Greg Page, the original lead singer for the children’s band The Wiggles, suffered a cardiac arrest when he collapsed at the end of an Australian bushfires relief concert on Jan. 17.
How frightening. Greg Page, the original lead singer for the Australian children’s band The Wiggles, collapsed at the conclusion of a Jan. 17 sold-out reunion concert in Sydney, which was put in place to help raise money for Australian bushfire relief. Greg is one of the founding members of the popular children’s group, and they have sold over 30 million albums, toured throughout the world together, and entertained children with their fun and educational song and dance routines.
The original members had reunited for the first time in several years to perform at this one-off benefit show, which sold out in just minutes after it was first announced. Greg collapsed as the band was nearing the end of their concert, while performing their hit “Hot Potato.” He was shielded from the audience by a curtain, then rushed to a hospital. It was determined he had suffered from a cardiac arrest. According to a tweet from the band, he had a procedure done and is recovering. Want to know more? We’ve got five things to know about Greg below.
1. Greg is a founding member of The Wiggles. The band formed in 1991 and included Greg, Jeff Fatt, Anthony Field and Murray Cook. They each wore an individual color, with Greg donning a yellow shirt, thus becoming known as the “Yellow Wiggle.”
2. Greg met his band mates while in college. One of the reasons why the group was so good at connecting with children is because they all had an interest in educating kids. Greg met his fellow band mates while studying Early Childhood Education at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Greg was the youngest member when they formed, as he was just 19-years-old.
3. Greg has suffered past health problems. He was forced to leave the group in 2006, after undergoing a double hernia operation the year before. Greg suffered from fatigue, slurred speech, and fainting spells. Those conditions caused him to miss the band’s 2006 U.S. tour. He was later determined to be suffering from the difficult to diagnose chronic illness dysautonomia. As he had problems standing upright and his fatigue worsened, Greg ended up retiring from The Wiggles to focus on his health.
4. Greg made millions with The Wiggles. At the time of his 2006 retirement, he received a $20 million payout for his share, as he was a part-owner of the group. He had a brief reunion with the band, touring with The Wiggles in 2012 before retiring again, this time along with the rest of the members. A new lineup of Wiggles formed in 2013 to keep the band alive, entertaining children throughout the world with their quirky yet educational songs.
Greg Page in his element, entertaining children as the Yellow Wiggle when he briefly rejoined the band in 2012.
The Wiggles in a 1997 band promo photo. Greg is the Yellow Wiggle.
5. Greg is a massive Elvis Presley fan and memorabilia collector. At one point, Greg admittedly owned over 800 items of Elvis memorabilia, including his 1967 marriage certificate from when he wed wife Priscilla, the last Cadillac that the singer owned, as well as original TCB Band necklaces (standing for Taking Care of Business, Elvis has his musicians wear them starting in 1969). In 2014, Greg parted with 60 items — including the marriage license and car — by selling them at the inaugural Graceland auction. “I’ve always had the view that I’m only holding these items temporarily. They’re his [Elvis’] items and I’ve just been their custodian,” Greg told 702 ABC Sydney at the time. The majority of Greg’s remaining collection is on display at the King’s Castle museum in Parkes in Central West New South Wales.
Sourse: hollywoodlife.com
