Fatboy Slim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norman Cook
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Cook in 2025
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Quentin Leo Cook |
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| Born | 31 July 1963 Bromley, Kent, England |
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| Years active | 1979–present |
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Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), known as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ. He helped make the big beat music style popular in the 1990s. His music often uses parts of other songs, called samples, mixed with pop song structures and catchy vocals.
In the 1980s, Cook played bass guitar for the indie rock band the Housemartins. They had a UK number-one song called "Caravan of Love". After the Housemartins, Cook moved to Brighton to make dance music. He started the electronic group Beats International, which had a number-one song called "Dub Be Good to Me" in 1990. He also played in the band Freak Power and released house music under names like Pizzaman and the Mighty Dub Katz.
In 1996, Cook released his first album as Fatboy Slim, Better Living Through Chemistry. His second album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998), was very successful. It included popular songs like "The Rockafeller Skank", "Praise You", and "Right Here, Right Now". His album Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars (2000) featured the song "Weapon of Choice". The music video for this song won many awards.
Cook has won a Grammy Award, nine MTV Video Music Awards, two Brit Awards, and an Ivor Novello Award. In 2023, he earned a Guinness World Record for having the most UK number-one singles as a member of different music groups.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Quentin Leo Cook was born on 31 July 1963 in Bromley, England. He was the youngest of three children. His mother was a teacher, and his father was an environmental consultant. His family followed a unique religious group called Kosmon.
Cook grew up in Reigate, Surrey. He went to Reigate Grammar School, where he took violin lessons. At school, he loved punk music and even made his own punk magazine. He started using the name Norman because some classmates teased him about the name Quentin. He began DJing and collecting records when he was 15.
At college, Cook met songwriter Paul Heaton, and they formed a punk band. Cook moved to Brighton in 1982 to study at Brighton Polytechnic. While there, he worked as a DJ and learned how to mix music from DJ Carl Cox.
Music Career
Joining the Housemartins
While Cook was in Brighton, Paul Heaton formed a band called the Housemartins. In 1985, Cook joined them as their bassist. He learned to play the bass guitar very quickly. In 1986, the Housemartins had a number-one song in the UK with their cover of "Caravan of Love".
Cook was also interested in hip-hop and dance music. While with the Housemartins, he started making dance music on his own, just for fun. He also created a long mix of songs called "The Finest Ingredients," which was played by a famous BBC DJ, John Peel.
New Bands and Remixes
The Housemartins broke up in 1988. Cook went back to Brighton to focus on dance music. He bought more music equipment to create his own sounds.
Cook released popular remixes of other artists' songs. He also formed a group called Beats International with different singers and rappers. Their song "Dub Be Good to Me" became number one in 1990.
After Beats International, Cook formed an acid jazz band called Freak Power. They released a successful song called "Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out" in 1993. Cook also made music as part of the duo Pizzaman and as the Mighty Dub Katz. He often used different names for his music, like Cheeky Boy, because his record contract did not allow him to release music under his own name on other labels. He said he chose these fun names because he did not take himself too seriously.
Becoming Fatboy Slim
Cook started using the name Fatboy Slim in 1995. He said the name was a funny mix of words that suited him. Around this time, a new record label called Skint Records started in Brighton. Their first release was Fatboy Slim's song "Santa Cruz" in 1995. It became popular in the underground dance music scene.
Cook also helped start a popular club night in Brighton called the Big Beat Boutique. Here, he played many different types of music, mixed with breakbeats. This club night helped create the big beat music style. Cook released his first Fatboy Slim album, Better Living Through Chemistry, in 1996. By 1997, Cook was a very famous DJ, playing at big events around the world.
International Success
In 1998, Cook's remixes of "Renegade Master" by Wildchild and "Brimful of Asha" by Cornershop were very successful. He said these songs helped him find his unique music style. Many famous artists wanted him to work with them.
His second album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998), was a huge hit. It included three popular songs: "The Rockafeller Skank", "Praise You", and "Right Here, Right Now". "Praise You" was his first number-one song in the UK. Its music video, directed by Spike Jonze, won many awards. In September 1999, Cook performed "Praise You" at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City and won three awards. The album was also certified platinum, meaning it sold a lot of copies. That year, Cook won a Brit Award for Best British Dance Act.
Big Beach Boutique Concerts
In 2000, Cook released his third Fatboy Slim album, Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars. It featured collaborations with singers like Macy Gray. The music video for "Weapon of Choice", which showed actor Christopher Walken dancing, won six awards at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. Cook set a Guinness world records for the most MTV Video Awards won by a DJ and for a single video.
In 2001, Cook held a free concert called Big Beach Boutique on Brighton beach. About 60,000 people attended. The live recording of this concert was released as an album in 2002. In July 2002, he played a second free concert on Brighton beach, Big Beach Boutique II. This event attracted around 250,000 people, much more than expected. Despite some challenges due to the large crowd, Cook was supported by the local community.
In 2001, Cook won his second Brit Award for Best British Dance Act. He released a live album and DVD of the Brighton beach performance, Big Beach Boutique II, in 2003.
