"Narrow window of opportunity"

Peter Maffay: Five-year-old daughter’s biggest priority

After his farewell tour, musician Peter Maffay wants to devote more time to his youngest daughter

(Bild: APA/AFP/Christof STACHE)

German rocker Peter Maffay doesn't want to miss any important steps in the life of his five-year-old daughter Anouk. That's why albums and tours are over for him after his farewell tour. 

 "A little person like that experiences important developmental steps," the 74-year-old singer explained to Stern magazine. "I can't make up for what I've missed, the window of opportunity is too narrow for that."

Daughter has priority
He could focus on his music "until the bitter end", but now has a different priority in life. "You could carry on doing that until the bitter end. But now there is a new priority. It's five years old and very powerful," he explained.

With regard to his now 20-year-old son Yaris, Maffay believes that he "didn't see him develop as he should have". Yaris comes from a previous marriage of Maffay's. Anouk is Maffay's daughter with his wife Hendrikje Balsmeyer (37).

Peter Maffay and Hendrikje Balsmeyer

(Bild: M¸ller,Ralf / Action Press / picturedesk.com)

Trips with the cargo bike
The five-year-old can already sing his first songs, Maffay explained. "Children like simple structures, singable songs. 'I never wanted to grow up' from 'Tabaluga' or 'You have to cross seven bridges', she can sing those."

Maffay says he is fascinated by the girl and enjoys riding around with her on a cargo bike.

"An alcoholic for sure"
The singer, who turns 75 in August, can look back on a decades-long, sometimes very wild career. When he thinks back to the 1980s, he was an alcoholic at the time, he told Stern magazine. 

"That was a wild time, with traits of self-destruction. But we thought it was rock'n'roll romanticism." He himself drank two to three bottles of whisky a day back then and was "definitely an alcoholic".