Rock pioneer Bo Diddley dead at 79

(CNN) - Rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley, whose signature beat laid the
foundation for decades of tunes by artists ranging from Buddy Holly to U2, has
died at age 79, his family announced Monday.

Born Ellas Otha Bates in McComb, Mississippi, in 1928, Diddley was a
contemporary of Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Elvis Presley during the early
days of the genre. He was surrounded by loved ones at his home in Archer,
Florida, when he died of heart failure on Monday, according to a statement from
the family.Diddley's trademark black hat and his self-designed "cigar box" guitar
made him a distinctive figure. But it was the rhythm Diddley laid down on tunes
like "Who Do You Love" and "Bo Diddley" - a heavily syncopated blend he said
was drawn from African-American gospel, West African and Latin percussion and
the couplet "Shave and a haircut, two bits" - that became such a staple of
rock music that it now bears his name.