| 1929 |
born on 17 April in Bremen, Germany |
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| 1939 |
first piano lesson |
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| 1943 |
Heeresmusikschule Bückeburg, favourite instrument: bass |
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| 1945 |
he is one of the young people being interested in the new sounds of Jazz and Swing, coming from America. For this kind of music, the US-Army Radio AFN in Bremerhaven is the primary information source |
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| 1946 |
together with his two brothers, Robert and Werner, he plays in the new founded Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra |
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| 1948 |
the Last / Becker-Ensemble is being founded |
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| 1950 |
in this and the following 2 years journalists of the German "Jazzpoll" - magazine elect James Last as the best bassman of the year |
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| 1955 |
member of the NWDR dance orchestra |
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| 1956 |
first arrangements for radio. Arrangeur for German stars as Freddy Quinn, Caterina Valente and Helmut Zacharias |
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| 1964 |
record contract with Polydor |
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| 1965 |
first LP "Non Stop Dancing" |
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| 1966 |
composes "Games That Lovers Play" |
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| 1967 |
four LP's at the same time on top of the English charts |
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| 1968 |
"Orchestra of the Year" - award by German record traders |
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| 1969 |
tour of Canada; MlDEM-Trophy; "Most Favourite Orchestra" - award by the German "Musikpoll"; award as "Arrangeur of the Year"; German record award for his complete recording of the "Dreigroschenoper" (Fono Forum) |
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| 1970 |
1970 tours of Federal Republic of Germany and Denmark; the magazine "Musikmarkt" honours him for being the most successful instrumental interpret; most favourite orchestra in the German "Musikpoll" |
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| 1971 |
1971 tours of UK, Netherlands, Belgium; "Goldenes Grammophon" - award; "Silbermöwe" - award for being the most favourite artist in the easy-listening genre (Hamburger Abendblatt) |
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| 1974 |
Europe-tour; Charity-Concert in Berlin (60.000 listeners); 4 Open-Air |
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| 1975 |
Europe-tour; tour of East Asia, Australia and New Zealand; "Goldener Notenschlüssel" - award; "Goldene Westfalenhalle" - award; first record production in the USA: "Well Kept Secret" |
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| 1976 |
tour of England and Ireland; "Dance into May" in Dortmund; tour of Scandinavia, Germany and Austria; "Star Of The Year" - award by the British magazines Music Week and Billboard |
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| 1977 |
tour of Switzerland, England, Ireland and Holland; concert in Danzig; tour of German Democratic Republic; "Robert Stolz Award 1977" - in East Berlin |
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| 1978 |
honoured with the "Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande" by Walter Scheel, the President of Western Germany |
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| 1979 |
James Last receives "Goldene Kamera" from the magazine "Hör Zu" |
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| 1980 |
receives his 150th Golden Record; tour of UK and the countries of the Far East; award by the US-magazine "Cashbox" for "The Seduction" the best intrumental production of the year. |
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| 1981 |
great tour of Germany and England |
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| 1982 |
single-hit with "Biscaya". tour of Benelux, Scandinavia, South Africa |
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| 1983 |
UK-tour; recording of the "Rose Of Tralee"; recording of the show "Die größten Songs der Beatles"; tour of Germany |
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| 1984 |
UK-tour |
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| 1985 |
concerts in the Royal Albert Hall in London |
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| 1986 |
last of the legendary James Last costume-oarties in Hamburg; UK-tour |
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| 1987 |
tour of UK, Ireland, Holland and Belgium; concerts in Eastern Germany; TV -show "Kinder unserer Welt" in West-Berlin |
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| 1988 |
"ARD Wunschkonzert" - TV-show in Hannover; Great Britain-/Europe-tour |
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| 1989 |
Open Air-event for his 60th birthday as a TV-show in Bremen; 5 concerts in the "Palast der Republik", East-Berlin; 2 concerts in the Dresden "Semperoper" with René Kollo; Benelux-tour |
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| 1990 |
invitation for a concert in the Royal Albert Hall |
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| 1991 |
tour of Ireland, UK, Holland and Belgium; TV-show "Sonntagskonzert"; receives the "Goldene Stimmgabel" by the German TV-station ZDF as a special honour for his long-year international success |
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| 1992 |
RTL TV-show "Musikrevue" with Peter Kraus in Zürich; TV-production "Eviva Espana" in Barcelona, Sevilla, Granada/Spain; tours of UK, Holland and Belgium |
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| 1994 |
several TV-shows, e.g. "Christmas with James Last" (ZDF) with several artists like Milva, Richard Clayderman and Hans Clarin in the Basilika of Ottobeuren/Allgäu; receives the "Goldene Eins" - award |
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| 1995 |
receives the "Echo 1994 Life Award" as a special honour for the life´s work of a German artist; tours of UK, Belgium and Holland; TV-production of the "Beach Party" in Key Biscayne/Florida |
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| 1996 |
1996 returns to German stages: first tour in Germany after 10 years! Great success!
production of two new records with Russian melodies and the latest hits |
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| 1997 |
1997 Germany-tour (16 concerts)
his wife Waltraud dies |
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| 1999 |
after a great concert in the Royal Albert Hall, London: celebration of James Last´s 70th birthday in presence of his family, orchestra, numerous representatives of the Polydor, his management and lots of friends and fans!
Great tour of Europe with approximately 50 concerts in Germany, UK, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Netherlands.
150.000 tickets sold - the most successful tour production of the year! 3 new CDs!
wedding with his wife Christine in June. |
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| 2000 |
2000 his life´s work is being honoured; 8th September: receives the very first and new founded award "Platin Stimmgabel"
"The Gentleman of Music takes America!": The James Last-show is being shown by all important TV stations with great success all over the USA. |
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| 2001 |
2001 great UK-tour: back in Ireland again after 15 years!
release of 2 new albums:
in spring "Gentleman of Music" - live-CD, video and for the first time as DVD! ... and in autumn "ABBA" |
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| 2002 |
2002 Germany-Arena-tour in spring, 26 concerts.
Production of "A world of Music" for PBS, Video and DVD in Zwickau/Germany.
First & sensational tour in China in September!
Great Europe-tour in October / November, 28 concerts |
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