Peter Wolfe (born Peter Randall, 3 August 1968) also known as Wolfman, is an English musician, and songwriter, best known for his collaborations with

Libertines A libertine is a person devoid of most moral principles, a sense of responsibility, or sexual restraints, which they see as unnecessary or undesirable, and is especially someone who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behaviour ob ...

and Babyshambles singer

Pete Doherty Peter Doherty (born 12 March 1979) is an English musician, songwriter, actor, poet, writer, and artist. He is best known for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he formed with Carl Barât in 1997. His other musical projects are indie b ...

Career

Early years

Wolfe was born in Tonbridge in 1968, of Irish Gypsy stock. His mother left when he was four and his father, a carpenter, subscribed to the tough-love school of parenting. Wolfe intended to be a professional footballer and spent two months with Gillingham. Leaving school with no O-levels, he became a plumber. At 18 he moved to London and for a short while shared a flat with Shane MacGowan. In the early 1990s, he moved to a flat in

Blackstock Road Blackstock Road is a major road in North London, England, running from Seven Sisters Road south westerly to Highbury. Facilities Blackstock Road hosts a diverse array of independent shops, cafes and restaurants. At its south end there are a n ...

and worked on his career as a musician. However, Wolfe was "relentlessly unsuccessful". Throughout the 1990s Wolfe was regularly in and out of the major

recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enoug ...

s (Island, EMI, and Sony), but failed to secure a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

2000–present

In February 2001, Wolfe was the subject of a

film documentary A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

commissioned for The Other Side on Channel Four in the UK. The half-hour film titled, ''The Greatest Unknown Rock 'n' Roll Star,'' was directed by filmmaker Andy Lee, who later worked for a year as Wolfe's manager (2006–2007). Later in 2001, Wolfe met

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...

. They formed a relationship based on songwriting. Wolfe about their relationship: "He turned up at my flat and started hanging around saying he was in a band. He's a great fucking person. Sometimes really awful but sometimes very kind. Maybe he was the first person to look at me through eyes which didn't say, 'This guy's a cunt'." In 2003, Wolfe recorded "

For Lovers "For Lovers" is the debut single by Peter Wolfe (musician), Wolfman featuring Pete Doherty. The single reached No. 7 in the UK singles chart. Rumours that the pair received relatively little money, having already sold the publishing rights for a sm ...

" together with Doherty. Wolfe had written the song in the mid 1990s and recorded a demo with his old school friend and musical collaborator, Julian Taylor. Doherty altered the words to one verse, and musicians in Wolfe's band, "The Side Effects", along with record producer Jake Fior made other changes to the arrangement for the single recording. The single was Wolfe's biggest success as musician, reaching No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart. Despite the success of the single, which was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for songwriting, the pair received relatively little money. Rumours that the publishing rights were sold for "a small amount in a pub" are unfounded, as the rights were shared amongst the musicians who worked without pay on the recording. On 12 July 2008, Wolfe joined Doherty on stage during his solo show at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

and they performed "For Lovers" together. Wolfe's appearance on stage however did not meet critical acclaim. According to one critic the song was "sabotaged" by Wolfe's out-of-tune vocals and lack of charisma. On 16 March 2009, Doherty's solo album, '' Grace/Wastelands'' was released. It featured "Broken Love Song", a song co-written with Wolfe. A picture of Wolfe talking to Doherty and a painting of Wolfe appeared in the album art. Wolfe is listed as a co-writer of various songs for Doherty's band Babyshambles, including "Back from the Dead" and "Sticks and Stones" from '' Down in Albion'', "UnBiloTitled" from ''

Shotter's Nation ''Shotter's Nation'' is the second album by English rock band Babyshambles and was released in the United Kingdom on 1 October 2007 by Parlophone to generally favourable reviews. In the United States the album was released on 23 October 2007 by ...

'', and "Stranger in My Own Skin", which appears as a bonus track on Babyshambles' 2013 album ''

Sequel to the Prequel ''Sequel to the Prequel'' is the third studio album by English band Babyshambles. It was released on 3 September 2013 under EMI Records. It is their first release of new material since 2007's '' Shotter's Nation''. Background Originally plann ...

''. Wolfe is credited as co-writer of Gunga Din which appeared on the Libertines' 2015 album '' Anthems for Doomed Youth''.

Personal life

Like Doherty, Wolfe has had a long-standing addiction to

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

. On 28 September 2010, Wolfe was charged with possessing and supplying cocaine, whilst Doherty was charged with possession, in a police investigation into the death of documentary filmmaker Robyn Whitehead (also spelled Robin Whitehead), a member of the wealthy Goldsmith family, who overdosed and died in Wolfe's flat. On 20 May 2011 he was sentenced to one year imprisonment in Pentonville Prison, which was later reduced to eight months on appeal for two counts of possession of cocaine and one count of supplying cocaine linked to this episode. In 2017 Wolfe's partner, Natalie Coolen, gave birth to a son.

Singles

For Lovers (2004)

" (2004) No. 7 UK

Napoleon (2004)

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

" (2004) No. 44 UK

Ice Cream Guerilla (2005)

"Ice Cream Guerilla" is Wolfe's third and least successful single. It was released when he still called himself Wolfman and reached #60 on the UK Singles Chart.

References

External links

Wolfman's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolfe, Peter 1968 births Living people English male singer-songwriters People from Tonbridge Musicians from Kent