Takin' A Walk – Music History with Buzz Knight

Episode: Join Buzz Knight and Peter Wolf on a Walk Through Music History, Personal Stories, and Legendary Artist Encounters (Replay – Best Of)

Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Peter Wolf (J. Geils Band frontman, solo artist, painter, author)

Episode Overview

In this special replay episode, Buzz Knight takes a “walk” through music history and personal stories with Peter Wolf, legendary frontman of the J. Geils Band, acclaimed solo artist, painter, former DJ, and now, New York Times-bestselling author of the memoir Waiting on the Moon. Together, they discuss Peter’s influences, vivid memories from the early rock and soul scene, encounters with legendary artists, formative years in New York City, his time as a DJ at Boston’s WBCN, memorable interviews, and key lessons about artistry and risk in music and life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Signature “Take a Walk” Question

If Peter could take a walk with anyone, living or dead, who would it be, and where?

• Peter reflects on a wide array of artists and historic figures but ultimately picks his late father as his first choice.
• He shares how his father’s “incredible artistic awareness” influenced his appreciation for music and visual art, notably classical music and painters like Miró.
• Quote:

  “I would probably say my wish would be to be able to take a walk with my father... I think walking with him and discussing anew some of the things that I appreciate that I learned through him, and I know that there is a wealth of other things he could turn me on to." (Peter Wolf, 06:02)

2. Loss, Legacy, and Songwriting

• Peter discusses writing “Lots of Good Ones Gone” with Will Jennings, inspired by the death of blues legend John Lee Hooker.

• He notes the bittersweet urgency to complete his memoir as many of the people he wanted to read it passed away during its writing.

• He celebrates the storytelling power of songwriting and the influence of collaborators.

  Quote:

  “I said, man, there’s sure a lot of good ones gone. And [Will] smiled and said, that’s it... Thanks to him, we got that song.” (Peter Wolf, 09:28)

3. Musical Upbringing: From Apollo Theater to Village Coffeehouses

• Peter’s formative years included witnessing first-generation rock ‘n’ roll greats at Alan Freed’s Cavalcade of Stars at age 10: Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and more (10:24–12:33).

• He describes his “college of musical knowledge” as the Apollo Theater, where he regularly saw icons like Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, and Ray Charles (13:42).

• The influence of gospel and performance: Peter shares Don Covay’s lesson that soul artists “felt ourselves as the minister, and the audience was the congregation... the job of the artist was to get the congregation moving and get them the spirit of the music.” (14:16)

  Quote:

  “Each artist had a dynamic and an individual stage presence… the Apollo was my college, my college of musical knowledge.” (Peter Wolf, 14:57)

4. Adventurous New York: The Wanderlust Years

• Peter describes New York in the 1950s–60s as a city where a 12-year-old could roam from the Bronx to Coney Island, explore arcades, flea circuses, and hear jazz greats at the Village Vanguard or Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus at the Five Spot (15:44–17:40).
• He emphasizes the economic accessibility and spirit of adventure during this period:

  “It was a cornucopia of delights. It was all available and economically it was feasible so you could spend, you know, days upon days, adventure upon adventure.” (Peter Wolf, 17:55)

5. Writing Waiting on the Moon: Structure & Philosophy

• Peter reveals he didn’t keep a typical journal but compiled extensive outlines, building interconnected vignettes rather than a linear autobiography (19:11–21:22).

• He initially avoided writing about his marriage to Faye Dunaway and the J. Geils Band, wanting to center the narrative on meaningful encounters and “short stories.”

• Publisher and agent convinced him to add those chapters; Peter reflects on the richness of his marriage and offers an honest account of the band’s arc.

