1929

born on 17 April in Bremen, Germany

1939

first piano lesson

1943

Heeresmusikschule Bückeburg, favourite instrument: bass

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

1946

together with his two brothers, Robert and Werner, he plays in the new founded Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra

1948

the Last / Becker-Ensemble is being founded

1950

in this and the following 2 years journalists of the German "Jazzpoll" - magazine elect James Last as the best bassman of the year

1955

member of the NWDR dance orchestra

1956

first arrangements for radio. Arrangeur for German stars as Freddy Quinn, Caterina Valente and Helmut Zacharias

1964

record contract with Polydor

1965

first LP "Non Stop Dancing"

1966

composes "Games That Lovers Play"

1967

four LP's at the same time on top of the English charts

1968

"Orchestra of the Year" - award by German record traders

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)

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"

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)

1974

Europe-tour; Charity-Concert in Berlin (60.000 listeners); 4 Open-Air

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"

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

1977

tour of Switzerland, England, Ireland and Holland; concert in Danzig; tour of German Democratic Republic; "Robert Stolz Award 1977" - in East Berlin

1978

honoured with the "Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande" by Walter Scheel, the President of Western Germany

1979

James Last receives "Goldene Kamera" from the magazine "Hör Zu"

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.

1981

great tour of Germany and England

1982

single-hit with "Biscaya". tour of Benelux, Scandinavia, South Africa

1983

UK-tour; recording of the "Rose Of Tralee"; recording of the show "Die größten Songs der Beatles"; tour of Germany

1984

UK-tour

1985

concerts in the Royal Albert Hall in London

1986

last of the legendary James Last costume-oarties in Hamburg; UK-tour

1987

tour of UK, Ireland, Holland and Belgium; concerts in Eastern Germany; TV -show "Kinder unserer Welt" in West-Berlin

1988

"ARD Wunschkonzert" - TV-show in Hannover; Great Britain-/Europe-tour

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

1990

invitation for a concert in the Royal Albert Hall

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

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

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

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

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

1997

1997 Germany-tour (16 concerts)
his wife Waltraud dies

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.

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.

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"

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