‘Wild man’ Reg was colourful and lovable…
OBITUARY By David Parker
Readers of ‘The Beat’ would definitely join me in remembering the great singer and songwriter and performer who gave us the first taste of a different slant on rock and roll.
The Troggs
Reg Presley, leader of The Troggs, died early this month after battling lung cancer for many months. He was 71 and died at his home in Andover, Hampshire, surrounded by family and friends. Best known for the 1960s hit Wild Thing, Reg had also suffered a number of strokes.
We join many others in sending our thoughts and best wishes to his wife, Brenda and the family. Those who loved his music and his band will remember him, his songs and his music. Reg put together the band which later became The Troggs in the 1960s.
Big hits followed and the young musicians became famous with Wild Thing, and later With A Girl Like You and I Can’t Control Myself.
Perhaps Reg and the boys were given a huge boost in the mid-1990s with cover revivals of what has become a classic after REM and then Wet Wet Wet covered their 1967 hit Love Is All Around.
Reg never moved far from his hometown of Andover, but he had a home in Spain where he enjoyed spending time with his family. He had to stop touring in 2012 after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
One surprising hobby which intrigued Reg was studying and talking about crop circles. He garnered a reputation for his interest in the paranormal, including crop circles and UFOs, and was reported to have spent some of his royalties from the cover of Love Is All Around to fund research into crop circles. He wrote a book about it all, called ‘Wild Things They Don’t Tell Us’, published in October 2002.
A message on The Troggs’ website reads: “This is the hardest statement I have ever written. I am heartbroken to announce that Reg Presley passed away this February 4, 2013. “He died peacefully at his Andover home and was surrounded by all of his family. They are all absolutely devastated and there will be a huge gap in their family life.”
“My husband Liam and I would like to offer our sincere and deepest condolences to Brenda, Karen and Jason, and their families. Reg will never be forgotten and we are proud to have known him.” Karen, Reg’s daughter, said on a music website: “He passed away peacefully at home and myself, my brother and our mother were with him. We’re absolutely heartbroken.”
More than a year ago, Reg had told fellow performers, friends, and fans that he was suffering from lung cancer after becoming ill at a gig in Germany.