Bob Bogle: 1934-2009

Bob Bogle, who helped found the Ventures, the best-selling instrumental rock band in history, passed away on Sunday after a long fight with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He was 75.

The Ventures began in 1958 when Bogle met Don Wilson, who became his good friend and collaborator for the rest of his life. "We found out that we each knew a few chords on the guitar, you know, and we had a lot of free time on our hands," Wilson said in a recent statement. "But neither of us owned a guitar."

Despite these simple beginnings, the band went on to become legendary. The Ventures sold more than 100 million albums, becoming superstars across much of the globe. They are best known for hits "Walk, Don't Run," "Perfidia" and “Telstar/The Lonely Bull," as well as the theme song for the popular television series Hawaii Five-O.

Although Bogle had not played live with the band for four years, he was still involved in recording and producing, even after 50 years in the industry. The Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. At the ceremony, John Fogerty praised Bogle and his band for being so innovative. “‘Walk, Don’t Run' started a whole new movement in rock 'n' roll," Fogerty said. "The sound of it became ‘surf music,’ and the audacity of it empowered guitarists everywhere. Every guitar player on this planet knows what I’m talking about.”

Related links:
List of the Day: The 40 Best TV Theme Songs of All Time
TheVentures.com