Big Beat

One would hate to think that Bo Diddley, who died today at 79, went to his grave bitter about his placement in the Rock canon. On our end their was no denying that he was at the forefront of the Rock era. But Diddley wanted more. He called himself the originator, and felt that while white artists, like the Rolling Stones, got all the glory, he got nothing. There's truth in that. Like a lot of Black artists from the birth of Rock, Diddley didn't reap the financial windfall's that white artists did.
But the reality is that Diddley will be remembered for two things: the Bo Diddley beat and the Bo Diddley boasts. The latter influenced rap, even though I've yet to hear a rap artist say it, and the former influenced a ton of English rock bands of the 60's. So, Diddley was bitter near the end. The last article's I read from him showed that he was still full of pride but he also wondered when he'd ever get his full due. Death has a way of elevating even the most minor of musicians. Diddley wasn't minor, and the tributes that will pour in hopefully will give him the peace of mind that he never got in the real world.