Peter Alexander Makkay (born 30 August 1949 in Brașov, Romania), better known as Peter Maffay, is a Romanian-born German musician.
Born in Braşov, Romania, the son of a German (Transylvanian Saxon), he was 14 when his family relocated to his parents' (West) Germany in 1963. In the same year, he started his first band, The Dukes. After completing his education and working for Chemigraphics, an art manufacturer, Maffay worked in clubs, where he distributed his music.
Maffay's career started with the publication of his first single, "Du" (You in German). It was his biggest German hit in 1970 and brought him instant fame. With the 1979 album Steppenwolf in 1979, he became a major music star in Germany. The album sold 1.6 million copies, making it one of the best selling LPs at that time. In 1980, the album Revanche (Revenge) broke his previous record, selling more than 2.1 million copies.