Original: Bo Diddley ( December 30 , 1928 -- June 2 , 2008 ) was the stage name for Ellas Otha Bates , an American rock and roll vocalist , guitarist , songwriter , and inventor .
Simplified: In 2005 , Bo Diddley celebrated his 50th anniversary in music with successful tours of Australia and Europe and with coast-to-coast shows across North America .