[BDBopper]

B o Diddley has had a huge impact on the world of music and has been a huge inspiration to many. For example, notice how Johnny Otis' big smash from 1958 Willie & The Hand Jive is completely based on the Bo Diddley beat. You may be more familiar with the dance in the musical movie ]Grease. There's no doubt that Buddy Holly was inspired when recording Not Fade Away with The Crickets in 1957 (The song would become one of the Rolling Stones' first hits). The Strangeloves also incorporated Bo's beat into their hit record I Want Candy in 1965. Diddley and his songs have inspired countless superstars from Eric Clapton to Aerosmith (Both songs in those two videos were Diddley originals).

Not to mention the fact that without Bo Diddley it is possible that we would have never been blessed with the talents of Marvin Gaye. Gaye was in a Washington DC DooWop group called the Marquees and Bo discovered them and helped them record their single Wyatt Earp on the Okeh label in 1957. the songle got the attention of Harvey Fuqua and he chose The Marquees to become the new Moonglows (Ten Commandments of Love and others). While on tour Gaye's talents were discovered by Motown owner Garry Gordy and the rest is musical history.

What a loss today!