Florida bids goodbye to Diddley

ARCHER, Fla., June 7 (UPI) -- Portions of north central Florida honored late rock 'n' roller Bo Diddley Saturday with a funeral and festival celebration, the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun said.

The newspaper said Pastor Willie King also held funeral services for Diddley, whose real name was Ellas McDaniel, in Gainesville, Fla., while the Yulee Diddley Day festival took place in Archer, Fla.

The "Living Legend" artist lived in Archer for more than 20 years and the festival has also been paired with a special memorial celebration of his entire life.

The celebration at the Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center Saturday night was scheduled to include performances by Animals' singer Eric Burdon and several other musicians who once toured with the guitar great, the Sun reported.

McDaniel, who gained fame for his driving guitar rhythms, died Monday of heart failure at age 79.