** FILE ** In this Jan. 21, 1987 file photo rock 'n' roll singer and guitarist Bo Diddley jams with some of the other inductees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee ceremony in New York. At left is Smokey Robinson. Diddley died Monday June 2, 2008 of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., spokeswoman Susan Clary said. He was 79. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. " A spokeswoman says rock pioneer Bo Diddley has died. He was 79.
The spokeswoman says Diddley died of heart failure Monday. He had suffered a heart attack in August 2007, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa.
Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.
Diddley was known for his homemade square guitar, dark glasses and black hat.
His first single, "Bo Diddley," introduced record buyers in 1955 to his signature rhythm: bomp ba-bomp bomp, bomp bomp, often summarized as "shave and a haircut, two bits." The B side, "I'm a Man," with its slightly humorous take on macho pride, also became a rock standard.