Reg Presley Of The Troggs Dead at 71
Posted by Joseph Lee on 02.05.2013
You may know his song "Wild Thing"...
Billboard reports that Reg Preslsey, singer for The Troggs, has passed away at the age of 71. The Troggs are best known for their song "Wild Thing".
Presley died after a year-long battle with lung cancer, which forced his retirement. His agent, Keith Altham, made the announcement on Facebook late last night.
He wrote: "My dear old pal Reg Presley of The Troggs died today. One very real person in a sometimes very unreal world."
He said that Presley had several strokes recently and died in his home in Andover (which is 70 miles west of London), surrounded by his family and friends.
The Troggs were part of the British invasion created by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. "Wild Thing" was written by American songwriter Chip Taylor and was originally recorded by Jordan Christopher and the Wild Ones in 1965. It wasn't until the Troggs covered it that it became well-known. It has been covered by hundreds of bands since its release in 1966, including names like Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen. It even led to a successful novelty song, as a singer pretended to sing it in Senator Robert Kennedy's voice.
The Troggs had other big hits like "Love is All Around" and "With a Girl Like You." They fell in the 1970s but had a revival in the 1990s when REM and Wet Wet Wet released covers "Love Is All Around."
Presley (real name Reg Ball) helped found the band in the 1960s while he was working as a bricklayer. He took the name Presley at the suggestion of his manager. He retired in January of last year and thanked fans for their support. At the time, he said he was getting chemotherapy and feeling not "too bad". His interests included crop circles, paranormal activity, and UFOs.
His daughter Karen said that she, her brother and her mother were with him when he passed. She added: "We're absolutely heartbroken."
