Elliot Marvin Wolff (January 1956 – June 2016) was an American musician, songwriter, and
music producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially Unincorporated area, unincorporated, in practice it is an edge cit ...
. His music catalog is represented by
Downtown Music Publishing
Downtown Music Holdings is a global independent rights management and music services company. Based in New York City, it has been composed of five divisions: Downtown Music Services, Fuga, Songtrust, Adrev and CD Baby. All divisions live under th ...
.
Career
Wolff was the musical director for
Peaches & Herb
Peaches & Herb is an American vocal duo. Herb Fame (born October 1, 1941) has remained a constant as "Herb" since the duo was created in 1966; seven different women have filled the role of "Peaches", most notably Francine Edna "Peaches" Hurd Ba ...
on tour from 1979 to 1982, traveling to Asia and Africa. He also toured with Chaka Khan as a
keyboard player
A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instr ...
. Moving from the
Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
area to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
, he became a staff writer for producer
Freddie Perren
Frederick James Perren (May 15, 1943 – December 16, 2004) was an American songwriter, record producer, arranger, and orchestra conductor. He co-wrote and co-produced songs including " Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Ga ...
. He wrote
Johnny Gill
Johnny Gill Jr. (born May 22, 1966) is an American singer and actor. He is the sixth and final member of the R&B/pop group New Edition and was also a member of the supergroup called LSG, with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat. Gill has released e ...
's top ten hit " Super Love" for Gill's self-titled 1983 album.
After hearing a demo for Wolff's "
Straight Up
Straight up is a bartending term referring to a chilled drink served in a stemmed glass without ice.
Straight Up may also refer to:
* ''Straight Up'' (book), by author, blogger, physicist and climate expert Joseph J. Romm
* ''Straight Up'' (Ha ...
",
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreograp ...
recorded it and also Wolff's "
Cold Hearted
"Cold Hearted" is a 1989 song by American singer Paula Abdul from her debut album, ''Forever Your Girl'' (1988). It was written and co-produced by Elliot Wolff, and hit number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the album's third son ...
" for her album ''
Forever Your Girl
''Forever Your Girl'' is the debut studio album by American singer Paula Abdul. It was released on June 21, 1988, through Virgin Records. The album was Abdul's breakthrough into the music industry after being a choreographer for high-profile ar ...
Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 1987 after her debut single " Tell It to My Heart". Dayne achieved six additional U.S. top-10 singles, including " Love Wil ...
recorded Wolff's song " Heart of Stone" for her second album ''
Can't Fight Fate
''Can't Fight Fate'' is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Taylor Dayne, released on October 7, 1989, by Arista Records. The album continued her chart success and was certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Associ ...
''.
Other artists who have recorded his songs include
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
,
Debbie Gibson
Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress.
Gibson released her debut album ''Out of the Blue'' in 1987, which spawned several international hits, later being certified triple platin ...
,
Gregg Tripp
Gregg Tripp is an American musician and songwriter. He was especially active in the late 1980s and 1990s.Joey Lawrence
Joseph Lawrence Mignogna Jr. (born April 20, 1976) is an American actor, musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and game show host. He got his start as a child star in the early 1980s and is best known for his role as Joey Russo in ''Blo ...
,
Atlantic Starr
Atlantic Starr is an American band based in White Plains, New York. They are best known for the hits " Always", " Secret Lovers", "Send for Me", " Circles", "Silver Shadow" and "Masterpiece".
History
Atlantic Starr began in Greenburgh, New Yo ...
,
Chynna Phillips
Chynna Gilliam Phillips (born February 12, 1968) is an American singer and actress, and a member of the vocal group Wilson Phillips. She is the daughter of the Mamas & the Papas band members John and Michelle Phillips and half-sister of Macken ...
,
Color Me Badd
''Color'' Me Badd is an American contemporary R&B group that was formed in 1985 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma by lead singer Bryan Abrams (born November 16, 1969), tenor Mark Calderon (born September 27, 1970), second tenor Sam Watters (born July 23 ...
,
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle, mandolin, ukulele), Sharon (violin, keyboards, vocals), Caro ...
,
Dave Koz
David Stephen Koz (born March 27, 1963) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, record producer, and radio personality based in California.
Early life
Dave Koz was born in Encino, California, to Jewish parents: Norman, a dermatologist ...
Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer Yvette Holliday (born October 19, 1960) is an American actress and singer. She started her career on Broadway theatre, Broadway in musicals such as ''Dreamgirls (musical), Dreamgirls'' (1981–83), ''Your Arms Too Short to Box with G ...
He died at the age of 60 sometime between June 7 and June 25, 2016, while on a solo camping and hiking trip near
Pecos, New Mexico
Pecos is a village in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,392 at the 2010 census, shrinking slower than other parts of San Miguel County, partly because Pecos is within commuting distance of Santa Fe. The village i ...
in
Santa Fe National Forest
The Santa Fe National Forest is a protected national forest in northern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. It was established in 1915 and covers . Elevations range from 5,300 feet (1600 m) to 13,103 feet (4000 m) at the summ ...
. New Mexico state police had reported that he was last seen on June 7, 2016; they suspended ground and helicopter searches for him on June 12. On June 25, a body was discovered in the forest; based on identification found, it was believed to be Wolff.
Selected songs
Wolff has written or co-written the following songs:
*" Super Love" –
Johnny Gill
Johnny Gill Jr. (born May 22, 1966) is an American singer and actor. He is the sixth and final member of the R&B/pop group New Edition and was also a member of the supergroup called LSG, with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat. Gill has released e ...
(1983)
*"
Straight Up
Straight up is a bartending term referring to a chilled drink served in a stemmed glass without ice.
Straight Up may also refer to:
* ''Straight Up'' (book), by author, blogger, physicist and climate expert Joseph J. Romm
* ''Straight Up'' (Ha ...
" –
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreograp ...
(1988)
*"
Cold Hearted
"Cold Hearted" is a 1989 song by American singer Paula Abdul from her debut album, ''Forever Your Girl'' (1988). It was written and co-produced by Elliot Wolff, and hit number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the album's third son ...
I Don't Want to Live Without You
"I Don't Want to Live Without You" is a song written by Mick Jones that was first released by the pop rock band Foreigner on their 1987 album '' Inside Information''. Jones has rated it as one of his favorite Foreigner songs.
Released as the f ...
Atlantic Starr
Atlantic Starr is an American band based in White Plains, New York. They are best known for the hits " Always", " Secret Lovers", "Send for Me", " Circles", "Silver Shadow" and "Masterpiece".
History
Atlantic Starr began in Greenburgh, New Yo ...
(1994)
*"
The Earth, the Sun, the Rain
The following is the discography of American R&B group Color Me Badd
''Color'' Me Badd is an American contemporary R&B group that was formed in 1985 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma by lead singer Bryan Abrams (born November 16, 1969), tenor Mark Cald ...
" –
Color Me Badd
''Color'' Me Badd is an American contemporary R&B group that was formed in 1985 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma by lead singer Bryan Abrams (born November 16, 1969), tenor Mark Calderon (born September 27, 1970), second tenor Sam Watters (born July 23 ...
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle, mandolin, ukulele), Sharon (violin, keyboards, vocals), Caro ...