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The Wiggles is an Australia n band. Since its formation in 1991, the group has achieved worldwide success with its Children's Albums , Videos , Television Series and concert appearances. According to '' Business Review Weekly '', The Wiggles were Australia's highest grossing entertainers for the year 2005, earning more than AC/DC and Nicole Kidman combined.1 In 2006, it was reported that they earned $50 million.2 HISTORY Anthony Field and Jeff Fatt had been members of The Cockroaches , a popular Pub Rock band which had scored a number of Top 40 hits in Australia during the 1980s. After the Cockroaches disbanded in 1988, Field enrolled at the Institute of Early Childhood Studies at and Murray Cook , both former musicians.3 Cook was the guitarist in a minor Sydney pop band, Bang Shang A Lang , while also working as a clerk at the Australian Taxation Office .4. The group initially teamed up to produce a music performance project for their studies, but they soon began working towards the goal of being children entertainers, using the concepts of early childhood education they learned in school. Recognizing the need for quality children's music, they produced their first (self-titled) album in 1991. Needing a keyboardist, Field asked his old bandmate, Jeff Fatt, to help out. (Fatt's reply was "Sure, but how long will it take...."5). The group received songwriting help from John Field, Anthony's brother and former bandmate, as they reworked a few of the old Cockroaches tunes into children's songs. For example, "Do the Monkey" was originally a Cockroaches song with different lyrics.6 Another Cockroaches song, "Get Ready To Wiggle", inspired the new band's name. The band also received keyboards and songwriting assistance from fellow Macquarie student Phillip Wilcher , whose departure from the group shortly before their international fame has earned him comparisons to Pete Best , the "fifth Beatle."7 Early career Using his connections with the Cockroaches, Field got ABC Records to distribute their album in Australia. Their manager suggested that they tour, so they began performing at pre-schools, childcare centres, and malls.8 The basic act was later augmented with supporting characters — the "friendly pirate" Captain Feathersword (played by Paul Paddick since 1993) and the animal characters Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, and Wags the Dog. These characters were initially performed by the members of the band: Field playing Captain Feathersword and Wags, Cook playing Dorothy, and Fatt playing Henry.9 Early on, they adopted differently coloured shirts for each member -- Greg in yellow, Murray in red, Jeff in purple, and Anthony in blue. The colour coding assisted their recognition by very young children, and they invariably wear the Wiggles "uniform" when appearing as The Wiggles in the media or in public. At first, Anthony wore a green shirt instead of blue. It was later changed so as to not clash with Dorothy the Dinosaur. Each Wiggle also developed a " Schtick ." Greg's was performing magic tricks; Murray's was playing the guitar; Jeff's was falling asleep; Anthony's was eating. They were based on the behavior of each member of the group (as Sam Moran said, "Jeff really does fall asleep"), and made into caricatures to differentiate their characters and to make them more memorable to young children.10 The Wiggles got the idea for their signature Index Finger -wagging move after watching professional Bowlers do the move on television.11 It became Wiggles policy, when photographed with children, to adopt this move, insisting that touching children, no matter how innocently, was inappropriate. (It also had the potential of opening them up for litigation). The Wiggles have also always had a strict code of conduct--a " Zero Tolerance policy" to drug use and no drinking, smoking, or using bad language for any employee or crew member. National, then international success Through the rest of the 1990s, the Wiggles maintained a busy recording and touring schedule, releasing multiple albums, home videos, and performing to increasingly large audiences in Australia and New Zealand . They filmed their first television series with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1993. The band first gained popularity in the United States beginning in 1998 by piggybacking on the success of the popular television program '' Barney & Friends ''. Lyrick Studios , the producers of ''Barney'', began distributing Wiggles videos in the U.S. and prominently advertising them in ''Barney'' videos. ( Lyrick Studios was later acquired by HIT Entertainment ). The Wiggles also opened for Barney during U.S. tours. Twentieth Century Fox produced a feature-length film ''The Wiggles Movie'', which premiered in Australia in December 1997 and went on to become the fifth-highest grossing Australian film of 1998.12 By the late 90s, The Wiggles had grown so successful in America and in the UK that for a few years they traveled separately, in two separate planes and on two different buses, so that if disaster occured, "at least half of them would survive and carry on." After it proved to be a logistical nightmare, they ended the practice, although by 2007, they travelled in two separate buses between cities. Strong U.S. sales of The Wiggles videos eventually caught the attention of the Disney Channel . In January 2002, they began showing a Wiggles video clip in between programs of its morning '' Playhouse Disney '' block. By June of that year, the popularity of these Interstitials prompted Disney Channel to add the Wiggles television series to the ''Playhouse Disney'' program schedule, showing full episodes multiple times per day.13 The Wiggles have gone on to perform twelve sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden and have been in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at least twice. As of 2005, worldwide sales of their DVDs and videoes exceeded 17 million and they had performed in front of over one million people across the globe.14 The Wiggles' success in music and television has led to extensive Merchandising of Wiggles-branded