Peter F. Wolf (born August 26, 1952, Vienna, Austria) is a composer, producer, songwriter and arranger. In 2002, he was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class (Österreichische Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst). Peter Wolf is married to fashion model and songwriter Lea Wolf-Millesi.

Early years

Wolf studied classical piano at Vienna’s Conservatory of Music. At the age of 16, he won the European Jazz Festival as a solo pianist. Wolf was awarded twice with the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis, a German award, for his work with André Heller and Erika Pluhar.

Coming to America in his early twenties, Wolf worked with local musicians such as Neal Starkey (bassist) and Bill Hatcher (guitarist) in Atlanta, Georgia and with Steve Sample, Jr. (drummer, son of Steve Sample, Sr.) and Ray Reach (keyboardist, guitarist, vocalist) in Birmingham, Alabama.

After his time in the southeastern United States, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he played keyboards for Frank Zappa in the late 1970s. After his work with Zappa, he then went on to the band Group 87 with Patrick O’Hearn, Terry Bozzio, Peter Maunu, and Mark Isham.

Film scores

In addition to his career in the world of rock and popular music, Wolf has scored a number of motion pictures including the 1993 film Neverending Story III, and Weekend at Bernie’s II. Wolf has also composed many scores in Europe including the new animated picture for the Oscar-winning “Best Foreign Film” producer, Sven Ebeling, entitled “Nutcracker and Mouse King”, nominated for the Deutscher Filmpreis. He scored Leon DeWinter’s film The Hollywood Sign, starring Rod Steiger, Burt Reynolds and Tom Berenger.

Wolf’s other compositional credits also include the score for the number one German picture in 1997 Irren Ist Männlich (To Err is a Male Thing), as well as films such as Die Cellistin (The Cellist), Widows, St. Pauli Nacht (St. Pauli Night), The Fearless Four and Band on the Run. In 1995 Wolf received the Billy Wilder Award of the Austrian Film Academy and the University of Vienna.

In 2011, Peter Wolf wrote the music for the Christmas movie Als der Weihnachtsmann vom Himmel fiel. In July 2015 Peter Wolf and Lea Wolf-Millesi launched “Whamslam”- an online based Entertainment platform/App that combines creativity, music and education.

Awards

In 2008, Wolf was honored with a BAMA Award (Birmingham Area Music Award) for his contributions to the Birmingham music scene. This award is the local Birmingham equivalent of the Grammy. Peter and Chuck Leavell both performed at the BAMA Award ceremony, backed by the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars and directed by Ray Reach.

Discography

• A Change in My Life / “Kraft durch Freude” (1969)
• Tutti / “Tutti” (1980)
• Progression – A Symphony by Peter Wolf (2000)
• The Other Side (2003)
• Sense-ation – A Symphony by Peter Wolf (2004)

Gipsy Love

• Gipsy Love (The White Album) (1970)
• Here We Come (1972)

Frank Zappa

• Sheik Yerbouti (March 1979), #21 US (Single “Bobby Brown”, Peter Wolf on Keyboards, Butter, Flora Margarine)
• Joe’s Garage 1 (1979), #27 US
• Joe’s Garage 2 & 3 (April–June 1979)
• Tinsel Town Rebellion (May 11, 1981), #66 US
• Shut Up ‘n Play Yer Guitar (May 1981)

Wolf & Wolf

• Culture Shocked / “Think Pink” (1982)
• Wolf & Wolf / “Don’t Take the Candy” (1984)

Grace Slick

• Software (1984)

Vienna

• Guess What? (1987)

arrangement and accompaniment

• Jefferson Starship (Nuclear Furniture / “No Way Out” #23 US, 1984)
• Survivor (Vital Signs, 1984)
• The Commodores (“Nightshift” #3 US, #3 UK, 1985)
• Starship (“We Built This City” #1 US, #12 UK, 16 and 23 November 1985)
• Starship (“Sara” #1 US, March 15, 1986)
• Wang Chung (“Everybody Have Fun Tonight” #2 US, #76 UK, 1986) [also performed drums]
• Wang Chung (“Let’s Go” #9 US, #81 UK, 1987) [also performed drums]
• El Debarge (“Who’s Johnny” #1 US, 1986, main theme of the film, Short Circuit)
• Big Country (“Peace In Our Time”, 1988)
• Nik Kershaw (“The Works”, 1989)
• Go West (“King of Wishful Thinking” from the film Pretty Woman #8 US, #18 UK, 1990)
• Go West (“Faithful” #14 US, #13 UK, 1992)
• Heart (“These Dreams” #1 US, 1986)
• Heart (“What About Love” #10 US, 1985) (synth, piano & creative input)
• Patti Labelle (“On My Own” #1 US, 1986)
• 4Him (“Love Finds You,” “Between You And Me,” & “Wings” from Ride of Life, 1994) (producer, keyboards, bass, piano, percussion, arrangements)
• 4Him (“Sacred Hideaway” from The Message, 1996) (producer, keyboards, arrangements)
• Bryan Duncan (“Traces of Heaven, “Your Love, My Saving Grace” & “Things Are Gonna Change” from Slow Revival, 1994) (keyboards & track arrangements)
• Bryan Duncan (Mercy, 1992) (keyboards & track arrangements)
• Bryan Duncan (Anonymous Confessions of A Lunatic Friend, 1990) (keyboards)
• Kenny Loggins (“Playing with the Boys” from the films Top Gun and Side Out)
• Kenny Loggins (Back to Avalon, 1988)
• The Escape Club (“I’ll Be There” #8 US, 1991)
• Starship (“Good Heart” #81 US, 1991)
• Indecent Obsession (“Kiss Me” #1 South Africa for 27 weeks, 1992)
• The Pointer Sisters (“Only Sisters Can Do That” 1993) (Producer)
• Cliff Richard (“Can’t Keep this Feeling In” #10 UK, 1998 and album Real As I Wanna Be #10 UK, 1998) (Producer)
• Chicago (Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus, 2008) (producer, arrangements, keyboards, keyboard bass)
• Maurice White (Maurice White, 1985) (keyboards)
• Lou Gramm (Long Hard Look, 1989) (producer, keyboards)
• Laura Branigan (Laura Branigan, 1990) (producer, keyboards, keyboard bass, percussion, arrangements)
• Scorpions (band) Eye II Eye 1999 (producer, piano, keyboards)