Peter Wolf Net Worth

Early Life

Peter Wolf was born Peter Walter Blankfield on March 7, 1946, in The Bronx, New York. Peter studied at Manhattan’s High School of Music & Art, which was close to the Apollo Theater, and he often attended gospel, R&B, and soul concerts at the legendary venue. Wolf enrolled at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts in Boston, Massachusetts, after earning a scholarship, and he studied painting there. He roomed with David Lynch, who would go on to co-create the Emmy-nominated television series “Twin Peaks” and earn Academy Award nominations for directing “The Elephant Man,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Mulholland Dr.”

The J. Geils Band

In 1964, Peter formed the band The Hallucinations with fellow art students Doug Slade, Stephen Jo Bladd, Paul Shapiro, and Joe Clark. The group appeared on bills with artists such as Muddy Waters, The Velvet Underground, John Lee Hooker, Van Morrison, Howlin’ Wolf, and Sun Ra. While he was in The Hallucinations, Wolf was enlisted to help establish the Boston radio station WBCN, and he became an all-night DJ using the moniker Woofa Goofa. He joined The J. Geils Band in 1967, and he and keyboardist Seth Justman were the band’s primary songwriters. The J. Geils Band released their self-titled debut album on November 16, 1970, and it reached #195 on the “Billboard” 200 chart. Their second album, 1971’s “The Morning After,” reached #64 on that chart, and 1973’s “Bloodshot” peaked at #10 and was certified Gold. Next, the band released “Ladies Invited” (1973), “Nightmares…and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle” (1974), “Hotline” (1975), and “Monkey Island” (1977), which reached #51, #26, #36, and #51 on the “Billboard” 200 chart, respectively. The single “Must of Got Lost” from “Nightmares…and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle” reached #12 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 chart. The J. Geils Band followed “Monkey Island” with the Gold albums “Sanctuary” (1978) and “Love Stinks” (1980). The single “Love Stinks” became one of their most well-known songs, and Adam Sandler famously covered it in the 1998 hit film “The Wedding Singer.” Wolf’s final album with the band was 1981’s “Freeze-Frame,” which reached #1 in the U.S. and Canada and went Platinum or higher in both countries. The single “Centerfold” topped the charts in the U.S., Australia, and Canada, and it was certified Gold in Australia. The album’s title track went Gold in the U.S. and Canada and reached the top 10 on the charts in several countries. The band has been nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction five times, in 2005, 2006, 2011, 2017, and 2018.

Solo Career

Peter released his debut solo album, “Lights Out,” in July 1984, and it reached #24 on the “Billboard” 200 chart. The title track reached #12 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 chart, #6 on the Mainstream Rock chart, #11 on the Dance Club Songs chart, and #15 on the Canadian Singles Chart. The following year, he performed a duet with Aretha Franklin, “Push,” for her album “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?,” and he took part in the recording of the Artists United Against Apartheid protest song “Sun City.” Wolf’s second solo album, 1987’s “Come as You Are,” peaked at #53 on the “Billboard” 200 chart, and the title track reached #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The 1990 album “Up to No Good” featured the single “99 Worlds,” which reached #9 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Peter began collaborating with producer Kenny White with the 1996 album “Long Line,” and he followed that album with 1998’s “Fool’s Parade.” The 2002 album “Sleepless” featured performances by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and “Rolling Stone” named it one of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Wolf’s seventh solo album, 2010’s “Midnight Souvenirs,” reached #45 on the “Billboard” 200 chart, #12 on the Top Rock Albums chart, and #14 on the Top Tastemaker Albums chart. The album featured duets with Merle Haggard, Neko Case, and Shelby Lynne. In 2016, Peter released the album “A Cure for Loneliness,” and it reached #5 on the Folk Albums chart, #14 on the Top Tastemaker Albums chart, and #18 on the Top Rock Albums chart.

Personal Life

Peter married award-winning actress Faye Dunaway on August 7, 1974. The couple divorced in 1979.

Awards

Peter’s album “Midnight Souvenirs” was named Album of the Year at the 2010 Boston Music Awards.