For a while there, it seemed like he was going to live forever, but sadly, blues legend Bo Diddley passed away yesterday of heart failure at the age of 79. Diddley’s instantly recognizable blues and rock guitar influenced countless rock ‘n roll musicians, including Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones; Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney, The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, The Who and Bruce Springsteen. Diddley never had the great commercial success of the musicians, he influenced but was seen as a rock statesman by fans and music critics.

Bo Diddley was a musical innovator who helped forge the sound and contributed to the style of rock ‘n’ roll. He sported a trademark fedora, played an iconic square-shaped guitar and from it he extracted a deep, rusty reverb and a peculiar playing style that influenced generations of players.

Diddley died Monday of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla.; he was 79. He’d been in ill health for much of the past year, having suffered a stroke and a heart attack in 2007.

Prior to those ailments, though, Diddley remained a vigorous performer, continuing to tour regularly, as he’d done since he began performing in the mid ’50s, when he helped shape rock ‘n’ roll.

“He was by far the most underrated of any ’50s star,” says producer Phil Spector. “You listen to those (reissued box sets) and the rhythmic invention, the consistent high quality of imagination and performance, the excellence of the writing, the power of the vocals – nobody else ever did it better or had a deeper, more penetrating influence.”

Perhaps no guitarist was more influenced by Diddley’s sound and style than ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, who carries on Diddley’s tradition of strange-looking instruments and full-bodied guitar riffs with prickly solos.

Gibbons called Diddley “the ‘artiste.’

“He was the man who constructed the sound we all grew to revolve around,” he said. “And a vision of simplicity delivered through effortless expression and sense of humor. Many times, Bo made a point to say, ‘I’ll always be around,’ and we know he will.”

Diddley’s biggest hit by the numbers was Say Man. It was the only song of his to hit the pop charts, reaching No. 20 in 1959.

[From the Houston Chronicle]

During their concert Monday night, The Rolling Stones spoke about Diddley and honored the man by playing some of his songs.

Last night Sir Mick Jagger, whose band covered Diddley’s songs Mona and Crackin’ Up, paid tribute to the Mississippi-born musician as an ‘enormous force in music’.

Sir Mick said: ‘He was a wonderful, original musician who was an enormous force in music and was a big influence on the Rolling Stones.

‘He was very generous to us in our early years and we learned a lot from him. We will never see his like again.’

Diddley had a heart attack in August while on tour, three months after suffering a stroke which affected his ability to speak.

He had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.

Diddley, born Ellas Bates, was renowned for his home-made square guitar, dark glasses and black hat.

[From the Daily Mirror]

Rest in peace, Bo. There will never be another like you.

Bo Diddley is shown in the header performing at the MGM Grand on 2/1/07. He is also shown at a Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction on 3/14/05, and performing at the Chicago Blues Festival in 2001.

Here are some videos of Diddley performing: