Steppenwolf is a 1960s and 1970s rock 'n' roll band, best known for the hits " Born to Be Wild" and " Magic Carpet Ride". They were named after the novel Steppenwolf by German author Hermann Hesse.
Frontman John Kay's mother escaped with him at age 4 from Soviet occupied East Germany, an event recounted in the song "Renegade" on the album Steppenwolf Seven. His family resettled in Hanover, West Germany, before moving to Canada in 1958.