Carlin ain't got squat on Diddley

The Sunday passing of George Carlin resulted in the mass broadcast/transmission/publication of various tributes honoring the comedian.

Let me get something out of the way: I never thought George Carlin was funny.

At all.

Everyone considers Carlin the thinker's comedian, as if he's some sort of Mark Twain figure. In fact, he's won an award name after Mark Twain for his humor.

He's well known for his Seven Words You Can't Say on TV, or whatever it's called. Obviously it took a real genius to come up with that.

Carlin's passing made me think about another recent death in the ranks of fame: Ellas Otha Bates. You may know him better as Bo Diddley.

Bo Diddley died at age 79 on June 2, only three weeks ago. One of the most accomplished musicians in American history was celebrated with by-the-way-Bo-Diddley-died briefs from television networks and news outlets.

I'm a CNN guy, but for the network to have Larry King dedicate an entire show to the life of George Carlin, while doing nothing of the sort for someone such as Diddley, is an oversight of the most egregious breed. Bill Maher sat on King's set and waxed poetic about the greatness of Carlin and his method of analyzing American materialism.

I doubt Carlin criticized materialism too much each time he drove to the bank.

Diddley influenced music in ways achieved by few others in the second half of the 20th century. Artists from Elvis to Bruce Springsteen to The Animals to The Doors to The Who to Bob Seger to George Thorogood benefited from the magic of Diddley's trademark rectangular guitar.

No matter where you turn in popular music during the past 60 years, Bo Diddley is there. Look at the past 60 years of comedy; I doubt you'll find George Carlin's fingerprints all over them.

Bo Diddley deserved far more respect than he received when he passed three weeks ago. Don't make the mistake the national media has and let the legacy of Ellas Otha Bates fade into history unmentioned.