Greg Page, founding member and original lead singer of the children’s group, The Wiggles, collapsed Friday during a bushfire relief concert in Sydney.
Page suffered a cardiac arrest on stage and was taken to a hospital. The Wiggles’ official Twitter account kept fans updated on his status.
As we were all kids once, you probably remember Greg Page as the original “Yellow Wiggle.” He and bandmates Anthony Field (blue Wiggle), Murray Cook (red Wiggle) and Jeff Fatt (purple Wiggle) started performing together in 1991; they grew in Australia and soon became a worldwide phenomenon. Since 2013, The Wiggles lineup consists of Field, Emma Watkins (new yellow and first female Wiggle), Simon Price (new red Wiggle) and Lachlan Gillespie (new purple Wiggle).
The original group decided to reunite in support of the Australian bushfire relief effort; this marks the first time they have performed together in seven years.
When news of the original Wiggles’ reunion came about, fans wasted no time at all. Their original relief show on January 18 sold out, prompting the addition of a show on January 17. Additionally, the shows were only for those who were 18 years old and up—no children allowed.
After Page collapsed, additional characters in the show stepped in to help The Wiggles finish out the show. Off-duty nurse Grace Jones was attending the show and noticed something off with the singer; she jumped into action to help administer CPR to him.
The following morning, The Wiggles tweeted about their visit with Page, showing him in good spirits and thanking everyone for their well wishes.
All proceeds from The Wiggles’ concerts will go to the Australian Red Cross and WIRES, the largest wildlife rescue & rehabilitation charity in Australia.
