Skip navigation

Bo Diddley hospitalized following stroke

Legendary rocker acted disoriented during Iowa concert

Bo Diddley
Jeff Christensen / AP file
Legendary musician Bo Diddley has been hospitalized in intensive care after suffering a stroke in western Iowa.
  Interviews, performances  
  
  Madonna pays tribute to Jackson
  July 5: One pop idol recognized another as Madonna led a special performance to honor Michael Jackson in London. The Material Girl was joined by a Jackson impersonator who was welcomed by the crowd. Video courtesy of Warner Brothers

updated 4:34 p.m. ET May 17, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa - Bo Diddley is in intensive care after suffering a stroke in western Iowa, a publicist said Wednesday.

The 78-year-old singer-songwriter-guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was listed in guarded condition at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., said Susan Clary, a publicist for the musician’s management team.

Diddley, who has a history of hypertension and diabetes, was hospitalized Sunday following a concert in Council Bluffs in which he acted disoriented, she said.

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

Tests indicated that the stroke affected the left side of his brain, impairing his speech and speech recognition, Clary said.

Clary said she has no other details on Diddley’s condition or how long he would be in intensive care.

Diddley, with his black glasses and low-slung guitar, has been an icon in the music industry since he topped the R&B charts with “Bo Diddley” in 1955. His other hits include “Who Do You Love,” “Before You Accuse Me,” “Mona” and “I’m a Man.”

Diddley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and was given a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1998.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sponsored links

Resource guide