Jeff Fatt 642584 222289651 2008-06-28T15:11:26Z Cydebot 1215485 Robot - Moving category Chinese Australians to Australians of Chinese descent per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 June 20]]. {{Infobox Musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians --> | Name = Jeff Fatt | Img = Jeff_Fatt110807.jpg|220px|abc | Img_capt = Jeff Fatt of The Wiggles during a concert in [[Washington, D.C.]], 2007 | Img_size = | Landscape = | Background = Keyboard Player | Birth_name = Jeffrey Wayne Fatt | Alias = | Born = [[July 21]], [[1953]] (age 54)<br> {{flagicon|Australia}} Casino, New South Wales | Died = | Origin = | Instrument = | Voice_type = | Genre = | Occupation = | Years_active = 1980 &ndash; present | Label = | Associated_acts = [[The Cockroaches]]<br>[[The Wiggles]] | URL = [http://www.Thewiggles.com.au Official website] | Current_members = [[Murray Cook]]<br>[[Jeff Fatt]]<br>[[Anthony Field]]<br>[[Sam Moran]] | Past_members = [[Greg Page]]<br>[[Phillip Wilcher]] | Notable_instruments = [[accordion]]<br>[[Piano]]<br>[[Hammond b3]] }} '''Jeff Fatt''' (born [[July 21]], [[1953]] in [[Casino, New South Wales|Casino]], [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]]), is a [[Chinese Australian]] musician and actor. He is best known as a member of the children's band [[The Wiggles]] and the 1980s and 90's band [[The Cockroaches]]. As part of the Wiggles, Fatt became one of the "most popular Asian performers in the world".<ref name="telegraph"> {{cite news | last = Blake | first = Elissa | title = Unusual suspects | publisher = Daily Telegraph | date = [[2007-09-02]] | url = http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22334196-5006011,00.html | accessdate = 2007-09-03 }}</ref> The son of Chinese parents who owned a large retail store in [[Casino, New South Wales]], Fatt had aspirations to become an [[architect]],<ref name="telegraph"/> and earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in [[Industrial Design]]. He opened a portable address equipment business with his brother in [[Sydney|Sydney, Australia]] when he began playing keyboard for the [[rockabilly]] band [[The Roadmasters]], and was recruited by Anthony and Paul Field to join [[The Cockroaches]].<ref name="jeff"> {{cite web | title = Jeff | publisher = The Wiggles Official Website | url = http://www.thewiggles.com/us/about/thewiggles/jeff | accessdate = 2007-07-31}}</ref> After [[The Cockroaches]] disbanded in the early '90's, [[Anthony Field]] asked Fatt, who was renovating his house at the time, to help them record The Wiggles' first album in 1991.<ref> {{cite web | title = About Us | publisher = The Wiggles Official Website | url = http://www.thewiggles.com.au/au/about/ | accessdate = 2007-07-31}}</ref> 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, "How long will it take?"<ref>{{cite web | title = Enough Rope with Andrew Denton, episode 15, The Wiggles | publisher = ABC TV Online | date = [[2003-06-23]] | url = http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s886402.htm | accessdate = 2007-01-23 }}</ref> As a Wiggle, Fatt wears a purple shirt. He originated the Wiggles character [[Henry the Octopus]], and performed his voice when other actors took over the role. His [[schtick]] was [[narcolepsy|sleeping at odd times]], which led to a Wiggles' catch-phrase and the title of one of their songs, "Wake Up, Jeff!" Fatt is the oldest Wiggle and is well-known for his "laid-back personality".<ref name="telegraph"/> As [[Sam Moran]] has said, when referring to the development of The Wiggles' [[schtick]]s, "Jeff really does fall asleep",<ref> {{cite news | last = Durden | first = Douglas | title = A new face | publisher = Richmond Times-Dispatch | url = http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/entertainment_living/arts.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-08-05-0197.html | accessdate = 2007-08-10 }}</ref> and Fatt reported, "The irony is I’m a very light sleeper in the nighttime. I will invariably have a snooze before the show".<ref>{{cite news | last = Markstrom | first = Serena | title = Fab Four of kid rock comes to town | publisher = The Register Guard | date = [[2008-03-21]] | url = http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=77938&sid=42&fid=1 | accessdate = 2008-03-23 }}</ref> Fatt was the only member of The Wiggles without a background in early childhood education; he stated that was the reason falling asleep was chosen as his schtick, "because it was a way of getting me involved in the shows without actually having to do anything".<ref> {{cite news | last = Tabakoff | first = Jenny | title = Wake up, Aunty! | publisher = The Sydney Morning Herald | date = [[2002-10-01]] | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/09/30/1033283436288.html | accessdate = 2007-11-26}}</ref> Since 1990, Fatt has taken a photo a day documenting the most eventful thing that has happened to him.<ref name="telegraph"/> He is "a keen surfer".<ref name="jeff"/> ==References== {{reflist|2}} [[Category:1953 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Australians of Chinese descent]] [[Category:Australian musicians]] [[Category:Australian television actors]] [[Category:The Wiggles members]]