The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney, New South Wales in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins. The Wiggles were founded in 1991 by Field, Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Greg Page and Phillip Wilcher. Wilcher left the group after their first album. Page retired in 2006 due to ill health and was replaced by understudy Sam Moran, but returned in 2012, replacing Moran. At the end of 2012, Cook, Fatt and Page retired and were replaced by Gillespie, Pryce, and Emma Watkins. Cook and Fatt retained their shareholding in the group and all three continued to have input into its creative and production aspects. Watkins departed the group in 2021, with Hawkins taking her place.
Field and Fatt were members of the Australian pop band The Cockroaches in the 1980s, and Cook was a member of several bands before meeting Field and Page at Macquarie University, where they were studying to become pre-school teachers. In 1991, Field was inspired to create an album of children's music based upon concepts of early childhood education, and he enlisted Cook, Page, and Fatt to assist him. They began touring to promote the album and became so successful, they quit their teaching jobs to perform full-time. The group augmented their act with costumed characters Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, and Wags the Dog, as well as the human character Captain Feathersword, played by Paul Paddick since 1993. Shirley Shawn the Unicorn was later introduced. They originally travelled with a small group of dancers, which later grew into a larger troupe. The group's DVDs, CDs and television programs have been produced independently since their inception. Their high point came in the early 2000s, after they broke into the American market.
History in the Macy's Parade[]
The Wiggles first appeared in The 75th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade riding on the new Taxi Cab Clown Car. The Following year, they appeared on the Jolly Polly Pirate Ship Float for two times with additional appearences by Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus, and Captain Feathersword (The latter one appearing in the 2003 Parade).