Bo Diddley suffers heart attack

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in stable condition at Florida hospital

Jeff Christensen / AP file

Legendary musician Bo 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.

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updated 2:57 p.m. ET Aug. 28, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Bo Diddley was in stable condition at a Gainesville hospital after suffering a heart attack, his publicist said Tuesday.

The 78-year-old singer-guitarist complained of dizziness and nausea during a routine medical checkup Friday, said his publicist, Susan Clary.

She said Diddley was taken to North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville where a stent was implanted to improve the blood flow to his heart. The hospital is near the musician’s north central Florida hometown of Archer.

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Clary said the musician was in stable condition at the hospital’s cardiac care unit after spending the weekend in intensive care. A hospital spokesman referred all questions to Clary.

“He is conscious,” Clary said. “The situation is very serious.”

In May, Diddley was hospitalized in Nebraska after suffering a stroke after casino performances in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was soon transferred to Florida.

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.”

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and received a lifetime achievement Grammy Award in 1998.