Peter Maffay

Rocker Peter Maffay was the best-selling German pop star of his generation, wielding his celebrity to become a powerful advocate for antiwar efforts and an outspoken critic of domestic abuse. Born Peter Alexander Makkay on August 30, 1949, in Brasov, Romania, he was 14 when his family relocated to his parents' native Germany. Soon after, he founded his first rock band, the Dukes. After a short stint working with art manufacturer Chemigraphics and moonlighting in local nightclubs, Maffay flung himself into music full-time. His 1969 debut single, "Du," proved a career-defining s...