German musician, singer, and composer Peter Alexander Makkay, also known by his stage name Peter Maffay, was born in Romania. The release of Maffay's debut single, "Du," marked the beginning of his career ("You"). In 1970, it was his biggest German success and it made him famous right away. He rose to prominence in Germany's music scene after releasing the album Steppenwolf in 1979. One of the best-selling albums at the time, the record sold 1.6 million copies. His previous record was surpassed by the album Revanche ("Revenge") in 1980, which sold over 2.1 million copies.