The end of an era. Introducing new Wiggles Emma, Lachlan and Simon.
It’s finally happened. Three of the four original Wiggles are hanging up there skivvies for good. Murray Cook (Red Wiggle), Jeff Fatt (Purple Wiggle) and Greg Page (Yellow Wiggle) are ready to retire and have already found their replacements. Yes, even though Greg has only been back for four months, he’s retiring again. He is apparently still plagued by health problems and the whole group has suffered fan backlash after some bad pr. Interestingly, the next person to don the yellow shirt will be the first female member of the Wiggles. Well, aside from honorary Pink Wiggle Kylie Monogue. Good luck, Emma Watkins! (Ain’t that a kick in the pants to recently dismissed Yellow Wiggle Sam Moran?) There is speculation that the negative tone set by the poorly handled dismissal of Sam has led to this result. On the other hand, Jeff is pushing 60 now; he had heart surgery last year. They’ve all been wiggling for 21 years. How much further could they go? As we witnessed ourselves in the Wiggly Circus show, their act is still physically demanding even for men half their age.
It’s just too bad they couldn’t make it work with Sam and the whole thing turned many fans sour on them. Perhaps they can overcome any ill will with some fresh faces and the brand can continue to entertain youngsters for years to come. It is going to be a harder sell now that they’ve created so much competition for themselves. Hard to believe when they started in the 90s, they were the only band targeting the toddler market. Now they may become victims of their own success. At any rate, it’s been a great journey. The retirees will continue to write and produce. Anthony Field (Blue Wiggle) will keep an eye on the new crew on tour. He’s not quite ready to stop wiggling yet.
I realize my child has outgrown his one time favorite band. But they brought joy and music into his life which he carries with him still. Here’s hoping the band can get its mojo back and carry on!
If you are on the fence about attending a concert, this will be your last chance to see the original guys before retirement. Check out the tour dates for the US.
Vintage Wiggles:
