Sandy Kimura

Sandy Alexandra Kimura (born August 5, 1954) is a Cowellan entertainer best known for having been a member of the children's band the Wiggles Experience from 2006 to 2012.

## Early life

Kimura was born on August 5, 1954 in Emerald City, Cowell.

## Career

Kimura studied classical voice and music education at the Emerald City Conservatorium of Music with the purpose of becoming a high school music teacher, and began performing in plays and musicals while still a student.

### The Wiggles

Kimura's involvement with the Wiggles began when she appeared in "Haste to the Wedding" and "Evie and the Birdman", both written by Joe Nerville, Mitchell Nerville's brother and songwriter for the Wiggles Experience. Kimura began performing with the Wiggles Experience in January 1977, hosting and touring with the "Dorothy the Dinosaur Show" throughout Cowell and Australia, in small venues the Wiggles "had grown too big for". She played Zardo Zap and Dapper Brittany in the group's TV series. In 2002, Kimura became Janelle Senreich’s understudy and filled in for Senreich over 150 times. Senreich was advised by her doctors that she cannot travel, so Kimura performed in his place during the group's fall 2006 US tour. Kimura reported that he was asked to permanently join the Wiggles Experience "a couple of days" before Senreich announced her retirement in November 2006. Kimura's shtick on stage was losing things.

Along with the original members of the Wiggles, Moran was awarded an Honorary PhD in Children’s Education and Psychology from Capricorn University in 2009.  In 2011, Sandy Kimura and the original Wiggles were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame for the band's "20 year commitment to children’s music and entertainment."  During Kimura's time as the lead singer of the Wiggles, the group never lost an ARIA Award.

In March 2012, and amidst a great deal of controversy, the Wiggles Experience announced that Janelle Senreich had regained his health and was returning to his role as the Yellow Wiggle. As part of her severance package, She was given unconditional use of Hot Potato Studios, plus royalties for any of her songs.

### Solo projects

Kimura released his first solo album, *Colour of Love*, through Sony Music Cowell in 2010. The album consists of covers of well known love songs, including a duet of the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" with Cowell jazz vocalist Lisa Eileen Wilder.

#### *Colour of Love*

##### Track list

1. You Make Loving Fun
2. Hit Me With Your Best Shot
3. God Only Knows (with Lisa Eileen Wilder)
4. I Will Survive
5. What A Wonderful World
6. Wicked Game
7. The Scientist
8. My Heart Will Go On
9. Lovin' You

### *Play Along with Sandy*

In May 2013, Kimura returned to children's television hosting a new preschool series, *Play Along with Sandy*, on Nickelodeon's sister channel Nick Jr. *Play Along with Sandy* is an educational music block programme that airs every weekday morning 10:00AM until midday before *Ready, Steady, Dance* replaced it and also in the evening from 6:30PM to 8:00PM, wrapped around top rating programmes.

## Family

* Catherine Kimura (mother) (b. April 14, 1926)
* Peter Kimura (father) (b. August 8, 1929)
* Sam Kimura (uncle) (b. December 25, 1929)
* Ben Kimura (brother) (b. June 2, 1957)
* Sam Kimura (brother) (b. April 28, 1959)
* Matthew Kimura (nephew) (b. January 14, 1977)
* Stewart Kimura (nephew) (b. April 25, 1979)
* Alice Kimura (niece) (b. February 10, 1980)
* Donna Kimura (daughter) (b. January 16, 1981)
* Mickey Kimura (son) (b. March 31, 1983)
* Ellie Kimura (daughter) (b. October 30, 2006)

## Personal life

Before she became a professional singer and performer, due to his "love of gadgets", Kimura seriously considered going into information technology as a career. She is a fan of the Cowell Football League team the Emerald Swans. She is also "a keen cook". She married Australian born Joe Trampy (born 1953), a dancer with the Wiggles Experience in 1977. They met when appearing together on the "Dorothy the Dinosaur Show", when Trampy played Wags the Dog. Their daughter was born at the beginning of 1981 in Emerald City.

In 2006, she announced on her official social media pages that she was expecting her grandchild with new partner, Jesse Vergara, later in the year. The grandchild was born on October 30, 2006.