Gelski’s

Bo Diddley is a music industry pioneer and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. They named the Bo Diddley beat after — that’s right — Bo Diddley.

Mr. Diddley suffered a stroke about a week ago after giving a concert in Iowa. Last I heard he was doing better but still in a hospital in Omaha, Neb.

I had the honor of seeing Mr. Diddley at a blues and jazz festival last summer in Kansas City, Kan. Since a lot of Mr. Diddley’s hit songs are from the 1950s and 1960s, a lot of the concert fans were older. Maybe they were teen-agers in the 1950s and 1960s. One guy at the concert was asleep in his seat, his container of oxygen at his side.

Mr. Diddley was scheduled to come on stage at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, but the festival was behind schedule. A fusion jazz band called Proto-Kaw was on stage instead at 9:30. The older people were angry, impatient, and they let Proto-Kaw know about their displeasure.

“Bo Diddley!” they shouted during and after every Proto-Kaw song.

One lady kept hollering, “You ain’t playing no blues and jazz!”

Somehow, Proto-Kaw had enough patience and musical ability to finish the set. Mr. Diddley came on stage about 11 p.m. The crowd roared to the Bo Diddley beat. After Mr. Diddley finished his first song, I hollered out, “Proto-Kaw!”

He played until past midnight. Get well, Bo Diddley. I want to see you in concert again.