HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Peter Andrew Buffett (born May 4, 1958) is an American musician, composer, author and philanthropist. With a career that spans more than 30 years, Buffett is an
Regional Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
winner, New York Times best-selling author and co-chair of the NoVo Foundation. He is the youngest son of billionaire investor
Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net ...
.


Career


Early career

Buffett began his musical career in the early part of the 1980s in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, California. There, he recorded and produced albums for local talent. He also was hired by ad agencies to compose
commercials A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
and logos - including
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
and
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by t ...
, both of which were new to
cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broadc ...
at the time.


Music career


1987–1995

Narada Productions Narada is a record label formed in 1983 as an independent new-age music label and distributed by MCA. A fully owned subsidiary of Universal Music Group and distributed by Capitol Music Group's Blue Note Records, the label evolved through an expa ...
, a
new-age music New-age is a genre of music intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management to bring about a state of ecstasy rather than tr ...
recording company, signed Buffett to a recording contract. In 1987, Buffett debuted with Narada, releasing an album entitled ''The Waiting''. His second album, ''One by One'', was inspired by Evan S. Connell's book " Son of the Morning Star". In 1989, Buffett moved to
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, home of Narada Productions and closer to his childhood home in
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ci ...
. Buffett would release two more albums with Narada: ''Lost Frontier'' and ''Yonnondio''. While with Narada, Buffett had his first major success scoring the "Fire Dance" scene in the film ''
Dances with Wolves ''Dances with Wolves'' is a 1990 American epic western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel '' Dances with Wolves'' by Michael Blake that tells the ...
''. The
film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
, composed by John Barry, won the
Academy Award for Best Original Score The Academy Award for Best Original Score is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by t ...
. Barry would later invite Buffett to collaborate with him again, this time at the
Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music ...
in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. Buffett contributed the American Indian soundscapes to the film as well as composed two songs for the soundtrack of ''
The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne ...
''. After the release of ''Yonnondio'', Buffett signed with
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical m ...
. In 1994, he released his soundtrack for the CBS
miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...
'' 500 Nations'', which was produced by
Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...
. Buffett also met Chief Hawk Pop while scoring the series.


1996–2005

In 1996, Buffett produced ''Star of Wonder'', a Christmas CD featuring
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...
harpist The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual string (music), strings running at an angle to its sound board (music), soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various way ...
Kim Robertson and arranger Eric Segnitz. Buffett then signed with
Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records ...
, which released his album ''Spirit Dance'' in 1997. In 1998, he entered the pop music realm with the release of ''Comet9'''s "Like Mercury" on Milwaukee-based independent label ''Don't Records'', with Buffett producing, writing and playing multi-instrumentalist. Co-writer and guitarist Tom Nelson and vocalist Susan Zielke completed the studio trio, with
Citizen King Citizen King was an American music group from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose style was a mix of hip-hop, soul, and punk. They are best known for their top 40 hit " Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)", which peaked at on the ''Billboard'' Hot ...
members D. J. Brooks and Malcolm Michiles guesting on drums and turntables, respectively. The live band added bassist Josh Warner to the lineup. In 1999, Buffett's score for the documentary ''Wisconsin: An American Portrait'' won a Chicago / Midwest Emmy Award for Best Soundtrack. Also in 1999, Buffett's ''Spirit – A Journey in Dance Drums and Song'' aired on PBS as a highly successful pledge break special. Combining modern and American Indian dancers with Director and Choreographer
Wayne Cilento Wayne Louis Cilento (born August 28, 1949) is an American director and choreographer. He is best known for originating the role of Mike in the Broadway show ''A Chorus Line'', and later becoming one of Broadway's most prolific choreographers. ...
, ''Spirit'' went on to tour through the end of 1999. In 2004, Buffett worked with Jody Ripplinger and Frank Anderson to create ''Spirit –The Seventh Fir''e; an updated version of his earlier show. It was premiered on the
National Mall The National Mall is a landscaped park near the downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institution, art galleries, cultural institutions, and va ...
during the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in its 800-seat theater tent.


2006–present

In 2006, Buffett released his first vocal album, ''Gold Star''. Over the course of the next two years, he released two more albums, ''Staring at the Sun'' (2007) and ''Imaginary Kingdom'' (2008) on his own label BeSide Records. In 2009, Buffett began to release exclusive singles through his social networking community on Ning. He has released over 25 singles since then, including a compilation album of fifteen of the songs. The collection, released initially as a USB album, was titled ''Running Blind'' (2011) and contained an innovative interactive environment. During this time he collaborated twice with Grammy-nominated recording artist
Akon Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P ...
and once with Grammy-winning artist
Angélique Kidjo Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo (; born July 14, 1960), known as Angélique Kidjo, is a Beninese singer-songwriter, actress, and activist who is noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. ...
on human rights inspired songs. One Akon collaboration, titled “Blood Into Gold,” debuted at a special event at the
UN General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
in March 2009 that focused on
human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extr ...
. In 2013, Peter released "Already Flown" which was the inspiration behind his ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' op-ed piece, ''The Charitable-Industrial Complex''. The piece sparked a lively debate on the role of philanthropy.


