James Last is a German arranger, conductor and composer. The musical works of the maestro are filled with the most vivid emotions. The sounds of nature dominated James's compositions. He was an inspiration and a professional in his field. James is the owner of platinum awards, which confirm his high status.
Childhood and youth
Bremen is the city where the artist was born. He was born on April 17, 1929. A large family lived in modest conditions. Parents had nothing to do with creativity, although they did not deny themselves the pleasure of enjoying the sound of music.
The head of the family owned several musical instruments. He managed to convey the love of music to children. Last developed his creative potential from an early age. At the age of eight, he opened up. James performed a folk piece on the piano. After that, the parents hired a tutor for their son.
Soon he entered the army academy of music. In an educational institution, he mastered playing several musical instruments. During the war, the school was completely destroyed. It was dangerous to be there. The guy was transferred to an educational institution Buchenburg. James continued to study the sound of different instruments.
With the development of musical abilities, Last caught himself thinking that he was attracted to improvisation. He set a goal to get an education as a conductor, but in fact it turned out that this was not an easy task at all. He was able to get an education when he was already deep in his 20s.
In the last years of the war, the musician worked part-time in local clubs. His performances were warmly received by the audience. He was under a pleasant impression of the sound of jazz works.
In the mid-40s, luck smiled at him. James Last signed his first contract. Thus, he gained the status of a professional performer. Since 1945, a completely different biography of the musician begins.
The creative path of James Last
Since the mid-40s, he has been collaborating with his brothers. With relatives, he became a member of Radio Bremen. Soon he "put together" the first ensemble, which was called Last Becker. Since that time, he has toured extensively. He was attracted to folk melodies. Then he became interested in arrangements.
James received his first portion of worldwide recognition when he created the musical accompaniment for the film "Hunters". He soon composed the Hans Last String Orchestra. Despite this, he did not forget about his longtime love of jazz. In individual compositions, the maestro sounded notes that are inherent in this musical direction.
In 1953 he became part of the German All Stars. Popular performers and groups used his services. At one time, Last managed to collaborate with Katarina Valente and Freddie Mercury.
In the 60s he created arrangements for Last Becker and the Bremen Radio Orchestra. He managed to collaborate with the recording studio Polydor. With the support of the label, he recorded a couple of albums that found great interest among music lovers.
James's work has always been multifaceted. Throughout his creative career, he experimented with music, and in the end, he managed to record works that seemed to be signed "James Last". His works are original - they were not like the works of other artists.
Lasta distinguished productivity. In a year, he could easily release more than 10 full-length LPs. A lot of time was spent on experimenting and searching for the perfect sound, so it's fair to say that he devoted most of his time to work. He arranged famous works, and in the mid-60s he assembled his own orchestra.
The peak of the artist's popularity
In 1965, the Polydor label released the Non Stop Dancing compilation. It is noteworthy that the initials of the author appeared on the album cover for the first time. They introduced it to a recording studio, they wanted to enter the international market. This would increase the number of sales. Longplay made genuine delight for music lovers. James Last was at the top of his popularity.
The popularity has increased year by year. He has gained an uncountable number of fans across the continent. He continued to release records and toured extensively.
In the early 70s, Last's concerts were held on the territory of the Soviet Union. In the mid-70s, he organized a charity event, which was attended by over 50 spectators in Berlin.
Last's concerts were held on a grand scale. It was a real impromptu show. What James did on stage kept the audience glued to the action. He was a professional in his field and knew his worth.
At sunset in the 70s, Last presented the piece of music "The Lonely Shepherd". This is one of the artist's most popular compositions. After the presentation of The Lonely Shepherd, he finally fell in love with music lovers.
In the early 80s, he and his family moved to Florida. In America, he opened a recording studio. He worked in the same vein. In 1991, his work was again noted. He received the ZDF award. This meant only one thing - his talent was recognized at the international level.
On his shelf is an unrealistic number of awards and prizes. Recognition and popularity did not stop him, and he did not slow down the set pace of work. Even at the age of 70, when most of his peers prefer to spend time in a quiet and peaceful environment, he continued to perform on stage. At the end of the 90s, 150 people attended his concerts as part of a tour of Germany.
Details of privacy James last
He enjoyed success with the fairer sex. In the mid-50s, he married a girl named Waltrude. It was love at first sight. The wife supported Last at all stages of his creative activity.
She gave James a daughter and a son. He always remained faithful to his wife. This marriage lasted over 40 years, but in 1997 Waltrude died. The woman struggled with cancer for a long time, but in the end, she could not cope with cancer.
At the end of the 90s, he married a second time. Christina Grunder became the second official wife of the artist. She was younger than the man by as much as 30 years. The big age difference did not affect their relationship. The family settled in Florida.
Children from his first marriage gave James grandchildren, and he happily spent time with them. He always led an active lifestyle and did not change this pleasant tradition even in the last days of his life.
Interesting facts about the artist
- He called himself a servant of the people. James was a kind and sympathetic person.
- After the premiere performance of the song "The Lonely Shepherd" for 13 weeks, the track held the first place in all charts.
- A new round of popularity for The Lonely Shepherd began in 2004. It was then that the work sounded in the film "Kill Bill".
Death of James Last
He passed away on July 9, 2015. He died after a long illness. Last passed away surrounded by relatives. His body is buried at the Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg.
