Reg Presley

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Reg Presley
Background information
Birth nameReginald Maurice Ball
Born(1941-06-12)12 June 1941
Andover, Hampshire, England
Died4 February 2013(2013-02-04) (aged 71)
Andover, Hampshire, England
GenresRock, pop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active1960s–2012

Reginald Maurice Ball (12 June 1941 – 4 February 2013), known professionally as Reg Presley, was an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer with the 1960s

Hot 100 on 30 July – 6 August 1966) and "With a Girl Like You" (#1 on the UK Official Singles Chart on 4–11 August 1966). He wrote the song "Love Is All Around", which was featured in the films Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually
.

Personal life

Reginald Maurice Ball was born in Andover, Hampshire, in 1941.[1] His father was a milkman, later a bus driver, and his mother ran a cafe.[2] He left school at the age of fifteen.[3] He joined the building trade on leaving school and became a bricklayer. He gave up this job when the Troggs' song Wild Thing entered the top ten in the United Kingdom music charts in 1966.

Career

The Troggs

The Troggs in 1966. Left to right: Pete Staples, Ronnie Bond, Chris Britton and Reg Presley.

His first band was a skiffle group he formed with friend Howard Mansfield, with Mansfield on lead vocals and Reg on bass guitar.[3] When Mansfield left, he moved to lead vocalist, and soon after Chris Britton joined on guitar, Pete Staples on bass, and Ronnie Bond on drums,[3] and the group changed their name to The Troglodytes, and the classic lineup was formed. As the Troglodytes, they won a Battle of the Bands talent contest in Oxford in 1965, and sent a demo tape to the rock entrepreneur Larry Page, who shortened their name to the Troggs.[3]

Presley, whose real name was Reginald Ball, was given his stage name in 1965 by the

New Musical Express journalist Keith Altham for help in finding a better stage name for the lead singer. In order to get media attention, Altham suggested altering Ball's surname to Presley and the new name was listed alongside those of the other Troggs members in the NME's next issue. Page forgot to tell Reg of the name change and was originally enraged and had confronted Page, thinking that he had been replaced in the group.[3]

He kept at his occupation of a bricklayer, until "Wild Thing" reached the top 10 on the

UK Singles Chart
for fifteen weeks. Presley was in the Troggs until 2012, when he announced his retirement from the music industry after suffering from a number of strokes. Presley's departure left only guitarist Chris Britton from the original Troggs lineup still remaining in the group. Britton is still in the Troggs as of 2023.

The Corporation and paranormal interests

In 1988, Presley formed

Brian Poole and The Tremeloes
, in the same order as the members names were listed. They recorded one single: Ain't Nothing But a House Party, that had its instrumental as the B-side. The song was released as a 7" single, and an extended mix, also with the instrumental as the B-side, was released as a 12" single.

Presley used the musical

Alton Barnes in Marlborough, Wiltshire.[7] Presley claimed to have seen fourteen UFOs in his life.[2]

Health problems and death

In December 2011, Presley was hospitalised in Winchester, Hampshire, with what was suspected to be a stroke. He was also suffering from pneumonia and fluid around the heart. Presley had suffered a major stroke about a year before. His wife said he first began to feel ill while performing in Germany on 3 December 2011 and had got progressively worse. "Doctors think he has had another stroke. He's not very well and I have no idea how long he'll be in hospital", she said.[8][9] The following month, Presley announced he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and therefore decided to retire from the music industry.[10] Just over a year later, on 4 February 2013, Presley died from this cancer and, according to Altham, "a succession of recent strokes".[11][12] Presley was cremated at Basingstoke Crematorium, Hampshire.

A blue plaque in his memory was unveiled in Andover High Street on 31 July 2016, marking where The Troggs used to practice.[13]

Influence and legacy

Presley's music has influenced Iggy Pop and won praise from Bob Dylan. The rock critic Lester Bangs called the Troggs the "godfathers of punk" and compared Presley to Marcel Proust.[4] Presley appears as a character in Steve Erickson's novel These Dreams of You (2012).[14]

References

  1. ^ "Obituary: The Troggs' Reg Presley". BBC News. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  2. ^
    ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  3. ^
    ISSN 0261-3077
    . Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Reg Presley". telegraph.co.uk. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  5. ^ Gary James. "Interview with Reg Presley". classicbands.com. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  6. ISBN 9780823076772
    . Retrieved 8 May 2018 – via Google Books.
  7. ^
    BBC Wiltshire
    . Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  8. ^ "Troggs singer Reg Presley in hospital after suspected stroke". Mirror. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Oldies Music News". 1 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  10. ^ "Reg Presley of the Troggs Announces He Has Cancer, Retires from Music". 2 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  11. ^ "The Troggs | The Troggs Leader Reg Presley Loses Cancer Battle". Contactmusic.com. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  12. ^ "Reg Presley of the Troggs dies aged 71". BBC News. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  13. ^ Birkett, Frances (8 August 2016). "Andover icon, Reg Presley, honoured with memorial plaque". andoveradvertiser.co.uk. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  14. ^ These Dreams of You, Steve Erickson, p. 160

External links

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