Bo Diddley Dead at Age 79

Bo Diddley, one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, died today in his home in Archer, Florida, where he had lived for 20 years. The cause was heart failure, according to a spokesperson. Diddley performed live until May 2007, when he suffered a stroke; three months later, in August, he also suffered a heart attack. The spokesperson said that he was surrounded by family and friends when he died. Public and private services are scheduled for this weekend.

In the summer of 2005, Rolling Stone writer Neil Strauss caught up with Diddley for the magazine's last major feature on him, the award-winning "Indestructible Beat of Bo Diddley."

• The Indestructible Beat of Bo Diddley by Neil Strauss (RS 981, August 25, 2005)

• The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Bo Diddley by Iggy Pop (RS 946, April 15, 2004)

• Bo Diddley: The Rolling Stone Interview by Kurt Loder (RS 493, February 12, 1987)

• Photo Gallery: Shots From Bo Diddley's Five Decade Career

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

More Song Stories entries »

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