From an original Wurzelmania page by 'Zider Ed' - Paul Gunningham and Frank Blades
Reg Chant Wurzel from June 1966-July 1967
Reg was the accordion player on the first two albums. Prior to being recruited into the Wurzels, he was a pub landlord in Bristol. According to Adge was the 1966 Nobel prize winner for 'Edgin' 'n' Ditchin', and previously pulled a plough for years. Don't know much about him apart from that - anyone out there know more? According to Tommy Banner when interviewed in 2007 for BBC Radio Somerset, "Former manager John Miles said Tommy joined the band after it was decided they needed a professional accordion player after their first one did not want to go on stage until the cider was delivered." - that would have been old Reg! - although to be fair the truth was that Reg whilst running his pub his priority was to keep the pub going over his 'sideline' of being a Wurzel!
Reg passed away in 1978, and, as reported in the Bristol Evening Post on 31st August 1978:
Accordion player Reg Chant, a member of the original Wurzels group, has died - less than three weeks after being married in a Bristol hospital. His widow, Gwen said today: "We has been together for 20 years and were quite happy. But Reg wanted us to get married. I think he feared he was going to die. "We got a registrar to come to Frenchay Hospital and perform the service at the bedside."
Reg (54) of Abbotswood Yate died at home last night. He has been ill with cancer for two years. Reg became famous throughout the West as accordion player with the Wurzels. He quit the group in 1967 and concentrated on running his pub, the Midland Inn, Midland Road, St Philips. "He carried on playing the accordion up until the time he became seriously ill" said wife Gwen. The funeral will be at Canford Crematorium, Westbury-on-Trym, on Monday morning.