Body of Missing Music Producer Found in Santa Fe National Forest
Jun 27th, 2016
by Gil Kaufman, Billboard
Elliot Wolff arrives at the 30th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards on April 16, 2013 at Loews Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, Calif. // Tonya Wise/Invision for ASCAP/AP Images
Police in New Mexico found the body of Elliot Marvin Wolff on Saturday, more than two weeks after the pop and rock producer/songwriter went missing in the Santa Fe National Forest. Wolff, who lived in Santa Fe, had gone camping and failed to return home. His body was found in one of the tributaries of the Pecos River by state police on Saturday and positively identified by items found on his clothes, according to the New Mexican.
Wolff was reported missing on June 7, but police called off the search for him on June 12 citing a lack of evidence. A spokesperson for the New Mexico State Police had not returned calls for comment at press time.
According to Wolff's personal site, he began his career working as a musical director for Peaches and Herb in the early 1980s, followed by a gig playing keyboards for Chaka Khan before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a songwriter, which included writing and producing Paula Abdul's 1988 No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 smash "Straight Up."
Among his listed writing credits are: Johnny Gill ("Super Love"), Paula Abdul ("Straight Up," "Cold Hearted"), Taylor Dayne ("Heart of Stone") and Color Me Badd ("The Earth, the Sun, the Rain"). He also worked with Atlantic Starr, Aretha Franklin, the Corrs, Chynna Phillips and Debbie Gibson.
Filed under: Music