books, toys, clothing, and other products for children. Beginning in 2003, the group has begun Franchising Its Concept to other countries, branching into Taiwan and Latin American markets with versions of Mandarin- and Spanish speaking Wiggles. In September 2005, Australia largest theme park, Dreamworld in Queensland , opened a "Wiggles World" section.15 Six Flags in New Jersey and Chicago are opening up their own versions of "Wiggles World" in 2007.1617 By 2007, The Wiggles employed twenty full-time workers in offices in Sydney and Dallas, Texas , as well as another thirty employees on their tours. Greg Page leaves the group In December 2005, lead singer and founding member Greg Page , underwent a double hernia operation. He withdrew from The Wiggles' U.S. tour in June 2006 after suffering fainting spells, lethargy, nausea, and loss of balance. He returned to Australia, where doctors diagnosed his condition as Orthostatic Intolerance , a chronic but not life-threatening condition.18 On November 30, 2006, the Wiggles announced Page's retirement from the group "to focus on managing his health." Page was replaced by Sam Moran , who served as an understudy for the Wiggles for five years and had already stood in for Page on some 150 shows. Greg officially handed over his yellow skivvy (shirt) to Sam in a video posted on the Wiggles' official website.19 CHARACTERS Aside from the four Wiggles, there are four secondary characters that usually appear in their videos and live concerts. They were developed in the early 1990s, and were originally played by group members and by Anthony's brother Paul Field, the band's manager. They are now played by hired actors, occasionally touring without The Wiggles as "Dorothy The Dinosaur And Friends." Dorothy the Dinosaur Dorothy is a large green T-Rex with yellow spots. She wears a white hat and enjoys eating roses. Dorothy the Dinosaur is 5 years old, and is very wise for her age. Her birthday is November 3 . She loves dancing, and is known to do ballet, Irish, Scottish, and line dancing. She loves her birthday as The Wiggles always make it a very special fun day for her. Dorothy has a heart of gold and is a very friendly dinosaur. She also likes to dance around with the kids. Upon first encountering her some people are somewhat afraid, but then realize her true friendly side and subsequently adore her. Wags the Dog Wags is a tall, brown, furry dog with floppy ears and a happy face. He enjoys eating, and is said to keep The Wiggles up all night if he gets hungry. Wags also enjoys digging in his garden. Up until 2007, Wags couldn't talk (except in mental Soliloquies that only the audience could hear), but The Wiggles understood him when he barked. In the Getting Strong DVD release (2007), he is heard to talk a little bit like Scooby Doo . Wags is a skilled Tango dancer. He believes everyone is his friend and is said to love having a good time. He serves as the foil for Captain Feathersword and loves a good laugh. He can smell fear. His birthday is October 27 . Henry the Octopus Henry is a fun-loving Octopus with purple skin. He wears Tartan clothes, a straw hat and black polished shoes on the end of every tentacle. Henry likes to wave to all his friends simultaneously, an easily accomplished feat considering his eight tentacles. Henry lives under the sea and is the leader of the Underwater Big Band. He is said to have a bubbly personality and loves a good joke! Captain Feathersword Captain Feathersword is a friendly pirate, and is characterised by his pirate coat and hat, eyepatch and has a sword composed of feathers (hence the name ''Feathersword''.). Originally played by Anthony Field and his brother Paul Field , since 1995 Captain Feathersword has been played exclusively by Paul Paddick . Paddick is a skilled stage entertainer and at live Wiggles shows usually adds an interlude for the entertainment of the parents in the audience, including for example Elvis and Nixon impersonations. Minor characters Some additional characters have been occasionally featured in Wiggles videos and television series. The Cook was originally portrayed by Field's late father, John, and later played by late Crowded House drummer, Paul Hester . Wally the Magician was featured in ''The Wiggles Movie''. Despite his regular tries, Wally fails at being a great magician. He longs to be like his grandfather Waldo the Great and finally realized his dream after winning a magic competition. Officer Beaples, dressed resembling a British Bobby , is played by a woman in Drag . Officer Beaples was originally portrayed by Leanne Halloran , who was also the choreographer for the Wiggles. The part is typically mimed in the style of Charlie Chaplin or the Keystone Cops , but she does not carry an actual Truncheon . Officer Beaples usually communicates through her whistle, and has many young police officers to teach (as seen on the ''Wiggles Live'' video). In ''The Wiggles Movie,'' Officer Beaples had a speaking role. Magdalena the Mermaid lives in the ocean near Wiggle Bay. She helped the Wiggles find their adrift rowing boat when they visited the bay. She is featured in the video/DVD appropriately named ''Wiggle Bay.'' She also appears in the DVD ''Racing to the Rainbow'' (2006). Professor Singalottasonga is a professor of sorts, singing opera style songs. He wears a white suit with a red cape flowing behind him, the suit sporting large musical notes. Professor Singalottasonga was introduced in one of the later series of the Wiggles show. Featured in Sailing Around The World . He was played by both Paul Paddick and Sam Moran . The Wiggles live in an animated house that speaks and changes moods. The Wiggles have been seen referring to the house as Flora. The door demands a password (usually "sillypants"). The Waggettes are puppies who are in the care of Wags the Dog. They dance but do not speak. WIGGLES IN OTHER MEDIA Another measure of the Wiggles' growing fame is reflected in the references to them in other television programs.
HONOURS
THE WIGGLES VIDEOS
The Wiggles have made numerous videos, including:
DISCOGRAPHY See Also: List of The Wiggles songs
SEE ALSO
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