Who killed Bogle? Third anniversary of dancer's death

I was a big fan of dancer Bogle, I would hang out with him on Lincoln Crescent, and do stories about his dances and slangs long before they became popular in the streets. He would always call me Mr. Mills even though he was several years my senior. He taught me the LOY, Log On, Pop It and the Zip It Up, and he told me about the log on slang long before it became popular. He kept me on the leading edge of local street culture, so I always knew what was popping in the streets.

I fell out of contact with him after he went overseas in the weeks following Willy Haggarts death in 2001, but in about 2004, I got a surprise call from him one day when I was at The Gleaner that he wanted to see me because he had a new dance to buss called 'The Wave', and a new tune.

I was covering news at the time, but I still found the time to go see him, and I was not disappointed.  He told me that he was now deejaying and played the Weddy Time song on a stereo in a yard on Lincoln Crescent. The song would later become a hit. He also told me had adopted the unusual name of Mr. Wacky. But that was just Bogle for you.

When he was killed, I was overseas studying at university when I got the phone call at about 5 in the morning that the dancer had been killed. I was crestfallen. The call had come from photographer and former business partner Carlington Wilmot and in the days following Bogles death, I remember talking to lots of dancehall personalities, including fellow dancer Keiva, who was shaken up over his death.

As most people know, Bogle was shot dead by two men at about 2:35 am on January 20, 2005 when he stopped at a service station in Half-Way-Tree to purchase fuel. The men who were armed with handguns rode up on a grey Honda F4 motor bike and opened fire, hitting all five who were in the vehicle. One of those persons died afterwards.

On the night of the incident, it is understood that followers of Beenie Man had taken offence at the fact that Bogle had brought two fowls in a suitcase to the Weddy Weddy dance at Stone Love HQ. The fowls, especially a black one with a bead on it, was said to have represented Beenie Man. Some considered it disrespect and even vented anger at Bogle.

After Bogles death, a  premises at 12 Dillon Road belonging to John Hype's parents was torched in retaliation for Bogle's death, and Hypes passport was incinerated.

As rumours circulated linking Beenie Man and John Hype with Bogle's death and death threats were issued against the two and their camp, Shocking Vibes, issued statements dissociating the two from the murder and even offered an initial $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the murderers.

Beenie Man went on TV and tearfully denied being involved in Bogles death. His songwriter Don Mafia would later pen One Bag a Lie, a song that declared his innocence, and would later occupy the number one position on the charts.

Bogle has influenced the careers of several entertainers. He created the Bogle dance in the early 1990s inspiring top flight deejay Buju Banton to recorded a song called "Bogle Dance" which went to number one. He inspired Beenie Man to do World Dance, which had the memorable lines, ah one new dance weh Bogle find againRoses find a new stem.

Beenie Man would also use Bogles dances to make songs such as LOY and Row Like a Boat which had a shout-out to Bogle with the lines : "Seh Mr. Bogle have di brand new style/Come ketch di style, come get di style

He was also a major influence on breakout artistes such as Elephant Man who got one of his biggest hits with Willie Bounce which was named after Bogle's friend and Black Roses Crew member Willie Haggart, and of course, Elephant Mans breakthrough hit, Log On. He also established the careers of Voice Mail with the singles, Weddy Time, Weddy Time Again and the hit single "Wacky Dip" on the Jonkunoo riddim. Popular DJ Bounty Killer credits Bogle for making him want to dance.

Bogle also created the Urkle Dance, Sesame Street,  Pelper, LOY, Jerry Springer, Zip It Up, Hotti Hotti Bogle, World Dance, Pop Yuh Collar, Row di Boat, Out and Bad, Sweeper, Stuckie, Wave (Super Bowl) and many other popular dances. He also made a much ballyhooed appearance in the movie, Belly, which also starred Nas.

He was well on his way to becoming a bona fide recording star with his hit, All Dem Deh when he was killed.

Three years after his death, Bogles murder has not been solved. The streets say that the men who purportedly killed him have been killed already. Two years ago, the police made an arrest which was reportedly linked to Bogles murder, but nothing much has happened since then.

XNews spoke to Bogle's mother Dorothy Smith, affectionately called Mama May, a few days after his death. She said, "A Bogle buy [everything], up to mi panty fi mi. Mi leave everything to God and mi doan want nobody sorry fi mi. God is my revenge and no amount a money whey dem a put up naw bring back mi pickney. Same way people know di names a the two man, and since a dem friend and dem doan know nutten 'bout mi pickney death, dem fi just come clean and give up the man dem.

"When mi hear Beenie Man pon TV a talk 'bout a nuff people waan kill Bogle, him need fi talk who is dem nuff people deh. Bogle nuh nyammy nyammy. A mi cook him food still. A Tuesday (day before he was killed) mi cook beef and food fi him." Bogle lives on in all of us whenever we hit the dance floor and remix any of his dance moves to create some new dynamic swivel. Bogle lives on.

All dem deh, whey all dem did deh? Cause mi a straight weddy weddy, mi not a lean weddy weddy"

Bogle, we will always remember you.