Bo Diddley, the guitarist who inspired the Rolling Stones, dies

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'.

Diddley died of heart failure yesterday morning at his home in Archer, Florida.

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.

Guitar legend: Bo Diddley has died aged 79

'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.

His first single, 1955's Bo Diddley, introduced record buyers to his signature rhythm. The B-side, I'm a Man, also became a rock standard.

Many other artists, including The Who, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello, were inspired by Diddley's distinctive rhythm and guitar work.

His contribution to music was rewarded in 1999 with a lifetime achievement prize at the Grammy Awards.

Diddley was also an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and had a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame,

It is thought the name Bo Diddley came from other youngsters when he was growing up in Chicago.

But some experts believe a possible source for the name is a one-string instrument used in traditional blues music called a diddley bow.

Diddley's major songs included Say Man, You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover, Shave and a Haircut, Uncle John, Who Do You Love? and The Mule.

His influence was felt on both sides of the Atlantic. Buddy Holly borrowed his classic rhythm for the song Not Fade Away.

The Rolling Stones' bluesy remake of Holly's song gave them their first chart single in the U.S. in 1964.

The following year, The Yardbirds had a top 20 hit in the U.S. with their version of I'm a Man.

Diddley was also one of the pioneers of the electric guitar, adding reverb and tremelo effects.

In a 1999 interview he said: 'I came out of school and made something out of myself. I am known all over the globe, all over the world.

'There are guys who have done a lot of things that don't have the same impact that I had.'