Wolfman

b. Peter Wolfe, 1968, Maidstone, Kent, England. The musical career of maverick UK artist Wolfman represents the late flowering of an artistic life lived to the full. The details of Wolfe's personal history should be taken with a liberal pinch of salt, but, whatever the veracity of his account, the colourful tales that emerged in 2004 as the artist set about promoting his debut single provided welcome relief from the acres of mediocrity regularly printed about mainstream pop artists. Wolfe claims to have been employed variously as a plumber and professional soccer player before he moved to London and embraced the bohemian lifestyle, beginning a decade-long relationship with a Polish countess. He moved to New York for a spell in the late 90s and then relocated to Paris, where he had a book of poetry published. A period of personal upheaval followed before an unlikely meeting with American comedian Jackie Mason led to Wolfe suddenly changing tack and launching a musical career with the band Side Effects, making his stage debut at the 2003 Sundance Festival. Back in London, Wolfe befriended the Libertines' guitarist/vocalist Peter Doherty and began supporting that band as they rocketed to fame on the back of a superb debut album and the media-friendly rock 'n' roll antics of their two frontmen. Wolfe and Doherty then collaborated on the sublime "For Lovers" and were rewarded with a UK Top 10 hit in April 2004. Wolfe was subject to a number of vicious rumours surrounding his influence on the wayward Doherty but maintained his innocence and forged ahead with his own music career. His debut single as Wolfman, "Napoleon"/"From The Darkness", was released in the November.