For more than 30 years, Anthony Field, best known as the original Blue Wiggle, has brought happiness to countless preschool kids around the world, helping give millions of parents a break in the process. But behind the fame and fanfare, the performer’s life has been far from perfect.
Though synonymous with spreading joy and smiles through music and storytelling, away from the stage, the 61-year-old was battling debilitating depression, as he reveals in his new memoir, Out Of The Blue.
“To talk about my struggles and to be very open about everything, it’s very scary for me,” the children’s entertainer confesses.
Formed back in 1991 by Anthony, Murray Cook, Greg Page, Phillip Wilcher and Jeff Fatt, the Wiggles became an unexpected musical juggernaut and eventually one of Australia’s biggest cultural exports. Notching up more than 30 million album and DVD sales, at one stage, they raked in $50 million annually.
But despite their status as the most successful children’s musical group on the planet, away from the spotlight, Anthony was spiralling.
“We’ve done more than 5000 shows and I don’t think I’ve not enjoyed any of them, but when I’d come off stage, I’d start to feel lonely or feel like I didn’t fit in,” he shares.
“I remember my brother asking me, ‘What have you got to be sad about?’ and, of course, he was right. On the surface, the house was paid for, the kids had been put through school and I had lots of money in the bank. But it’s not about that. Depression can hit anyone – successful people and financially well-off people included.
“At the time, I didn’t know why I was like that. In the early days, I knew nothing about mental health. It was my dad who started to get worried about me. He came on the road and kept an eye on me. He ended up contacting a psychologist and I started to get therapy.”
The book, co-written with his cousin Greg Truman, is a brutally honest account. It traverses the star’s journey from humble origins through to global superstardom.
It was a journey that began in the ’80s when he, his two brothers and future Wiggles bandmate Jeff formed pub rock band the Cockroaches.
“We were doing shows with the likes of INXS and the Hoodoo Gurus – they were all playing in the same pubs. I also used to run into Michael Hutchence regularly,” recalls Anthony.
“Heroin was a big drug at the time and I saw a lot of people overdose on it. But we were innocent Catholic school boys and it became known that the Cockroaches just didn’t do it. So, the dealers didn’t even bother with us!”
But while Anthony swapped rock ’n’ roll excess for toddlers and tykes, some of the pitfalls of a musical career were still unavoidable.
“Touring was really tough,” he admits. “The Wiggles were away sometimes nine months of the year, so for my family, it was especially hard. I felt like I was a hamster on a wheel at times, just going around and around.”
The gruelling commitments took their toll. Three of the four original band members announced their departure from the super-group, leaving Anthony as the only original member. However, 33 years on, he’s still happy to be a part of the Wiggles.
“I still absolutely love making music and writing songs, and I love working with people,” he says. “Some of the guys in the group are 40 years younger than me. My daughter is also in the band now, which is fantastic.
“I just love the massive, energetic crowds. They show that we’re still very much resonating with the children and their families in really positive ways.”
While professionally Anthony is at his peak, when it comes to his mental health, he admits that – despite years of therapy and medication – it’s still a daily struggle.
“It’s a deceptive title,” he says of his memoir. “Because in the past three years, I’ve been really good with medication and counselling. But I don’t think you’re ever truly ‘out of the blue’ if you have this condition.
“I actually went to a doctor a couple of weeks ago and said that I was feeling so much better. I asked if I could go off my medication, but the doctor told me I was on them for life. You learn how to manage it and to live your life, but it doesn’t really go anywhere.”
Though Anthony may still face an uphill struggle, he’s determined to use both his fame and the new book as a vehicle to shine a light on the epidemic of mental health issues among men.
“There was a time when men were supposed to just shut up and carry on,” he says. “When I was younger, there wasn’t much understanding for anyone who was different. I can recognise it a lot in other men now, so I’ll approach them and ask them if they need to talk.”
Despite being in his sixties, retirement definitely isn’t on the cards for Anthony. In fact, he’s taking inspiration from one of his early musical idols, Rolling Stones rocker Sir Mick Jagger.
“Just look at him!” he says in awe. “In his eighties on stage – that is what I want to be! He’s still incredible and I want to be up there doing the same thing.
“Every day I still appreciate what I do. I’ve learned a lot, but I still make a lot of mistakes. I’m not perfect by any means, I’m a work in progress… I’m not ‘out of the blue’ yet!”
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