On June 2, the flowers are down for the rock legend Bo Diddley, sad moment for friends, colleagues and fans of this rock 'n' roll architect.

According to USA Today, the rock musician Bo Diddley Diddley died Monday of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla. at the age of 79 years old. He'd been in ill health for much of the past year, having suffered a stroke and a heart attack in 2007.

Speaking to USA Today Bonnie Raitt said "Bo Diddley was a monumental figure in early rock 'n' roll, a huge influence on everyone, he was a wonderful man, a true original musician and beloved the world over. He will be sorely missed.?"

Informed about the death of Diddley producer Phil Spector also expressed his regrets "He was by far the most underrated of any '50s star,'' he added "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.