Radio jockey Jazzy B killed

Popular radio station DJ Jazzy B, Sherman Bodden, died on Monday, 9 March after reportedly being involved in a fight.

The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has reported that, following the death of Mr Bodden, a 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Police said that the 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a call from a woman living in Prince Link, Savannah, at around 10:45 pm, reporting that two men were having a fight in her house. Upon arriving, police and medics found that Mr Bodden had suffered a number of serious injuries. He was taken to the George Town Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Kennett who is responsible for strategic oversight of the investigation said, “Our condolences go out to the relatives. It would appear these two men were known to each other and this was an isolated incident.”

President of the Cayman Islands Music and Entertainment Association (CIMEA), Jean Eric ‘Notch’ Smith, said, “Jazzy B was a soldier on the frontline for music and entertainment. This is a sad day and a true tragedy. Jazzy was the only DJ to be a member of the association.”

Mr Bodden, 42, was a DJ at Vibe 98.9. He had been involved in music and entertainment for decades and started out deejaying in the early ‘80s, entertaining at every level. Jazzy B featured in the club scene in Cayman, Jamaica and Miami, with musical knowledge acquired through day-to-day stocking, selling and ordering a wide variety of music and accessories at the former hot spot for purchasing records and CDs in Grand Cayman, R&S Music Factory.

Many people may also be familiar with Mr Bodden through his dry-walling business, Allure Interior Design.

In 2003, the DJ took home the second-place prize in the Heineken Green Synergy Deejay competition, missing the first prize by a point. As part of the prize package for winning, Jazzy was given a one-year contract on Vibe 98.9. He made his debut in early 2004 and since then has gone from one four-hour show to a variety of programmes that included, ‘Roadrunner’, ‘Saturday Night Evolution’, ‘Sunday Morning Prelude’; and ‘Wet Fete’.

According to CIMEA, Mr Bodden was slated to be nominated chairman to a newly formed DJ sub-committee of the association, from which position he would have played a pivotal role in resolving issues facing many of the Cayman’s DJs