  Quote:

  “I did a chapter on the band... in a very edited way talked about the beginning of it... and explained my version, which I stand by, why it ended.” (Peter Wolf, 23:09)

6. Radio Days: WBCN Boston & the Art of Serendipity

• Chronicling his time as late-night DJ “Woofa Goofa Mama Toofa,” Peter recounts on-air encounters with Van Morrison, Rod Stewart & Jeff Beck, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Carla Thomas, Lou Reed, and many others.
• The all-night slot gave him access to artists relaxing post-show when “the only thing open was all night diners,” fostering many legendary, unplanned meetings (29:24–30:55).
• His DJ persona:

  “It was the woof. A goof of mama too for show making your knees freezing, your blood splatters in you. It's got to come out because that was rock and roll is all about…” (Peter Wolf, 29:47)

Memorable Van Morrison Story

• Peter receives postcards from a listener requesting Van Morrison songs, only to realize after a chance club encounter that Van himself was the fan:

  “He said, yeah, I'm Van Morrison. And I said, you got to be kidding me… that started the beginning of a friendship that still goes on to this day.” (Peter Wolf, 35:31)

7. Encounters with Legends:

Sly Stone

• Peter describes meeting Sly Stone, his influence on funk, and the pain of witnessing Sly’s decline from arena stardom to playing tiny clubs—offering meditations on the fleeting nature of fame and artistry (36:11–41:50).

  Quote:

  “It was a surreal moment and a very heartbreaking moment for me to see someone who had achieved so much... the depths of the fall could be so great that it really, really shook me up and scared me.” (Peter Wolf, 40:25)

8. Closing Thoughts & Further Walks

• Buzz Knight thanks Peter for his stories and recommends the book, drawing connections between their shared radio backgrounds (42:15–44:00).
• A reversal of the signature question: Peter asks Buzz whom he’d take a walk with (Bob Dylan, through Greenwich Village).
• Warm closing banter about future walks, fine wine, and continuing their friendship:

  “So this is Woofa Goof of Mama Toofer. Thank you Buzz for having me as your guest. I was honored to walk with you and go through so much of sharing bits and pieces of my life.” (Peter Wolf, 45:33)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• [06:02] Peter Wolf: “I would probably say my wish would be to be able to take a walk with my father… He was so artistically aware… There is a wealth of other things he could turn me on to.”
• [09:28] Peter Wolf: “There’s sure a lot of good ones gone. And [Will] smiled and said, that’s it… Thanks to him, we got that song.”
• [14:57] Peter Wolf: “Each artist had a dynamic and an individual stage presence… the Apollo was my college, my college of musical knowledge.”
• [17:55] Peter Wolf: “It was a cornucopia of delights. It was all available and economically it was feasible so you could spend, you know, days upon days, adventure upon adventure.”
• [29:47] Peter Wolf: (WBCN DJ rap) “It was the woof. A goof of mama too for show making your knees freezing, your blood splatters in you. It's got to come out because that was rock and roll is all about…”
• [35:31] Peter Wolf: “He said, yeah, I'm Van Morrison. And I said, you got to be kidding me… that started the beginning of a friendship that still goes on to this day.”
• [40:25] Peter Wolf: “It was a surreal moment and a very heartbreaking moment… [Sly’s] fall could be so great that it really, really shook me up and scared me.”
• [45:33] Peter Wolf: “So this is Woofa Goof of Mama Toofer. Thank you Buzz for having me as your guest. I was honored to walk with you and go through so much of sharing bits and pieces of my life.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Time | Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:48 | Introduction to Peter Wolf and Waiting on the Moon | | 04:56 | “Take a Walk” signature question; Peter’s father | | 07:53 | Legacy, loss, and songwriting (“Lots of Good Ones Gone”) | | 10:24 | Early musical memories: Cavalcade of Stars, Apollo Theater | | 15:44 | Roaming New York City as a young music lover | | 19:11 | Approach to writing the memoir, short story structure | | 23:09 | Decision to include marriage and J. Geils Band chapters | | 29:24 | WBCN Boston radio days, legendary interviews | | 32:44 | Discovering Van Morrison was a fan, becoming friends | | 36:11 | Sly Stone: influence and decline | | 42:15 | Future plans: new album, book recommendations | | 43:41 | Buzz’s answer to signature question (Dylan/Village) | | 45:33 | Closing thanks and future walks |

Tone & Style

The episode embodies warmth, camaraderie, and deep respect for the art of storytelling—music history as lived and felt through experiences rather than just facts and timelines. There are moments of humor, nostalgia, candor, and bittersweet reflection.

Summary Use:
This summary preserves the natural flow and rich anecdotes from the episode, highlighting Peter Wolf’s unique perspective on music, people, and artistic legacy. It’s ideal for anyone interested in American music history, creative process, and the stories behind the legends.