GAINESVILLE, Florida (AP) -- Bo Diddley was in stable condition at a Florida hospital after suffering a heart attack, his publicist said Tuesday.


Bo Diddley is known for the "Bo Diddley beat," featured in songs such as "Bo Diddley" and "Who Do You Love."

The 78-year-old singer-guitarist complained of dizziness and nausea during a routine medical checkup Friday, said publicist Susan Clary.

She said Diddley suffered a heart attack after being taken to North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville. The hospital is near his hometown of Archer.

Clary said the musician was in stable condition at the hospital's cardiac care unit after spending the weekend in intensive care.

"He is conscious," she said. "The situation is very serious."

In May, Diddley was hospitalized in Nebraska after suffering a stroke after casino performances in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was soon transferred to Florida.

Diddley, with his black glasses and low-slung guitar, has been an icon in the music industry since he topped the R&B charts with "Bo Diddley" in 1955. His other hits include "Who Do You Love," "Before You Accuse Me," "Mona" and "I'm a Man."

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and received a lifetime achievement Grammy Award in 1998. E-mail to a friend

I hope he recovers fully. The first concert I ever took my son to was Bo Diddley, we have very fond memories of that night.

This has been a string of bad luck for Bo lately. First, with the stroke and now this? I wish him nothing but the best and clear sailing from here on out.

I'm really saddened by this news. I think we are going to lose the great Bo Diddley. My thoughts go to him and his family.