Anthony Field facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anthony Field AM
Field in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Anthony Donald Joseph Field
Born	(1963-05-08) 8 May 1963 (age 62) Kellyville, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Children's pop rock
Occupations	Musician actor songwriter producer
Instruments	Guitar drums vocals violin didgeridoo Bouzouki banjo bagpipes trumpet bass tin whistle
Years active	1979–present

Anthony Donald Joseph Field is an Australian musician, actor, songwriter, and producer. He was born on May 8, 1963. He is most famous as the leader of the children's music group The Wiggles. Before that, he was also a member of a pop band called the Cockroaches in the 1980s and 1990s.

When he was still a teenager, Anthony helped start The Cockroaches with his brothers, Paul and John. The band released two albums and had some success. After The Cockroaches, Anthony went to Macquarie University to study how to teach young children. In 1991, he started The Wiggles with his university friends Murray Cook, Greg Page, and his old bandmate Jeff Fatt.

Anthony worked as a preschool teacher for two years. Then, The Wiggles became so popular that he started working on children's music full-time. The Wiggles grew into one of Australia's most successful music groups. Anthony, who wears a blue shirt when he performs, helped create their stage shows, TV shows, albums, and DVDs. He has also openly shared his experiences with feeling very sad and having body aches, which almost made him leave the group. Since 2012, Anthony is the only original Wiggle still performing with the group.

Anthony's Early Life and School

Anthony Field was born in Kellyville, New South Wales, Australia. He is the youngest of seven children and grew up in Sydney. His family had many musicians, especially the women. His great-great aunt, Queenie Paul, was a famous performer. His grandmother, Kathleen, played music for silent movies. Anthony's mother, Marie, made sure all her children learned to play an instrument.

He went to an all-boys boarding school called St Joseph's College. His great-grandfather, Paddy Condon, who was a skilled stonemason, helped build this school. Anthony was inspired by his sister Colleen to study early childhood education. He felt that teaching young children was what he was meant to do. He liked that this job allowed for creativity and was different from his strict boarding school experience.

Anthony put off university when The Cockroaches became popular. However, he felt unhappy with touring and struggled with feelings of sadness. In his mid-twenties, he decided he didn't want to tour anymore. He took two breaks. First, he joined the Australian Army from 1982 to 1985. He was a soldier and helped with medical care. He even played the bagpipes in parades! He left the army in 1985 and later traveled to the U.K. There, he listened to different kinds of music, including children's songs.

The Cockroaches Band

In 1979, while still at St Joseph's school, Anthony and his brothers Paul and John formed a pop group called the Cockroaches.

In 1986, they signed with a music label. Their first album, The Cockroaches (released in March 1987), became very popular. It reached number 9 on the Australian music charts and sold 70,000 copies. The album also had their biggest hit song, "She's the One", which reached number 7 on the singles chart in April 1987.

When The Cockroaches stopped performing in the early 1990s, Anthony went to Macquarie University. While studying there, he decided to make an album of children's music. He asked his university friend and guitarist Murray Cook, former Cockroaches roadie and singer Greg Page, and former bandmate and keyboard player Jeff Fatt to help. Another instructor, Phillip Wilcher, also helped at first but later left the group.

The Wiggles Begin

The Wiggles released their first CD in 1991, and it sold 100,000 copies! Anthony worked as a preschool teacher for two years. But The Wiggles became so successful and toured so much that he had to stop teaching. He didn't really like touring a lot.

After their second album, The Wiggles started wearing their famous colored shirts on stage. Anthony said he wore blue because Murray already had a red shirt and Jeff had a purple one. He and Greg raced to see who would get the blue shirt! Greg ended up wearing yellow, and Anthony first wore green but changed to blue so he wouldn't clash with Dorothy the Dinosaur.

Field (right/blue shirt) with the original line-up of the Wiggles, during a trip to NASA in 2004.

Each Wiggle developed a special "thing" they did, which became like their characters. This helped kids remember them. Anthony's "thing" was eating. Anthony also created and first played the character of Captain Feathersword. Later, Paul Paddick took over this role in 1996. Anthony also played Wags the Dog.

Field on stage in 2007

By the mid-1990s, even with The Wiggles' success, Anthony felt very sad and worried often. By mid-2004, after he got married and his first child was born, his health problems got worse because of their busy tour schedule. He thought about leaving The Wiggles. But after meeting a chiropractor in 2004, Anthony's health improved. He started hiring teams of chiropractors for himself and the other Wiggles members in every city they performed. He said this helped them keep up with their touring.

In early 2013, Anthony became the only original member of the group to stay after Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook, and Greg Page retired. He stayed because he wanted to keep educating children. The Wiggles' manager, Paul Field, also said it helped keep their business partners happy.

In July 2020, Anthony and the other classic Wiggles appeared in a music video for the band Soul Movers.

Anthony's musical inspirations include artists like Lightning Hopkins, Elvis Presley, and The Rolling Stones. He can play many instruments, including the tin whistle, bagpipes, guitar, drums, trumpet, violin, bouzouki, and didgeridoo. Anthony, with ideas from the other members, produced most of The Wiggles' music, DVDs, and live shows.

Other Music Projects

In 2018, Anthony Field, along with fellow Wiggles member Lachlan Gillespie and other band members, started a band for adult fans called the Unusual Commoners. This band plays a mix of traditional Australian, Irish, Scottish, and folk songs. They performed their first international show in St. John's, Newfoundland in late 2018.

Anthony's Personal Life

In 1999, Anthony Field was named "Bachelor of the Year" by Cleo magazine.

Field with his kids

In 2003, he married Michaela Patisteas, who used to be a dancer. They have three children. His children have even appeared in some of The Wiggles' TV shows and videos!

Starting in 2007, Anthony, who also breeds Miniature Fox Terrier dogs, did voiceover work for the TV show RSPCA Animal Rescue in Australia.

Anthony loves competitive sports. He has said, "My love of cricket is abiding." He is also a big fan of the Wests Tigers, a rugby league team. He has publicly said his heart is with the Balmain team. In 2023, he shared his dream of buying and bringing back Balmain as its own club. He also likes the singer Julio Iglesias. As Anthony got fitter, he became interested in gymnastics and acrobatics.

Anthony spoke publicly about his experiences with feeling very sad in mid-2007. He wanted to help others understand this condition better. He has said that "being on the road is a dangerous job for someone with depression." But he has managed it through healthy eating, exercise, talking about his feelings, and having a good support system. This includes his father (before he passed away in 1998), his wife, and his friend Murray Cook. He wrote about his health journey in his 2012 book How I Got My Wiggle Back.

Anthony is a very religious person and a devout Catholic. He has said his faith helped him deal with his health issues and sadness, especially through prayer and devotion to the Virgin Mary. He has two large tattoos on his arms. One shows the Virgin Mary with words in Spanish meaning "My life is in your hands." The other is a heart with Spanish words meaning "My love, my heart." The names of his wife and three children are also tattooed on his arms. He got his Virgin Mary tattoo during a trip to Mexico while on tour, when he was having a tough time with pain.

Awards and Recognition

Anthony Field was given a special honor called "Member of the Order of Australia" on January 26, 2010. He received this award "for service to the arts, particularly children's entertainment, and to the community as a benefactor and supporter of a range of charities." This means he was recognized for his great work in children's entertainment and for helping many charities.

Music Albums

With The Wiggles

With The Cockroaches

Studio Albums

Singles (Songs)