Jeffrey Wayne Fatt (born 21 July 1953) is an Australian musician and actor. He was a member of the children's group The Wiggles from its founding in 1991 to 2012, and was also in the 1980s and 1990s pop band The Cockroaches with fellow Wiggle Anthony Field.
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 Wong 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. Fatt had aspirations to become an architect, 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. 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?" Field reported that as Fatt had done for the Cockroaches, he was "a musical backbone for the Wiggles".
Wake Up, Jeff!
Fatt's schtick was sleeping at odd times, which led to a Wiggles catchphrase and the title of one of their songs, "Wake Up, Jeff!" Fatt was the oldest Wiggle and was well known for his "laid-back personality", As Sam Moran has said, when referring to the development of the Wiggles' shticks, "Jeff really does fall asleep", and Fatt reported, "The irony is I'm a very light sleeper in the nighttime. I will invariably have a snooze before the show". 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". Field claimed Fatt's schtick endeared Fatt to their audiences and called it "a simple audience participation and interaction gag we've done since the start of the group". 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.
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".
Retirement
thumb|right|"Wiggly concert": Balloon versions of Jeff and Murray
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.
In July 2020, he appeared with the other classic Wiggles in The Soul Movers music video "Circles Baby". In September 2020, following the announcement of the birth of Gillespie's daughters, Lulu and Lottie, 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.
Personal life
Since 1990, Fatt has taken a photo a day documenting the most eventful thing that has happened to him.
Health
In early July 2011, Fatt underwent heart surgery after feeling unwell for several weeks His surgery was "urgent but routine" and Fatt was expected to recover completely. He missed the summer US tour as a result, after never missing a show in 20 years. 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. Fatt, along with the other three original Wiggles, Fatt also received an ARIA Hall of Fame Award with the Wiggles in 2011.
Filmography
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Television
! Role
! Notes
!Ref
|-
| 1998–present
| The Wiggles
| Jeff Wiggle / Henry the Octopus
|
|
|}
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Film
! Role
! Notes
!Ref
|-
| 1997
| The Wiggles Movie
| Jeff Wiggle / Henry the Octopus (voice)
|
|
|}
Discography
With The Wiggles
With The Cockroaches
Studio albums
{| class="wikitable"
!Title
!Year
|-
!The Cockroaches
|1987
|-
!Fingertips
|1988
|-
!Positive
|1991
|-
!St. Patrick's Day 10am
|1994
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable"
!Title
!Year
|-
!"I Want a Leather Jacket" / "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
|1980
|-
!"Through with Her" / "Bingo Bango"
| rowspan="3"| 1981
|-
!"Used to Be"
|-
!"Empty Heart"
|-
!"Shake Jump and Shout"
|1982
|-
!"See You in Spain"
|1984
|-
!"My Whole World's Fallin' Down"
| rowspan="2"| 1985
|-
!"Another Night Alone"
|-
!"Wait Up"
|1986
|-
!"She's the One"
| rowspan="3"| 1987
|-
!"Some Kind of Girl"
|-
!"Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)"
|-
!"Hey What Now!"
| rowspan="2"| 1988
|-
!"You and Me"
|-
!"Permanently Single"
| rowspan="2"| 1989
|-
!"Another Saturday Night"
|-
!"Hope"
| rowspan="2"| 1990
|-
!"Here Comes That Feeling"
|-
!"I Must Have Been Blind"
|1991
|}