Entertainment

ARNETT MOURNS

wandeka gayle - Patricia Pearcey

By WANDEKA GAYLE, Staff Reporter

DOROTHY SMITH, THE 62-year-old mother of the late dancehall star, Gerald 'Bogle' Levy, 40, is still reeling from yesterday's shooting death of her son.

The popular dancer was shot and killed at approximately 2:35 a.m. at a service station along Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew. About five hours later, a family house on Dillion Avenue, where dancer John Hype lives, was firebombed.

Bogle's mother, affectionately known as 'Miss May', told THE STAR that she had been at home at Collie Smith Drive when someone called her at approximately an hour after the shooting.

"Mi see him last night (Wednesday) before him go a dance," she said, then holding up her arms for emphasis declared, "Him was my son and whoever do dis mus know sey dem have dem time a come."

While scores of concerned citizens lined the streets of the community and a resident artist painted a mural in honour of the late dancer, Miss May told THE STAR that her son's productive life came to an unjust end.

"Him was nothing but loving and giving to this community," she said sobbing lightly. She then told THE STAR about seeing her son's body. "Den mi see him lie down in the back of the van and him look like him was jus sleeping."

Miss May said seeing her son lying motionless in the van was a stark contrast to his vibrant life. She recalled how he was a youngster growing up with his brother and three cousins under the same roof. She traced his genesis of dancehall fame to the early days when he would show off his moves for his family while attending the North Street Primary School.

"From he was a child he dress up inna mi frock and a dance," Miss May told THE STAR, the first sign of humour showing on her face, "Dem (children) a mi theatre, mi nuh haffi go nuh wey fi get entertainment."

This interest in dancing led him to perform on programmes like Ring Ding with Miss Lou in the 1980s.

Yet, after leaving St. George's College extension evening classes he gave his family the shock of their lives when he enrolled at the Police Academy in Twickenham Park, Spanish Town. After approximately three months in training, he changed his mind and re-entered the dance world. "I never tell him nutten, I leave him to make up his own mind," Miss May insisted.

Bogle is survived by his mother, father Gerald Levy and brother Lennox Russell, 35. According to Miss May, Bogle had five children. However, in an earlier interview with THE STAR Bogle had stated that he had six children.

The names of the five children given by Miss May are ­ Nordia Levy, 18, Gerald Levy, 13, Annette Levy, 11, Javon Levy, 10, and Gerilica Levy, 5.

Thirty-four-year-old Patricia Pearcey, Annette's mother, told THE STAR that she does not know how her child will make it as she is unemployed.

"Mi nuh know how it will go but I leave everything in the hands of God," she said, adding that she was not in the habit of questioning Bogle about his financial standing.

His mother indicated that aside from the F-150 van he owned, and his sound systems, she was unable to say how much her son was worth and how his estate would be divided.

"I leave everything up to God," she said, echoing Pearcey's sentiments.

But, the pain of Bogle's death reaches much further than his immediate family. Community members also mourned his loss yesterday

One resident told THE STAR that Bogle was an agent of change in the community. "Dem kill a youth wey even if him did bad, him change," he said, "Him change the youth dem, him bring joy."

A teenager, who resides in the community, said that when he heard about the killing in the wee hours of the morning, he was unable to go back to sleep or go to school.