I Want Diddley

I may have let the recent passing of California wine industry pioneer Robert Mondavi go without comment but I can't bring myself to do the same with Bo Diddley, who left the living just two days ago on June 2, 2008.



The video above is hardly one of his greatest performances of his signature tune but it captures his spirit and is interspersed with short clips of an interview with Mr. Diddley himself, aka Ellas McDaniel. Below, one of many tributes to the man. While it's actually a cover of a 1965 hit by The Strangeloves, there's no doubt that it's directly descended from "Bo Diddley," originally released in 1955. It's proof, at the very least, of the diversity of his influence. Rest in peace, Bo.