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Peter Alexander Makkay, better known by his stage name Peter Maffay, is a well-known German musician, singer, and composer. His life narrative is one of brilliance, tenacity, and a noteworthy impact on the German music landscape.
Biography
Maffay was born in Braşov, Romania, on August 30, 1949, and his roots trace back to a German family in Transylvania, Romania. His family chose to go to West Germany in 1963 when he was 14 years old. This began Maffay’s artistic career and represented a pivotal moment in his life.
He established his first band, The Dukes, the same year he moved, demonstrating his early love of music. He started the groundwork for his future career by distributing his music in clubs when he was employed by the art company Chemigraphics.
Maffay’s musical career took off after the release of his first single, “Du” (“You”), in 1970. With the song’s instant success, he soared to celebrity in Germany. The album that truly made an impact, though, was “Steppenwolf,” his 1979 release that sold 1.6 million copies and catapulted him into national music fame. Subsequently, in 1980, the album “Revanche” achieved unprecedented sales figures, having sold over 2.1 million copies.
Notably, in 1976 Maffay formed Tame & Maffay, a popular country rock combo with German singer-songwriter Johnny Tame. This partnership continued until 1985, which expanded on Maffay’s range of musical styles.
In addition to his talent for music, Maffay was also a creative talent, as seen by the fairy tales he wrote about Tabaluga, a little green dragon. These stories, which were spread across five CDs, developed into a full-fledged musical production in addition to being a musical trip. Maffay started a tour with Tabaluga & and Lilli and afterwards recorded and released a live CD, DVD, and television show.
Maffay began collaborating with artists worldwide in 1998 when he released the album “Begegnungen,” which included musicians from Israel and Aboriginal vocalists among other various origins. Hits like “Freiheit die ich meine” and “Siehst du die Sonne” were the product of his collaboration with German musician Julia Neigel.
With 16 albums at number one on the album sales charts and the German record for the most albums selling over a million copies (14 overall), Maffay’s influence is unmatched. His album “Laut und Leise” (transl. “Loud and Quiet”) from 2005 became his 14th entrance into the one-million-selling club.
He has sold more than 40 million recordings, making him one of the best-selling musicians in Germany. Since 1980, his tours, which take place about every two years, have all been among the top three musical events in Germany in terms of attendance.
Maffay’s 2022 appointment as a judge on “The Voice of Germany” demonstrated his continued dedication to the music business.
How old is Peter Maffay?
Peter Maffay was born on August 30, 1949. As of 2023, he is 74 years old.
Peter Maffay Height
Peter Maffay stands at a height of 5 feet 6 ¼ (1.68 m).
