Goodbye, Bo

The final album that Bo Diddley cut was called "A Man Amongst Men," and the title s descriptive of the impact he had on a generation of rock 'n' roll musicians.

Ellas Otha Bates McDaniel, who took his stage name from a song he composed – or maybe vice versa – died today in a year that would have seen his 80th birthday. His passing means that just a few pioneers of the early days of rock, roughly half a century ago, still are with us.

"A Man Amongst Men," released in 1996, features performances by some of the guitarists he influenced: the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and Ron Wood, and Texas axeman Jimmie Vaughan, all of whom obviously held Bo in high esteem.

Bo Diddley never sold a ton of records, but he brought plenty to the table: a resolute self-assurance emulated by many of his predecessors; his trademark square-body guitar; and, of course, the "shave-and-a-haircut" cadence that became known as the Bo Diddley Beat.

His compositions turn up on countless albums of the rock era, many of which fail to spell his name properly. One of the more notable tributes to Mr. McDaniel's songwriting prowess is "Happy Trails," released by Quicksilver Messenger Service in 1969, a full two-thirds of which is based on a couple of Bo Diddley tunes, "Who Do You Love" and "Mona." (If you can find it, give it a listen, if nothing else for the transcendent guitar playing of the late John Cipollina.)

"Who Do You Love" is probably the most covered of Bo Diddley's songs, done by everyone from Ronnie & the Hawks – that's Ronnie Hawkins backed by musicians that later would form The Band – to George Thorogood & the Destroyers playing the version that's received the most airplay.

Around Pittsburgh, his "Bring It to Jerome" gained brief notoriety around Super Bowl XL, in relation to Steelers running back Jerome Bettis. In fact, the song was about Jerome Green, who accompanied Bo on maracas for decades.

If you're curious about Bo Diddley, your best bet is to locate "The Chess Box," which features most of his essential work on Chess Records from the '50s through the '70s.