Klaus Voormann
Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann was born on the 29th of April 1938 in Berlin, Germany. He grew up in the suburbs of north Berlin as one of six brothers. His father worked as a physician and the family valued art, classical music, and books. They also held a deep feeling for history and tradition. Despite this musical background, his parents decided he should study commercial art instead of music. Klaus enrolled at the Meisterschule für Grafik und Buchgewerbe in Berlin to pursue graphic design. He later moved to Hamburg to continue his studies at the Meisterschule für Gestaltung. Before finishing his education in graphic arts, Voormann began working as a commercial artist and illustrator. He spent eight months in Düsseldorf working for magazines during this early career phase.
Voormann first met Astrid Kirchherr while living in Hamburg. One day after an argument with her and Jürgen Vollmer, he wandered down the Reeperbahn in the St. Pauli district. He heard music coming from the Kaiserkeller club and walked inside to see Rory Storm and the Hurricanes performing. The next group to play was the Beatles. Voormann felt speechless by their performances because he had never heard rock 'n' roll before. He had previously only listened to traditional jazz, Nat King Cole, and The Platters. He invited Kirchherr and Vollmer to watch the performances the following day. The trio decided to spend as much time as possible close to the group and immerse themselves in the music. They stood out in the Kaiserkeller wearing suede coats, wool sweaters, jeans, and round-toed shoes. Most customers had greased-back Teddy boy hairstyles and wore black leather jackets and pointed boots. During a break, Voormann tried to talk to Lennon using faltering English. He pressed a crumpled record sleeve he had designed into Lennon's hands. Lennon took little interest and suggested talking to Stu Sutcliffe instead.
In the early 1960s, Voormann decided to leave Germany and move to London. George Harrison invited him to live in the Green Street flat in London's Mayfair area. This space had been shared by all four members of the Beatles. John Lennon moved out to live with his wife Cynthia Lennon while Paul McCartney went to live in the attic of Jane Asher's parents home. Voormann lived with Harrison and Ringo Starr for a time before finding work as a commercial artist. He eventually rented an apartment of his own and returned to Hamburg in 1963. In 1965, Voormann returned to London and was asked by Lennon to design the sleeve for the album Revolver. He had a style of scrapbook collage art in mind for the project. The cover won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts. Voormann later designed the cover art for Harrison's 1988 single When We Was Fab. That image included the picture of Harrison from the Revolver cover along with an updated drawing in the same style. He also designed the graphics for the sheet music of songs from Revolver.
In 1966, Voormann became a member of Manfred Mann after turning down offers by the Hollies and the Moody Blues. He did substitute for Eric Haydock on a couple of television performances by the Hollies. Voormann played bass and flutes for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969. He appeared on all their UK hits from Just Like a Woman in July 1966 to their final single Ragamuffin Man in April 1969. This run included the 1968 international hit The Mighty Quinn. After that period, Voormann moved to Los Angeles in 1971 to work as a session musician. He played on solo projects by Lou Reed, Carly Simon, James Taylor, and Harry Nilsson among others. Voormann contributed bass to Joe Yamanaka's 1977 album To the New World. He also designed the cover for the 1967 album Bee Gees 1st which featured all five group members standing above a colorful psychedelic collage painted by him. Artwork by Voormann graced the front cover of the American edition of the Bee Gees' album Idea the following year.
Voormann was a member of Yoko Ono and Lennon's Plastic Ono Band alongside Ono, Alan White, and Eric Clapton. They recorded Live Peace in Toronto 1969 in Toronto on the 13th of September 1969 before the Beatles broke up. After the band disbanded rumors circulated about forming a group named the Ladders with Voormann replacing Paul McCartney. The plan never materialized but the lineup performed on Starr's 1973 song I'm the Greatest. Voormann served as the three former Beatles' bassist of choice through the mid-1970s. He played on Lennon's albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band in 1970, Imagine in 1971, Some Time in New York City in 1972, Walls and Bridges in 1974, and Rock 'n' Roll in 1975. Harrison's All Things Must Pass came out in 1970 followed by Living in the Material World in 1973. Dark Horse appeared in 1974 and Extra Texture Read All About It arrived in 1975. Starr released Ringo in 1973, Goodnight Vienna in 1974, and Ringo's Rotogravure in 1976. In 1973, Voormann created the album sleeve and booklet artwork for Starr's album Ringo while also playing bass.
In 1979, Voormann moved back to Germany after years abroad. He had a cameo role as Von Schnitzel the Conductor in the 1980 film adaptation of Popeye. He went on to produce three studio albums and a live album by the German band Trio. Their worldwide hit single Da Da Da became a major success. After Trio broke up in 1986, Voormann produced the first solo album by their singer Stephan Remmler. He played bass on some songs of that album. The following year he produced a single by former Trio drummer Peter Behrens. Voormann secretly married his first wife Christine Hargreaves at Hampstead Register Office in London on the 29th of November 1965. The couple separated in 1971 after five years of marriage. While not legally separated he moved out to live at Olivia and George Harrison's Friar Park in Henley-on-Thames. Hargreaves died from a spontaneous brain haemorrhage at University College Hospital in Fitzrovia on the 9th of August 1984 aged 45. The couple were still married at the time of her death.
Voormann retired from the music business in 1989 to spend more time with his family. He lives at Lake Starnberg near Munich with his second wife Christina Harrison and their two children born in 1989 and 1991. In 1995 Apple Records asked him to design covers for The Beatles Anthology albums. He painted the covers along with his friend fellow artist Alfons Kiefer. On the 29th of November 2002 Voormann played bass on All Things Must Pass at the Concert for George held at London's Royal Albert Hall. In an interview with author Simon Leng he described Harrison as both a great guitarist and his best friend ever. On the 7th of July 2009 Voormann released his first solo album A Sideman's Journey credited to Voormann & Friends. It featured McCartney, Starr, Yusuf Islam, Don Preston, Dr. John, The Manfreds, Jim Keltner, Van Dyke Parks, Joe Walsh, and many others. The album included new versions of old songs such as My Sweet Lord, Blue Suede Shoes, You're Sixteen, and Quinn the Eskimo.
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Common questions
When and where was Klaus Voormann born?
Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann was born on the 29th of April 1938 in Berlin, Germany. He grew up in the suburbs of north Berlin as one of six brothers.
What album cover did Klaus Voormann design for The Beatles that won a Grammy Award?
Voormann designed the sleeve for the album Revolver which won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts. His style involved scrapbook collage art featuring all four band members standing above a colorful psychedelic background.
Which bands did Klaus Voormann play bass for during his career?
Voormann played bass and flutes for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969 and later became a session musician for solo projects by artists like Lou Reed and Harry Nilsson. He also served as the bassist for Yoko Ono and Lennon's Plastic Ono Band and performed on albums by George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout the mid-1970s.
Who were the members of the group called the Ladders that formed after the breakup of the Beatles?
Rumors circulated about forming a group named the Ladders with Voormann replacing Paul McCartney but the plan never materialized. The lineup performed on Starr's 1973 song I'm the Greatest before the project was abandoned.
When did Klaus Voormann retire from the music business and where does he live now?
Voormann retired from the music business in 1989 to spend more time with his family. He lives at Lake Starnberg near Munich with his second wife Christina Harrison and their two children born in 1989 and 1991.