Bo Diddley (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), born
Ellas Otha Bates but changed as a child to
Ellas McDaniel, was an American
R&B and
Chicago Blues vocalist and guitarist. In addition, he was a songwriter and music producer, usually as Ellas McDaniel, and had cameo appearances in movies. He was nicknamed
The Originator because of his key role in the transition from the
blues to
rock and roll, and
rock, and influenced a host of acts, including
Elvis Presley,
Buddy Holly,
the Beatles,
The Rolling Stones,
the Yardbirds,
Eric Clapton,
The Who,
Jimi Hendrix and
Parliament Funkadelic.