PETER MAFFAY

'Peter Maffay' (born August 30, 1949 in Braşov, Romania; real name: 'Peter Alexander Makkay') is a German musician.

Contents

Biography

Career

Personal life

The band

Discography

External links

Biography

In 1963, Maffay and his Parents emigrated from Siebenbürgen, Romania
(see: Transylvanian Saxons) to Germany. In the same year, he started his first band, ''The Dukes''. After completing his education and spending some time working for Chemigraphics, an art manufacturer, Maffay worked in clubs, where he distributed his music.

Career

Peter jürgen horst Maffay's career began in 1969 with the publication of his first single, "Du depp" (You). "Du" was the biggest hit of the 1970s and it brought Maffay instant fame. With the album ''Steppenwolf'' in 1979, Maffay became a major music star in Germany. The album sold 1.6 million copies, making it the best selling LP at that time. In 1980, the album ''Revanche'' (''Revenge'') broke his previous record, selling 2.1 million copies. Since then, Maffay's albums have all sold very successfully.
Maffay holds the German record for the most number one ranked singles in the single and album sales charts, inluding 12 albums. In addition, all of his albums reached the top ten. He also holds a German record for most albums to have sold over one million copies, with 14. His latest album ,''Laut und Leise'' (''Loud and Quiet''), was the fourteenth.
Altogether, Maffay has sold over 35 million records. Since 1980, each of his tours has ranked among the three most visited attractions each season in Germany. Maffay has been on tour 13 times (roughly every 2 years), and out of those 13 tours, nine of them have gained the most visitors of any attraction per year.
Maffay also created a string of fairy tales about a little green dragon named Tabaluga, which was spread out onto four albums. The piece became an acclaimed musical. Maffay went on tour individually with Tabaluga & Lilli in Germany; he later released a live album, DVD and live TV broadcast. The tour included Peter Maffay, Alexis, Nino de Angelo, Rufus Beck, and Carl Carlton among others.
In 1998, Maffay reached a personal high point when he collaborated to create an album with artists from all corners of the world, including Aboriginal singers and musicians from Israel.
He also starred in two films directed by Peter Patzak - ''The Joker'' in 1986, and ''Captured in Yemen'' in 1999. In addition, Maffay played a supporting role in the feature "The Polar Bear".

Personal life

Peter Maffay is active in politics and sometimes inserts his own political stances into his music. He is a peace activist, and in 2005 he performed a concert for German ISAF troops in Afghanistan. Maffay also donates to projects for traumatised and abused children. On Mallorca, he established a ranch where traumatised children from all over the world can have a free two-week holiday to help them cope with their problems. For his social commitment, he received the Order of Merit in 1996, and, in 2001, he received an award called "The Golden Hen". He has also received the ´Bundesverdienstorden` (The Federal Service Order), an order from the Federal Republic of Germany prior to Reunification, given to people who have done something for the Repuplic.
Peter Maffay has been married four times, has a son and lives with his family on a farm on Mallorca. One of his hobbies is motorcycle riding. In 1972, Maffay was severely injured in an accident after crashing his Harley Davidson. Later in life, he crossed the Sahara Desert several times on his motorcycle.

The band

Since the beginning of Maffay's musical career, Carl Carlton has played guitar in many projects. Likewise, for many years, (drums), Ken Taylor (bass) and (piano) have worked with Maffay as well. Some time later, Jean-Jaques Kravetz brought his son (guitar) with him into the fold. In 2004, , , some of Maffay's friends from the band left to pursue other projects. The newest addition to the band is the Hamburg guitarist, .

Discography

★ 1970 ''Für das Mädchen, das ich liebe'' (CD / LP) (For the girl that I love)

★ 1971 ''Du bist wie ein Lied'' (CD / LP) (You are like a song)

★ 1972 ''Omen'' (CD / 2LP)

★ 1974 ''Samstagabend in unserer Straße'' (CD / LP) (saturday evening in our street)

★ 1975 ''Meine Freiheit'' (CD / LP) (My Freedom)

★ 1976 ''Und es war Sommer'' (CD / LP) (And it was summer)

★ 1977 ''Tame & Maffay'' (CD / LP)

★ 1977 ''Dein Gesicht'' (CD / LP) (Your face)

★ 1978 ''Live'' (CD / LP)

★ 1979 ''Steppenwolf'' (CD / LP)

★ 1979 ''Tame & Maffay 2'' (CD / LP)

★ 1980 ''Revanche'' (CD /LP) (Revenge)

★ 1982 ''Ich will Leben'' (CD / LP) (I want to live)

★ 1982 ''Live '82'' (CD / LP / VHS)

★ 1983 ''Tabaluga und die Reise zur Vernunft'' (CD / LP) (Tabaluga & the journey to reason)

★ 1984 ''Carambolage'' (CD / LP)

★ 1984 ''Deutschland '84'' (DVD / VHS)

★ 1985 ''Sonne in der Nacht'' (CD / LP / DVD / VHS) (Sun in the night)

★ 1986 ''Tabaluga und das leuchtende Schweigen'' (CD / LP) (Tabaluga and the luminous silence)

★ 1987 ''Live '87'' (DVD / VHS)

★ 1988 ''Lange Schatten'' (2CD / 2LP) (Long Shadows)

★ 1988 ''Lange Schatten Tour '88'' (CD / LP / VHS) (Long Shadow tour 1988)

★ 1989 ''Kein Weg zu Weit'' (CD / LP / DVD / VHS) (No way to far)

★ 1989 ''Die Story 2'' (CD)

★ 1990 ''Leipzig'' (CD / LP / VHS)

★ 1991 ''38317'' (CD / LP)

★ 1991 ''38317 - Das Clubconcert'' (DVD / VHS)

★ 1992 ''Freunde und Propheten'' (CD) (Friends and Prophets)

★ 1993 ''Der Weg 1979 - 93'' (CD / VHS) (The Way - 1979 to 1993)

★ 1993 ''Tabaluga und Lilli'' (CD) (Tabaluga and Lilli)

★ 1994 ''Tabaluga und Lilli Live'' (2CD / VHS) (Tabaluga and Lilli - Live)

★ 1996 ''Sechsundneunzig'' (CD) (Ninety-Six)

★ 1996 ''Sechsundneunzig - Das Clubconcert'' (DVD / VHS) (Ninety Six - Club Concert)

★ 1997 ''96 Live'' (2CD / DVD / VHS)

★ 1998 ''Begegnungen'' (CD / DVD / VHS)

★ 1999 ''Begegnungen Live'' (2CD)

★ 2000 ''X'' (CD)

★ 2001 ''Heute vor dreissig Jahren'' (CD) (Thirty Years ago)

★ 2001 ''Heute vor dreissig Jahren - Live'' (DVD) (Thirty Years ago - Live)

★ 2002 ''Tabaluga und das verschenkte Glück'' (CD) (Gift of Luck)

★ 2004 ''Tabaluga und das verschenkte Glück - Live'' (DVD) (Gift of Luck)

★ 2005 ''Laut und Leise'' (2CD / 2DualDisc) (Loud and Quiet)

★ 2006 Begegnungen,eine Allianz fuer Kinder (CD/DVD) (Encounters,an Alliance for Children)

External links

★ http://www.maffay.de

★ http://www.maffayfan.de