The day Bo Diddley died

When Bo Diddley played his guitar, he used to say, he wanted to play it just like he was a drummer.  And Maureen Tucker, drummer for the Velvet Underground, reckoned that when she started drumming she wanted to sound like Bo Diddley on his guitar.  For good or ill, he changed music.  Says the New York Times this morning, "The singer and guitarist invented his own name, his own guitars, his own beat and, with a handful of other musical pioneers, rock ’n’ roll itself."

Bo Diddley died overnight.  Here's his early hit, "Who Do You Love?' played just the way he wanted to sound.

                   

And here's my favourite cover of the song: the Patti Smith Group, live on the Letterman show.