David Pfeffer

Born April 11, 1982, in the North Rhine-Westphalia town of Herten, Germany, pop singer David Pfeffer first captured national attention by claiming victory on the second season of X-Factor in 2011. Under the guidance of judge Till Brönner, he defeated fellow finalist Raffaela Wais in the December 6, 2011, finale by performing his original power ballad “I’m Here”—issued as a single that very day—alongside covers of Melanie C’s “First Day of My Life” and Hoobastank’s “The Reason.” Just three days later, his debut album I Mind arrived in stores, mixing guitar-driven pop tracks with introspective ballads. Before his television breakthrough, Pfeffer had served as a policeman, a role that earned him the nickname “Sergeant Pepper.” He also leads the indie rock outfit Inpaticula, which issued the download EP A Little Confession and functions as his live backing band.