April 29 – Klaus Voormann at 80 – 50th Music Anniversaries and Other Musings

The list of the Beatles’ friends and associates who played significant roles in the band’s lore is a mile long. Some were shady characters who owned (or were bouncers at) the dank clubs the band played in early on. Others were music executives and promoters who got the better of manager Brian Epstein in business deals. The women in their lives would fill volumes, as would the group’s general list of reliable friends and associates. Klaus Voormann is one of the good guys they knew from their early Hamburg days along with his friends Astrid Kirchherr and Jürgen Vollmer, and he has remained a trusted friend, artist, and session musician throughout the years. Mr. Voormann turns 80 today. Let that sink in, Beatle fans. Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Klaus!

Voorman’s impressive list of album credits as designer, musician, and producer began in 1966 with his cover design for the Beatles’ Revolver. Shortly thereafter he became the bassist in Manfred Mann. He would go on to play on recording sessions for solo Lennon, Harrison, and Starr records, as well as dozens of others including Peter Frampton, Lou Reed, Carly Simon, Howlin’ Wolf, and B.B. King. Voormann played in Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, as well as the memorial celebration show for his friend, Concert for George, 31 years later.