A review in The Guardian inspired me to read this memoir by the longtime lead of the J. Geils Band. The article’s author writes that during the pandemic, Wolf read stacks of books, including many memoirs of other musicians. He concluded that most such memoirs are written for fans and wouldn’t be interesting to others, and decided to focus his own memoir on what is now the subtitle of the book: the “Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses” who were part of his life during the 60s, 70s and the decades after. He sees himself as the DJ of life, choosing the records, while the music creates the magic.

Here’s just a partial list of well-known names you come across in the book:

Fred Astaire
Julia Child
George Cukor
Faye Dunaway (Wolf’s wife for a few years)
Bob Dylan
Aretha Franklin
Merle Haggard
Alfred Hitchcock
John Lee Hooker
John Lennon
David Lynch (Wolf’s art school roommate)
Marilyn Monroe
Van Morrison
Jack Nicholson
Harry Nilsson
Ryan O’Neal
Prince
The Rolling Stones
Eleanor Roosevelt
Peter Sellers
Simon & Garfunkel
Sly Stone
Andy Warhol
Muddy Waters
Tennessee Williams

But don’t get the idea that this book is an extended exercise in name-dropping. Wolf is a real storyteller, and every one of his anecdotes illuminates the people he writes about and the worlds of music, film, and the arts from the 1960s on. From growing up in a cramped Bronx apartment, he lived and stayed in such an astonishing variety of places, from roach-ridden walkup apartments, to a Malibu beach house, to New York’s Dakota. He made friends with Harvard intellectuals, roots musicians, Hollywood actors and agents—and limo drivers. It’s a great trip through folk music coffeehouses, blues joints, country music stars’ tour buses, watering holes for the 1970s Hollywood elite, and so many hotel rooms, all the way from rundown rooms for Black musicians in the Green Book era to grand suites at the Savoy. It’s just jaw-dropping the worlds that Wolf was part of (check out the photos), worlds that don’t really exist anymore. This is such an engaging trip through these worlds that it doesn’t matter at all if you aren’t a fan of Wolf or the J. Geils Band, or even if you’re never heard of them.

If “A Complete Unknown” leaves you craving more behind-the-scenes stories about rock stars, look no further than the autobiography of Boston’s own Peter Wolf. The frontman of The J. Geils Band and DJ for legendary radio station WBCN shares anecdotes throughout his star-studded life. From his New York youth napping on Marilyn Monroe’s shoulder at the movies and seeing Bob Dylan’s early performances, to his Tufts University days rooming with David Lynch, through his marriage to Faye Dunaway and storied music career, “Waiting on the Moon” illustrates the serendipity that occurs when creative minds intersect. These contemplative vignettes will satisfy anyone wishing they could have been a fly on the wall for spellbinding conversations between musicians, poets, actresses and all other manner of artists.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an advance copy of this memoir by a singer, songwriter, visual artist, and man-about-town, who discusses his art, his opportunities and the many people he has met along the way, enriching and educating him, and in turn the readers of this fascinating book.

I worked in a music store during the nineties and we had a a customer, well he was probably our best customer. Art was older a doctor in a field where his patients were usually at the end of life, and as such he used music to joy in his life. Art was the the only customer our boss let look at the weekly preorder list, for domestic, import and bootlegs. Art had his own highlighter, and would put a red mark by what he wanted. Art also got first look at anything that came in. Art loved music, in fact probably had forgotten more about music than the entire staff ever knew. Art didn't talk much, but one day a discussion was going on about best concerts we had seen. Art surprised us by saying J. Geils Band, early seventies. Saw them six times. Each show better than anything I had seen. First I think we were surprised that the band who sang Centerfold was around in the early seventies. And this was Art, a band on MTV was his favorite live act. Art also added Peter Wolf was not only cool to watch, he was cool to talk too. After reading this book, I must admit Art was right, and I will have to add Peter Wolf is cool to read too. Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses by Peter Wolf is a memoir of a man never afraid of asking questions, stepping up, learning more, with profiles of people both that is almost a Who's Who of famous, infamous, and people that should be known.

Peter Wolf was born in the Bronx of two parents who loved art, loved to entertain, and loved to live life the way they wanted, and wanted the world to be. Wolf grew up seeing shows, working in music stores and had an interest in art, but upon leaving high school had no idea what to do with his life. Wolf began to wander, attending college classes, crashing in breakrooms, and always learning new things and meeting new people. Like Bob Dylan, who he first heard in the backroom of a record shop, of sharing a room with David Lynch in Boston, who Wolf still owed back rent to years later. Muddy Waters would rest on his couch between shows. Sly Stone would scream at him about babies in bags. Faye Dunaway would be his wife. Wolf's band the J. Geils Band, would just make it big, thanks to his work, and toss him out at their peak. Wolf learned from all this, sharing his tales, and even more sharing the inner lives of these famous people, quiet moments that might not make their memoirs, but Wolf knows are important for the world to see.

Peter Wolf is the Zelig of entertainment. He has known, knows or has been around most of the important moments in rock n roll, art, and or movies. Wolf is also a very good writer. One could make a book like this and say Hey Look At Me and THESE FAMOUS PEOPLE. Wolf does not do this. Wolf shares moments where he learns things, or where the public facade breaks, Aretha Franklin thinking about her lost friends. Merle Haggard sharing stories about his failing health. There is some sadness, lost loves, and friends who are no longer here, but there is a lot of love, and a real spirit. Art means putting yourself out there, in painting, writing, singing, or whatever. Wolf put himself out there, made a lot of friends, and Wolf shares them with us.

A really great book, far more than I thought it would be. I had an idea that Wolf had an amazing life, but the scope and the people he has crossed paths with is extraordinary. Also there is no complaining. No settling of scores. If anything Wolf is harder on himself than the people he meets. A book for music fans, or people who just love to read books on interesting people. Peter Wolf sure is interesting.

Peter Wolf has always been a mystery to me. I’ve loved his work for most of my life, but he seems to be a very private person. When I saw this, I had to read it!

I loved this. It doesn’t have the typical musician vibe at all. It’s an artist looking over his life. There’s not a lot of rock and roll dirt here, and it could definitely have gone deeper into The J. Geils Band period, but that’s my only complaint.

It’s very well written and I recommend this to everyone.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.