Todd Wolfe

Wolfe's father who was from New York City and his mother from Marshall, Texas, contributed to the development of his musical tastes. The different styles of music regularly heard in the Wolfe household encouraged Todd's love of music. Like many Americans of that era, the appearance of the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show accelerated Wolfe's growing appreciation for music. His appreciation deepened with the arrival in the United States of the British Invasion with bands such as The Animals, The Dave Clark Five, The Yardbirds and The Rolling Stones.

After the arrival of the second "British Invasion" and the play of Eric Clapton and the Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, British guitarists such as Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Jeff Beck, and the emergence of American guitarists such as Johnny Winter, Mike Bloomfield, and Leslie West, Wolfe began to develop his own skills as a guitarist. At age thirteen, he purchased his first guitar, a Dakota red Fender Mustang. Wolfe's interests expanded to include the works of American blues guitarists such as B.B. King, Freddy King, Otis Rush, Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy, and Albert King. Wolfe found similar inspiration in the electric blues of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf bands.

In 1979, Wolfe began his career by playing in garage bands at local parties and participated in "battle of the bands" competitions. While still in high school, Wolfe put together his first band. Four years later, he formed his first club band, Nitetrain. The band opened for Albert Collins, Dickey Betts, and Walter "Wolfman" Washington.{{cite web|title=FAME Review: The Todd Wolfe Band Live|url=http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p06939.htm|work=Acoustic Music |year=2011 |accessdate=September 26, 2011}}

Four years later, he formed his second club band, Troy & the Tornados. This band opened for many acts appearing in the metropolitan New York area which included Gregg Allman, The Outlaws, Dickey Betts, Johnny Winter, Robin Trower, The Neville Brothers{{cite web|title=Wolfe Band - Long Road Back|url=https://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/todd-wolfe-band-long-road-back-album-review/|year=2016|accessdate=April 12, 2021}} and others.

During his time with Troy & the Tornados, Wolfe met two women: Carla Olson of the Textones and Sheryl Crow. At that time, Crow was working as an in-studio backup singer in Los Angeles. She was introduced to Wolfe by Stephen "Scooter" Weintraub, who would later manage both artists. Immediately Wolfe and Crow began collaborating in studio sessions in the hopes of earning a record deal.{{cite web|title=An Exclusive Interview with Todd Wolfe|url=https://www.makingascene.org/an-exclusive-interview-with-todd-wolfe/|year=2015|accessdate=April 12, 2021}}

Although the pair failed to earn a record contract, Wolfe used the opportunity to relocate permanently to Los Angeles, performing in "holes in the wall" throughout Southern California. During this time, Wolfe also began to score music for the Playboy Channel. In 1991, Wolfe began to work with Olson, whom he had met while still in New York. Wolfe accepted Olson's invitation to join her band as lead guitarist, a spot he held for the next two years.{{cite web|title=Todd Wolfe Band - Olson-Wolfe|url=http://toddwolfe.com/olson-wolfe/|year=2021|accessdate=April 12, 2021}}

In 1993, Crow offered Wolfe the lead guitar spot in the touring band she was forming to support her debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club. Based upon her earlier work with Wolfe, Crow thought that his dynamic stage presence would bring an additional measure of excitement to her live shows. During the next five years, Crow and her band would sojourn from "all in the van" tours of local establishments to a string of world tours in which they opened for performers such as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Plant & Page, and Elton John. In 1996, Wolfe co-wrote with Sheryl Crow "Hard to Make a Stand," which appeared on Crow's eponymously titled second album, Sheryl Crow.{{cite web|title=ASCAP.com|url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=380384781&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=tswpbv&results_pp=30&start=1|work=ASCAP database |date= |accessdate=September 26, 2011}}

In 1995, while a member of Crow's band, Wolfe created his own band which signed with A & M Records. The band, Mojoson, included Wolfe as the lead guitarist, Scott Bryan (a fellow member of Crow's band) as guitarist, keyboards and lead vocalist, bassist Eric Massimino and drummer Michael Lawrence, who also played for Sun 60. Over a three-year period, the band recorded two studio albums. However, A&M underwent a transition of ownership before the albums were released. Consequently, the label's "takeover" albums went unissued, Mojoson's contract was dissolved, and the band was disbanded.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

In 1998, Wolfe left Sheryl Crow's band to focus on forming a new band. Wolfe and his band with various lineups from 1999 to 2015 recorded nine albums, the last lineup consisting of Roger Voss drums and vocals, Justine Gardner bass and vocals and John Ginty on Hammond organ for the recording of "Miles to Go" and "long Road Back" and as a trio with Roger & Justine, toured extensively in the USA, Canada, Europe and Japan.

In August 2015, Wolfe released his ninth studio album titled Long Road Back. The Todd Wolfe Band is currently on hiatus after touring in 2016 and since that time Todd has recorded a duet album with Carla Olson, The Hidden Hills Sessions in 2019 followed by tour dates in the Northeast and Europe.

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.toddwolfe.com}}
• [http://artistconnectionpodcast.libsyn.com/webpage/episode-045-todd-wolfe Artist Connection Podcast Interview December 2011]

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Category:1957 births

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from Queens, New York

Category:American blues guitarists

Category:American male guitarists

Category:American blues rock musicians

Category:American blues singer-songwriters

Category:Singer-songwriters from New York (state)

Category:Guitarists from New York (state)

Category:20th-century American guitarists

Category:20th-century American male musicians

Category:American male singer-songwriters