“The Ventures” Lead Guitarist Bob Bogle Died Of Lymphoma At Age 75

The lead guitarist of “The Ventures”, Bob Bogle, who had such hits as “Walk, Don’t Run” and “Hawaii Five-O”, died Sunday in Vancouver, Washington of lymphoma at the age of 75. Read more on Bob Bogle below.

Bob Bogle died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to Don Wilson, who co-founded the Ventures with Bogle in the fifties.

“He had a special sound that nobody could ever re-create. He was totally unique as a guitar player,” Wilson told CNNRadio.

Wilson and Bogle learned to play guitar while working as construction workers. The pair formed the Ventures in 1958.

“We had a lot of time on our hands after work, so we’d get together and play,” Wilson recalled. “A year and a half later, we had a number two hit called ‘Walk — Don’t Run.’ ” The group first heard the song on a Chet Atkins record.

The Ventures had several other hits such as”Perfidia,” “Walk Don’t Run ‘64″ and “Diamond Head.” The group took the theme of the TV show “Hawaii Five-O” into the Top Ten in 1969.

“I can’t think of a better contribution for instrumental music on his style than ‘Walk — Don’t Run,’ ” Wilson said. “A lot of good would-be guitar players and garage bands would go out and buy guitars just to learn that song.”

The Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. At the induction ceremony, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty praised the group: “It’s enough to say, the Ventures are the most popular instrumental band of all time,” he said.

Wilson said that Bob Bogle fought his illness with dignity. “His doctors gave him 10 years to live, and he lived 12. The last two years were really tough. At least he lived to know the Ventures had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”

Our condolences to the friends, family, and fans of Bob Bogle.

Here’s video of The Ventures performing “Walk– Don’t Run”

Click Thumbnails for Larger Pictures

Posted by: Monya

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