Singer
Peter Maffay is going on tour one last time
Singer Peter Maffay is going on a farewell tour next year. photo
© Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
Peter Maffay will be 75 next year and then wants to change something in his life: instead of constantly being on the road, he wants to be with his family more. But he won’t say goodbye to the stage completely.
One of the biggest German rock stars wants to slow down: Peter Maffay wants to go on tour for the last time in 2024. The reason is that he wants to spend more time with his family in the future, said the 74-year-old in Cologne on Thursday. But it’s not a complete farewell to the stage: he will continue to perform at individual concerts or festivals.
Due to the density of appointments, his private life has been neglected in recent years, said Maffay. In view of his 75th birthday next August, he now sees the point for a turning point. “My time window is getting smaller and smaller, you have to be realistic about that.”
That’s why he wants to be with his family more often in the future: his wife Hendrikje, their four-year-old daughter Anouk and his son Yaris (19), who comes from a previous marriage. “We are a small family that lives a very normal and down-to-earth life.” He is looking forward to being at home more in the future. Maffay had only recently confirmed that he had married his partner Hendrikje, who is almost 40 years his junior, in April 2022. This is the singer’s fifth marriage.
With 20 number one albums, Maffay is one of the most successful German musicians. His hits include songs like “You have to go over seven bridges”, “Ice Age” and “Sun in the Night”. The singer, born Peter Alexander Makkay in Romania, moved to Germany with his parents at the age of 14. In 1970 he stormed into the hit parade for the first time with “Du”.
In the 1980s, Maffay developed the rock fairy tale “Tabaluga”. In 2001 he founded the Tabaluga Foundation for disadvantaged children and young people – he also wants to intensify the work on this soon, said Maffay.
Ten large open-air concerts, some in stadiums, are planned for the “We Love Rock’n’Roll Farewell Tour 2024” next summer. Maffay is accompanied by the US singer Anastacia (“I’m Outta Love”), with whom he recorded a duet: “Just You” – the English version of his song “So bist du” from 1979.
The tour starts on June 21st in Rostock, further stops are Hanover (June 22nd), Munich (June 28th), Bremen (July 2nd), Berlin (July 4th), Hamburg (July 7th), Cologne (July 12th), Stuttgart (July 16th), Frankfurt am Main (July 18th) and Leipzig (July 20th).