About Bob Bogle
Lived 1934 – 2009 (aged 75). Bob Bogle was an American musician, guitarist and bass guitarist.
Robert Lenard "Bob" Bogle (January 16, 1934 – June 14, 2009) was an American musician who was a founding member of the instrumental rock band the Ventures. He and Don Wilson founded the group in 1958. Bogle was the lead guitarist and later bassist of the group. In 2008, Bogle and other members of the Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Performer category.
Biography Born near Wagoner, Oklahoma, Bogle worked as a bricklayer in California from the age of 15. A self-taught guitar player, Bogle met Don Wilson in Seattle in 1958, where they worked together on various construction sites. They went on to form a band, the Versatones, which evolved into the Ventures. Bogle's lead guitar on the band's 1960 cover of "Walk, Don't Run" helped to influence the next generation of guitarists including John Fogerty, Steve Miller, Joe Walsh and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Bogle's use of the vibrato arm was particularly notable, as it was also with their second single, "Perfidia".
The Ventures' song "Wild Child" was sampled by the Wiseguys on "Start the Commotion", giving Bogle his only hit writing credit on the British charts, reaching number 47 and spending 2 weeks on the chart.
Bogle died at age 75 on June 14, 2009, from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Vancouver, Washington.
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Important facts
People in Bob Bogle's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Bob Bogle's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Bob Bogle?
American musician (1934–2009)
When was Bob Bogle born?
Bob Bogle was born on 16 January 1934 in Wagoner.
When did Bob Bogle die?
Bob Bogle died on 14 June 2009 in Vancouver.
What was Bob Bogle's occupation?
Bob Bogle was a musician, guitarist and bass guitarist.
What nationality was Bob Bogle?
Bob Bogle was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bob Bogle. https://biography.guide/bob-bogle/
MLA: "Bob Bogle." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bob-bogle/.
Chicago: "Bob Bogle." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bob-bogle/.
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