Jeff Fatt

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Jeff Fatt

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Img_capt = Jeff Fatt of The Wiggles during a concert in Washington, D.C., 2007
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Background = Keyboard Player
Birth_name = Jeffrey Wayne Fatt
Alias =
Born = July 21, 1953 (age 55)
flagicon|Australia Casino, New South Wales
Died =
Origin =
Instrument =
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Occupation =
Years_active = 1980 – present
Label =
Associated_acts = The Cockroaches
The Wiggles
Notable_instruments = accordion
Piano
Hammond b3

Jeff Fatt (born July 21, 1953 in 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". 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 ]

The son of Chinese parents who owned a large retail store in Casino, New South Wales, Fatt had aspirations to become an architect, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design. He opened a portable address equipment business with his brother in 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. cite web | title = Jeff | publisher = The Wiggles Official Website | url = http://www.thewiggles.com/us/about/thewiggles/jeff | accessdate = 2007-07-31]

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. [ cite web | title = About Us | publisher = The Wiggles Official Website | url = http://www.thewiggles.com.au/au/about/ | accessdate = 2007-07-31] 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?" [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 ]

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 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". As Sam Moran has said, when referring to the development of The Wiggles' schticks, "Jeff really does fall asleep", [ 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 ] and Fatt reported, "The irony is I’m a very light sleeper in the nighttime. I will invariably have a snooze before the show". [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 ] 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". [ 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]

Since 1990, Fatt has taken a photo a day documenting the most eventful thing that has happened to him. He is "a keen surfer".

References