Concert and conversation

Peter, along with cellist Michael Kott, is currently touring around the world in support of his ''Life Is What You Make It: A Concert & Conversation with Peter Buffett'' performance. Buffett continues to visit numerous university campuses, community foundations and other organizations using his own life story and experiences as illustration. He discusses how important it is for each person to define his or her own path, regardless of their wealth or background, and ultimately conveys that it’s one’s values — and what we are able to give back to society — that shape and define us as individuals.


Author

In May 2010, his book, ''Life Is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment'', was published with
Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
/
Crown Publishing The Crown Publishing Group is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House that publishes across several fiction and non-fiction categories. Originally founded in 1933 as a remaindered books wholesaler called Outlet Book Company, the firm expanded int ...
. The book was praised by
Ted Turner Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he ...
, former President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
,
Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pla ...
and Melinda Gates, and
Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem (; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Steinem was a c ...
, among others. It has sold over half a million copies worldwide, peaking at number four on
The New York Times Best Sellers List ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
. It has been available in over fifteen languages. Buffett appeared on
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
, as well as
The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It ...
and
CBS Sunday Morning ''CBS News Sunday Morning'' (normally shortened to ''Sunday Morning'' on the program itself since 2009) is an American news magazine television program that has aired on CBS since January 28, 1979. Created by Robert Northshield and original hos ...
with his father, to discuss the book. In 2013, Buffett began contributing essays to the ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' Impact blog.


Work with other artists

During the 1980s, Buffett was the sound engineer on three albums by Pauline Anna Strom, which included ''Plot Zero''.


Personal life


Family

Peter Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and is the youngest child of investor Warren Buffett and Susan Thompson Buffett. He has two siblings: sister Susie and brother
Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...
. Buffett graduated from Omaha Central High School and attended
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
. He was married to his first wife, Mary Buffett, for 12 years before they divorced in 1993. Mary's twin daughters from a previous relationship, Erica and Nicole, were four years old at the time of their wedding. Subsequently, Peter Buffett legally adopted the girls. He married Jennifer Buffett in June 1996.


Philanthropist

He is the co-chairman of the NoVo Foundation; an organization dedicated to catalyzing a transformation in global society, moving from a culture of domination and exploitation to one of equality and partnership. Alongside his wife Jennifer, the organization supports the development of capacities in people — individually and collectively — to help create a caring and balanced world. They envision a world that operates on the principles of mutual respect, collaboration, and civic participation, thereby reversing the old paradigm predicated on hierarchy, violence, and the subordination of girls and women. In a 2013
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
op-ed and radio podcast, ''The Charitable-Industrial Complex'', Peter Buffett uses the terms "philanthropic colonialism" and "conscience laundering," and describes his insights into "searching for answers with their right hand to problems that others in the room have created with their left" rather than systemic change.


Discography

*''The Waiting'' (1987) *''One by One'' (1989) *''Lost Frontier'' (1991) *''Yonnondio'' (1992) *''500 Nations - A Musical Journey'' (1994) *''Spirit Dance'' (1997) *''Spirit - A Journey in Dance Drums & Song'' (1998) *''Wisconsin: An American Portrait'' (1998) *''Triathlon: Through the Eyes of the Elite'' (2000) *''Ojibwe - We Look In All Directions'' (2002) *''Star Of Wonder ''Feat. Kim Robertson (2004) *''Spirit - The Seventh Fire'' (2005) *''Inside Looking Out'' (2006) *''Gold Star'' (2006) *''Staring at the Sun'' (2007) *''Imaginary Kingdom'' (2008) *''Running Blind'' (2011)


See also

*
List of ambient music artists This is a list of ambient music artists. This includes artists who have either been very important to the genre or have had a considerable amount of exposure (such as those who have been on a major label). This list does not include little-known ...


References


External links


The official site of Peter Buffett Peter Buffett interview
with
Laura Flanders Laura Flanders (born 5 December 1961) is an English broadcast journalist living in the United States who presents the weekly, long-form interview show ''The Laura Flanders Show''. Flanders has described herself as a "lefty person". The brother ...
(November 26, 2013) {{DEFAULTSORT:Buffett, Peter 1958 births Living people American male composers 21st-century American composers Record producers from Nebraska Peter Buffett Musicians from Omaha, Nebraska Stanford University alumni Omaha Central High School alumni