Rennie Cogel

Renford George Cogle (20 June 1948 – 5 April 2019; Kingston, Jamaica), better known as Rennie Cogle, was a singer and songwriter whose career spanned more than three decades and multiple continents.

Specialising as a reggae songwriter and vocalist, his professional journey commenced in 1972 when his friend, the late Delroy "Smooth Operator" Wilson, listened to his musical compositions and recorded “You Keep On Running”. This track marked the first of numerous number-one hits penned by Cogle throughout his lifetime. His innate talent for crafting infectious melodies and resonant lyrics quickly established him as a highly sought-after composer within the Jamaican music industry, laying the groundwork for an influential career that bridged Caribbean musical heritage with global mainstream pop culture.

Early Life

Born in the Denham Town area of Kingston, Jamaica, to Roberto Cogle and Doris Brown, Cogle's paternal ancestry included Irish immigrants. He initially lived with his grandmother in Clarendon, where he attended Tweedside Primary School. At the age of 12, his parents brought him back to Kingston, where he resumed his education at the Ebenezer Primary School at Spanish Town Road and Darling Street, an institution later reorganised as Operation Friendship. Following a transfer to Denham Town Primary School, Cogle developed a deep passion for writing poetry, which he eventually set to melodies. He performed these original compositions during weekly Friday music concerts, a school tradition that provided critical early development for his musical appreciation and confidence. An exceptional student, Cogle passed the Common Entrance Examination and earned a government scholarship to the Knockalva Agricultural Training School (KATC) in Montpelier, Hanover. After graduating from the three-year program, he received a second scholarship to the Jamaica School of Agriculture in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine. Though he was awarded a third scholarship to attend the University of the West Indies (U.W.I.) St. Augustine in Trinidad, he turned it down following the devastating passing of his mother. Prior to pursuing music full-time, Cogle worked for seven years at the head office of the now-defunct Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC).

Career

Cogle’s extensive songwriting catalogue earned widespread international acclaim through major collaborations with prominent Jamaican vocalists. His compositions for Tony Brevett and The Melodians resulted in international hit singles, including “Sweet Rose”, “Ring of Gold”, “Rock It To Me”, “Babylon Policy”, and “Passion of Love”. He also penned a landmark series of hits performed by Brent Dowe, such as “Everybody Balling”, “Heart Breaking Love”, “Build Me Up”, “By the Rivers of Babylon”, “It's My Delight”, and “Sweet Sensation”. The track “Sweet Sensation” achieved immense worldwide commercial success when it was covered by the British group UB40, and the song was subsequently featured on the popular British television soap opera EastEnders and re-recorded by the Detroit Cobras. Cogle additionally authored “Struggling” for Sharon Black, “Survival” for Marcia Griffiths, and “The Way I Feel For You” for Joe Coleman. Demonstrating astute professional management of his creative intellectual property, Cogle contacted Polygram Records (now Universal Music Publishers) in 1982 and signed a contract covering 39 of his songs. This publishing agreement was rewritten in 1987 to encompass additional compositions and was ultimately finalised by 1997.

Personal Life

Cogle grew up alongside three brothers and two sisters, and he was eventually survived by one sister following the passing of his parents and other siblings. In 1976, Cogle immigrated to New York City, and in 1979, he joined the United States Army, completing basic training in South Carolina before moving to Fort Lee, New Jersey, for an eight-month course in clerical and bookkeeping studies. Upon finishing this training, he was deployed to Wiesbaden, Germany, where he continued to write songs using tape cassettes and actively researched the global distribution of his Jamaican record releases. His enduring musical legacy rests on his foundational role in the golden eras of rocksteady and reggae, providing the lyrical backbone for songs that attained international chart success.

Cogle passed away from medical complications at the age of 70 on 5 April 2019.