Rock 'n' roll pioneer Bo Diddley, best known for hits like Who Do You Love and I'm a Man, has died at his home in north Florida, a spokeswoman for the musician said Monday.

Diddley died of heart failure on Monday, according to spokeswoman Susan Clary.

The 79-year-old singer and guitarist suffered several major health setbacks last year. In May 2007, he suffered a stroke during a concert performance in Iowa. The stroke impaired his speech and speech recognition, as well as his mobility.

Bo Diddley, seen here at New York's B.B. King's Blues Club in 2006, continued to perform in recent years. (Jeff Christensen/Associated Press)

Just three months later, he suffered a heart attack in Florida. Diddley, who also had a history of hypertension and diabetes, was eventually released from hospital in September to recover at his home in Archer.

Diddley, whose real name was Elias Bates McDaniel, was born in McComb, Miss. He once said that he adopted his stage name from a moniker given to him by other youngsters in Chicago, where he moved with his family at the age of five.

Even before he hit his teen years, Diddley had started playing guitar on Chicago street corners. However, he first gained renown in 1955 when he topped R&B charts with Bo Diddley. Eventually, he became recognizable by his black glasses, low-slung, rectangular guitar and "hambone rhythm" style of playing.

Songs such as Who Do You Love and I'm a Man became rock and blues staples, and his music was often covered by other acts, from the Yardbirds to the Clash.

A pioneer of the electric guitar, Diddley was inducted into Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and was honoured with a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement about a decade later.

Despite these accolades and other honours, like performing for U.S. presidents, Diddley once quipped that they "didn't put no figures in my checkbook."

"If you ain't got no money, ain't nobody calls you honey," he added. Diddley's influence extends to a long list of musicians, from Buddy Holly to the Who to Bruce Springsteen.

He maintained a performance schedule in recent years, up until his stroke. In 2005, for instance, he celebrated his five decades in the music business with a tour that spanned Australia, Europe and North America.

With files from the Associated Press