history of hypertension and diabetes. It is not known how long he will be in intensive care.

Enormously influential as an early rock 'n' roller, Diddley is known for his "hambone rhythm" style of playing guitar, which was imitated by artists such as Buddy Holly, The Who and Bruce Springsteen.

He topped R&B charts with Bo Diddley in 1955 and has had a string of hits, including Who Do You Love, Before You Accuse Me, Mona and I'm a Man. Many of his original songs have been covered by other artists.

He received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1998 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

In 2005, Bo Diddley celebrated his 50th anniversary in music with successful tours of Australia and Europe and with shows from coast to coast across North America.

Tom Petty said "Elvis was KING, but Diddley was DADDY".
BUDDY KIRSCHNER Music Promoter North East U.S.
Jimmy Cliff, Buddy Guy, Little Feat, Bluegrass legends Ralph Stanley, Bonnie Raitt, Asleep at the Wheel, James Hunter, Bob Weir, and many many more.