Bo Diddley...

passed away a few days ago. Now, i would be a liar if i said i listened to him. I've heard some of his music and i know who he is. if you showed a picture of him to me i could tell you that was Bo Diddley. I know he was a pioneer in rock 'n roll, but i read something the other day that rubbed me the wrong way.

i found this in the New York Times (online) the other day.

"Still, for all his fame, Mr. Diddley felt that his standing as a father of rock ’n’ roll was never properly acknowledged. It frustrated him that he could never earn royalties from the songs of others who had borrowed his beat." (Whole article here)

Now, i don't know about you, but don't you think that mr. diddley should be happy enough that he's even considered "a father of rock 'n' roll?" I mean, i'm sure he worked hard at the music he produced, and if it weren't for him who knows where rock 'n' roll would be today, but to me if i came up with a rock beat that pretty much all of rock followed, i would be flattered, let alone complain about not getting paid for it when another band uses it. when the first musical note was ever played music has progressed. it always has and it always will. there needs to be building blocks for that progression to build off of, and mr. diddley came up with one of those beats. here's what that beat sounds like. i'm sure you've heard it.



Here is U2 using that beat. modified a little of course. or progressed as i like to think of it.



i;m sure somebody could come up with a good argument against me here, but i guess i like when people are humble. ya know, a ... "god, i can't believe the beat i created became SO popular that nearly every rock band uses it in some way. it's unbelievable. just hearing that beat used by others is thank you enough." i don't know, maybe i'm way out of line here. maybe he's right to be pissed about not getting paid for others using his beat. after all he did invent it. but if it weren't for the blues and other music before him, would he have come up with it? the way i see it he progressed the music before him, and his music is being progressed everyday. it's give and take.

i think bo diddley has gained something better than royalties, he will never die. his beat will live on in the music. when people hear U2 or the Beatles or Tool or AC/DC use that beat, that's Bo Diddley.