Jeff Fatt
Jeff Fatt | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Jeffrey Wayne Fatt |
Born | Casino, New South Wales, Australia | 21 July 1953
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1981–present |
Formerly of | |
Chinese name | |
Hanyu Pinyin | Guān Wěigāng |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Jyutping | Gwaan1 Wai5gong1 |
Jeffrey Wayne Fatt
He was the oldest member of the original Wiggles line up. Fatt was also known for falling asleep on stage, causing the other members (and later on the audience) to utter the iconic Wiggles catchphrase "Wake Up, Jeff!", which was also the title of one of their songs, as well as the title of one of their videos and albums.
Early life and education
The second youngest of four, Fatt's Chinese parents Norma Yong Yee and Oscar Fatt owned a large retail store in Casino, New South Wales. His great-grandfather immigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1896, becoming a prosperous banana businessman.[4] Fatt had aspirations to become an architect,[3] and earned a Bachelor of Arts in industrial design. Anthony Field described him as a "bush kid" who "first learned to let his keyboard do most of the talking".[5]
The Cockroaches
He opened a public address equipment business with his brother in Sydney when he began playing keyboard for the rockabilly band the Roadmasters, and was recruited by Anthony and Paul Field to join the Cockroaches.[6] Fatt joined the Cockroaches in 1981, serving as their keyboardist. In 1986 they signed with an independent label, Regular Records, which issued their first three albums, including The Cockroaches (March 1987), which peaked at No. 9 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart; it sold 70,000 copies and was certified platinum by their label. The album spawned the single "She's the One", which became the band's biggest hit when it peaked at No. 7 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart in April 1987.
The Wiggles
After The Cockroaches disbanded in the early 1990s, Anthony Field asked Fatt, who was renovating his house at the time, to help them record The Wiggles' first album in 1991.[7] Fatt reported, "I got this call from Anthony: 'Hello, Anthony. Go away, go away. I'm not interested', you know. He's always got these ideas for things. He said, 'I've got this idea, come down to the studio.'" Fatt's response to Field's request was, "Sure but how long will it take?"[8] Field reported that as Fatt had done for the Cockroaches, he was "a musical backbone for the Wiggles".[5] As a Wiggle, Fatt wore a purple skivvy.
He originated the Wiggles character
Wake Up, Jeff!
Fatt's
Kathleen Warren, the group's former professor at Macquarie University and their consultant for their shows and DVDs, believed that the shtick empowered children,[14] and Paul Field reported that children in the Wiggles' audience felt "great excitement" and were disappointed if not given the opportunity to help Jeff in this way.[15]
Anthony Field reported that although in the early days of the group, they took turns falling asleep, it became Fatt's schtick because "it was a perfect fit".[5]
Retirement
On 17 May 2012, it was announced that Fatt along with Greg Page and Murray Cook, would be retiring at the end of the year. Wiggles cast member Lachlan Gillespie replaced him as the purple Wiggle. Fatt and the others are expected to remain involved with the creative and production aspects of the group. He continues to perform in reunion shows.[16]
In July 2020, he appeared with the other classic Wiggles in The Soul Movers music video "Circles Baby".[17] In September 2020, following the announcement of the birth of Gillespie's daughters, Lulu and Lottie,[18] it was announced Gillespie would take some time away from the group in order to spend time with them. As a result, Fatt decided to temporarily replace Gillespie to film The Wiggly World Of Dance Classes, a four-part series. Fatt has made appearances in the newest Wiggles series, season 3 of Ready, Steady, Wiggle and has returned as the voice of Henry the Octopus.[19]
Personal life
Since 1990, Fatt has taken a photo a day documenting the most eventful thing that has happened to him.[3] He was "a keen surfer".[6]
Family
Fatt was featured on the fourth episode of the twelfth season of
Health
In early July 2011, Fatt underwent heart surgery after feeling unwell for several weeks
Awards
