Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses

I heard Peter Wolf discussing his 2025 memoir Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses on Marc Maron's podcast.  The longtime vocalist/front man of the J. Geils Band seemed to have an almost FORREST GUMP like life experience, serendipitous encounters with many celebrities and those destined to be.  At age ten, he sat next to Marilyn Monroe in a movie theater.  In college, he became roommates with an art student named David Lynch.  As Wolf states, he did not want to pen a kiss and tell autobiography.  Rather, a collection of essays that can be read in any order.  Vignettes about his connections to many iconic musicians, actors, writers, and other notables.   I ordered the book from Amazon that day.

Peter Wolf is a natural storyteller.  He said as much to Maron.  How he held court at many a party, relaying highly entertaining recollections of brushes with greatness, or at least with Interesting People.  "You should write a book," his listeners told him.  So he finally did. I believe it is a tribute to Waiting on the Moon that I was sorry to reach the end.  That I wanted more.  More tales from his early days in the Bronx (where he grew up) and Boston (where he got into music and had a stint as an overnight disc jockey). 

I certainly wanted more of his thoughts and experiences of his relationship with Faye Dunaway, to whom he was married from 1974 - 1979. We even get a pic of that famous morning in 1977, with Faye and her Oscar (for her turn in NETWORK) by the pool...and Peter! Yet nothing about this period or the movie! There are some choice memories, a sketch of an actress that surprised me, mainly that behind the scenes she was more of a homespun country girl than a Hollywood sophisticate.  If there was a kiss and tell to be written, she certainly would provide plenty for readers.  Wolf keeps this relationship on the down low in terms of anything scandalous, other than how he reacted when he discovered Faye and Jack Nicholson, who retreated upstairs to have a script discussion about CHINATOWN, doing more than talking. 

Wolf also discusses some of the other women in his life, but very tactfully.  Little in the way of self incrimination.  Most of his book - the best parts, to me - are his warm recollections of friendships with musicians Waylon Jennings and Muddy Waters, among others.  Always reverent and honoring.  Pete quite enviably got to hang with lots of famous folks.  Yet through his words and interviews seems like a very approachable dude, like you could just walk up to him and go have a coffee.  Him telling you about the machinations of the recording industry and what Tom Petty and Alfred Hitchcock were like.

What about the J.Geils Band? Only one chapter.  Of course I craved much more.  I gather it's not a topic he cares to revisit. Yet the entire reason I've known who he is for over forty-five years.  Will he be inspired to write a separate tome about his years with Seth Justman et. al.? Doubtful, but maybe inspiration will strike.  Might prove to be therapeutic?