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WENN.com
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Monday, June 02, 2008
Rock n' roll pioneer Bo Diddley has died from heart failure, aged 79.
The legendary singer passed away on Monday at his home in Archer, Florida after a long battle with ill health, his spokeswoman Susan Clary has confirmed.
The rocker, born Ellas Bates, suffered a heart attack last August, just three months after being struck down by a stroke during his tour of Iowa.
The star is often credited as a key figure in the transition from blues to rock n' roll and was best known for his homemade square guitar, dark glasses and black hat and his signature "shave and a haircut, two bits" rhythm.
He influenced a whole generation of musicians with his innovative use of the electric guitar, including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen.
He won a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1999 and was an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Some of his biggest hits include I'm a Man, You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover, Mona, Bo Diddley and Shave and a Haircut.
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