Later Albums and Performances
In 2004, Cook released his fourth album, Palookaville. It sold fewer copies than his previous albums, which Cook said was because of its different musical style. After the success of his Brighton beach DVD in Brazil, Cook played to an estimated 360,000 people in Rio in 2004. He returned to Brazil many times.
Cook performed at the Glastonbury Festival 2005. In June 2006, he played a main performance at the RockNess festival. A greatest hits album, The Greatest Hits – Why Try Harder, was released that month. On New Year's Day 2007, Cook held another concert on Brighton beach, Big Beach Boutique 3, with tickets limited to local residents.
In 2008, Cook formed a group called the Brighton Port Authority, which included artists like Iggy Pop and David Byrne. They released an album in 2009. Cook also worked with David Byrne again on Here Lies Love (2010), an album about the life of a famous figure from the Philippines. This album was later turned into a stage musical in 2013 and opened on Broadway in 2023.
In 2011, Cook received an award for his outstanding contribution to music at the Ivor Novello Awards. He performed at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in London.
Recent Music and Shows
In 2013, Cook performed at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. On 6 March 2013, he became the first DJ to perform at the House of Commons in London. This event helped a charity that encourages young people to get involved in their communities. Cook said it was a big moment for dance music, showing it was now accepted.
In 2013, Cook released "Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat" with Riva Starr and Beardyman. This song became very popular and introduced Fatboy Slim to younger fans. In 2015, he received an award from the University of Brighton for his contributions to music.
As of 2015, Cook was performing about 70 DJ sets each year. He said he was more interested in doing interesting things than becoming even more famous. In 2017, he released the song "Where U Iz".
In October 2019, at a concert in Gateshead, England, Cook mixed his song "Right Here, Right Now" with a speech by Greta Thunberg. This mix became very popular online. Cook also appeared as a DJ in the 2019 film Greed and in the TV show Derry Girls in 2022.
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During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Cook shared music mixes online and worked at a cafe he owns. In May 2021, he performed in Liverpool as part of government tests to restart large events. In June 2022, Cook gave DJ lessons as part of a health program for people with mental health challenges. In July, he headlined the On the Beach festival in Brighton, celebrating 20 years since Big Beach Boutique II.
Cook worked with British singer Rita Ora on the 2023 song "Praising You", which was a new version of his song "Praise You". At Glastonbury 2023, Cook played the song "Insomnia" as a tribute to the singer Maxi Jazz. In October 2023, he received a Guinness world record for having the most UK number-one singles as a member of different groups.
In June 2024, Cook released the song "Role Model". The music video used special technology to show celebrities like David Bowie and Muhammad Ali. In July 2024, Cook played bass with his old bandmate Paul Heaton at Glastonbury 2024. Cook has said he is now focusing more on DJ performances than creating new music. He estimated that his performance at Glastonbury 2025 was his 100th time playing at the festival.
Music Style
Cook helped create the big beat electronic music style of the 1990s. His music is often described as a "collage" of different sounds. One music critic called his album You've Come A Long Way, Baby "pure pop." Another described his style as using "different samples, short vocal phrases, and a fun, party spirit."
Cook said he made his music different from other dance artists by using traditional song structures, like verses and choruses. He would arrange dance music sounds in a way that sounded like pop music.
Cook estimated that most of his songs were only about 20% original material. He was proud that his music did not sound like the songs he sampled. He avoided sampling famous hit songs, choosing instead to buy used records and find interesting vocal and drum parts. He would then create new sounds from these samples.
Most Fatboy Slim songs are made from samples combined with sounds from special synthesizers. Cook changes the samples by stretching them or making them sound distorted. He creates drum tracks by taking individual drum sounds from old records and then making new patterns. He often uses two drum tracks at once: one that sounds modern and clear, and another that sounds older and rougher.
Cook said his music is not meant to be serious or political. He makes music for people to dance to and have fun. He said his music is for "people who do tough jobs all week and on Friday and Saturday nights they get to be glamorous and exciting." Fatboy Slim's songs have been used a lot in commercials, movies, and TV shows.
When he performs, Cook often wears Hawaiian shirts and no shoes. He likes to interact with the crowd, cheering them on and responding to their energy. He believes DJs should communicate with the audience through their actions and body language.
Personal Life
Cook met BBC presenter Zoe Ball in Ibiza in 1998. They married in 1999 and had their first child in 2000. Their relationship was often in the news. Cook and Ball separated in 2003 but got back together and had a second child in 2010. They lived in Hove. On 24 September 2016, Cook and Ball announced they had separated after 18 years. Their son, Woody, is also a DJ.
In 2002, Cook legally changed his name to Norman Quentin Cook. That same year, he bought a share in the Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, which he has supported since the 1980s. In June 2013, Cook opened the Big Beach Cafe in Hove. He also owned a Japanese restaurant and a gastropub in New York City. Cook collects items with the smiley symbol. In 2019, he helped create a smiley exhibition in Lisbon.
Awards and Nominations
Discography
- Better Living Through Chemistry (1996)
- You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998)
- Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars (2000)
- Palookaville (2004)
See also
In Spanish: Fatboy Slim para niños
