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Born Robert Smith in Brooklyn, New York, he came to prominence in the United States in the 1960s as a disc jockey on Mexican radio stations, including a stint with XERF-AM, which broadcast into the United States with a transmission of 250,000 watts, five times more powerful than any American stations.

The hip, sexually suggestive Wolfman Jack persona allowed Smith to ignore the prevailing racial segregation of American radio.

Wolfman Jack's program was broadcast to much of the United States and into CanadaCanada historically the Dominion of Canada is the second-largest, and northernmost, country in the world. It is a decentralized federation of 10 provinces and 3 territories, governed as a constitutional monarchy, and formed in 1867 through an act of Confe. He played whatever music he liked, regardless of the performer's ethnicityethnic group Ethnicity is the cultural characteristics that connect a particular group or groups of people to each other. Ethnicity" is sometimes used as a euphemism for " race", or as a synonym for minority group. While ethnicity and race are related con. Any night a listener might hear a mix of blues music, rockabillyRockabilly is a style of music made famous during the 1950s by American performers. At its heart, rockabilly is simply a fusion of rock and roll, blues and hillbilly music, hence the name. The music was propelled by catchy beats, an electric guitar and an, doo-wopDoo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music popular in the mid- 1950s to the early 1960s in America; the term was coined after the fact, by a DJ in the 1970s. The style was at first characterized by upbeat harmony vocals that used nonsense sy, zydecoZydeco is a form of folk music, originated in the beginning of the 20th century among the Creole peoples of south-west Louisiana and influenced by the music of the French-speaking Cajuns. It is heavily syncopated, usually fast-tempo, and dominated by the, rock and rollRock and roll also called rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony backing), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. As a cultural phenomenon,, jump bluesThe jump blues is a type of blues music, characterized by a jazzy, saxophone (or other horn instruments) sound, driving rhythms and shouted vocals. Unlike most other types of blues, the jump blues relegates the guitar to the rhythm section. The jump blues, rhythm and blues or jazz.

He frequently punctuated his broadcasts with howls, which, along with his gravelly voice, made him instantly recognizable. This style was modelled, at least in part, on bluesman Howlin' Wolf. Smith was Caucasian, but many listeners assumed he was African American.

Despite--or perhaps because of--his widespread popularity, Smith chose to keep Wolfman Jack a mystery. Stories appeared in national newspapers, reporting rumors of his true identity.

Only in 1973 by appearing in the George Lucas film American Graffiti, did Wolfman Jack allow the public to see him. His broadcasts tie the film together and a main character catching a glimpse of the mysterious Wolfman is a pivotal scene.

Afterwards, he appeared in several films and television shows (including The Midnight Special and his own show, The Wolfman Jack Show). He also furnished his voice in the 1974 Guess Who's tribute, the top 40 hit single, "Clap for the Wolfman".

Wolfman Jack died of a massive heart attack in Belvedere, North Carolina at the age of only 57.