Rock ‘n Roll Legend Bo Diddley Dies at 79

Most of you are probably too young to remember who this guy is (hell, I’m too young to remember), or why you should care. But Bo Diddley’s signature beat helped father an entire genre of music, and can be found in the influences of everyone, from Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton.

Born in Mississippi and raised in Chicago, Diddley began his musical career playing the guitar on the windy Chicago streets, before being discovered by Chess Records. But after his break, Diddley kept his music based in a simple premise. When asked about good songwriting, Diddley said you should always write “[a] story with some funny lyrics, or some serious lyrics, or some love-type lyrics. But you gotta think in terms of what people’s lives is based on.”

Check out video of Bo Diddley after the jump!

Adopted by his mother’s extremely religious sister, Bo was encouraged from a young age to steer clear of “the devil’s music,” and play the violin instead. After building violins and guitars at his vocational high school, Diddley met Chess Records staffer, Gene Barge.

From NPR.org:

“He was gifted with his hands,” Barge says. “He loved to work on things: cars, record players, amplifiers. And he made his guitars. He crafted his whole sound.”

Some of Diddley’s guitars were custom-built to his specifications by the Gretsch company: shaped like stars or covered in fur. Barge says that long before Diddley worked audiences, he worked odd jobs and construction.

In the end, Bo’s music never tapped into the mainstream with any real significance, with only one song, “Say Man,” hitting the Top 40 charts. He gradually became bitter at his lack of success when others were playing his tunes. So next time you’re listening to “Wild Thing,” remember who allowed you rock-out so thoroughly.