In what Paul Field called "one of the highlights of their 15 years of being together",[23] Fatt, along with the original members of the Wiggles, was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Australian Catholic University in 2006. All five members of the band were awarded another honorary doctoral degree in 2009 from Macquarie University.[24] Fatt, along with the other three original Wiggles,[21] was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in January 2010 "for service to the arts, particularly children's entertainment, and to the community as a benefactor and supporter of a range of charities."[25][26] Fatt also received an ARIA Hall of Fame Award with the Wiggles in 2011.[27]
Discography
With The Wiggles
With The Cockroaches
Studio albums
Title | Year |
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The Cockroaches | 1987 |
Fingertips
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1988 |
Positive | 1991 |
St. Patrick's Day 10am | 1994 |
Singles
Title | Year |
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"I Want a Leather Jacket" / "Blue Moon of Kentucky" | 1980 |
"Through with Her" / "Bingo Bango" | 1981 |
"Used to Be" | |
"Empty Heart" | |
"Shake Jump and Shout" | 1982 |
"See You in Spain" | 1984 |
"My Whole World's Fallin' Down" | 1985 |
"Another Night Alone" | |
"Wait Up" | 1986 |
"She's the One" | 1987 |
"Some Kind of Girl" | |
"Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" | |
"Hey What Now!" | 1988 |
"You and Me" | |
"Permanently Single" | 1989 |
"Another Saturday Night" | |
"Hope" | 1990 |
"Here Comes That Feeling" | |
"I Must Have Been Blind" | 1991 |
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-1-118-01933-7.
References
- ^ ""澳洲日"全国446人获表扬 两华人荣获勋衔". 中国新闻网 (China News Service) (in Chinese). 26 January 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- Yahoo.
- ^ a b c d Blake, Elissa (2 September 2007). "Unusual Suspects". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
- ^ a b "Jeff Fatt". Who Do You Think You Are?. Season 12. 29 June 2021. SBS. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d Field, p. 49
- ^ a b "Jeff". The Wiggles Official Website. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
- ^ "About Us". The Wiggles Official Website. Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
- ^ "Enough Rope with Andrew Denton, episode 15, The Wiggles". ABC TV Online. 23 June 2003. Retrieved 23 January 2007.
- ^ Eng, Dinah (23 January 2010). "How The Wiggles became an Empire". CNN Money. CNN.
- ^ Field, p. 48
- ^ Durden, Douglas. "A New Face". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
- ^ Markstrom, Serena (21 March 2008). "Fab Four of Kid Rock Comes to Town". The Register Guard. Retrieved 23 March 2008 – via The Free Library.
- ^ Tabakoff, Jenny (10 October 2002). "Wake Up, Aunty!". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Munro, Catharine (22 May 2005). "The Wiggly way". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
- ^ Field, Paul (8 November 2006). "It's a Wiggly Wiggly World" (PDF). Currency House. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
- ^ Quinn, Karl (19 May 2012). "Wiggle Room: The Brand Played On". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ "The Soul Movers Team up with Original Wiggles Lineup for Live Stream". 25 June 2020.
- ^ Natalie (14 September 2020). "Purple Wiggle Lachy Gillespie Welcomes Twin Baby Girls". 101.7 WSFM. Sydney. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ Benson, Jenna (17 September 2020). "Original Purple Wiggle Jeff Has Returned To 'The Wiggles'!". 101.7 WSFM. Sydney. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "Emma Tear Tack nee Lee Young". Chinese Australia. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Purple Wiggle Jeff Fatt Undergoes Surgery to Fix Broken Heart". Herald Sun. 2 July 2011.
- ^ a b c "Wiggle Jeff Fatt Has a Tricky Ticker". The Daily Telegraph. 20 September 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
- ^ Sams, Christine (6 April 2006). "Wiggles Four Degrees Hotter". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Fraser, Jane E. (20 September 2009). "The Wiggles Go to the Top of the Class". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ "Jeff Fatt OAM". Australian Honours Database. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ "Casino Wiggle now adds OAM to name". The Northern Star. 27 January 2010. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012.
- ^ Feain, Dominic (29 November 2011). "Wake up Jeff, it's an ARIA". The Northern Star.
External links
- Jeff Fatt at IMDb