James Last › Similar Artists

Paul Mauriat - 54% match to James Last

4 March 1925, Marseille, France, d. 3 November 2006, Perpignan, France. A conductor, arranger and composer, descended from generations of classical musicians, Mauriat began to study music at the age of four, and continued his studies at the Conservatoire in Paris when his family moved there in 1935. His initial ambition to become classical pianist gave way to an interest in Read more

Fausto Papetti - 44% match to James Last

Franck Pourcel - 38% match to James Last

1 January 1915, Marseilles, France, d. 12 November 2000, Paris, France. With the violin his chosen instrument, Pourcel found playing in downtime jazz combos a liberating change from his studies at the Paris Conservatoire. He became an admirer of Stéphane Grappelli whose mainstream style he emulated before assuming leadership of the French Fiddlers in the late 40s. Sig Read more

Mantovani - 33% match to James Last

Billy Vaughn - 31% match to James Last

Richard Vaughn, 12 April 1919, Glasgow, Kentucky, USA, d. 26 September 1991, Escondido, California, USA. An extremely successful orchestra leader, arranger and musical director during the 50s and early 60s. In 1952, singing baritone and playing piano, he formed the Hilltoppers vocal quartet, with Jimmy Sacca, Seymour Speigelman and Don McGuire. They had a string of US hits Read more

Richard Clayderman - 31% match to James Last

Philippe Pages, 28 December 1953, Paris, France. This highly popular pianist, specializes in light classical compositions, with a romantic, yet low profile image. His father was a piano teacher, and at the age of 12, Pages enrolled at the Conservatoire in Paris, and won the first prize four years later. He was encouraged to study classical piano, but his ambition was to be i Read more

Caravelli - 30% match to James Last

Ray Conniff - 30% match to James Last

6 November 1916, Attelboro, Massachusetts, USA, d. 12 October 2002, Escondido, California, USA. Taught to play the trombone by his father, Conniff studied arranging with the aid of a mail-order course while still at college. In 1934, after graduation, he worked with small bands in Boston before joining Bunny Berigan as trombonist/arranger in 1937. After a spell with Bob Cros Read more

Helmut Zacharias - 27% match to James Last

27 January 1920, Berlin, Germany, d. 28 February 2002. This violinist, arranger, composer and band leader was raised in Berlin. At the age of three he was given a toy violin by his father, himself a professional violinist. The gift was soon replaced by the real thing, and at the age of six he was on the cabaret stage of the Faun on Berlin’s Friedrichstrasse. At the age Read more

Floyd Cramer - 25% match to James Last

27 October 1933, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, d. 31 December 1997, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The style and sound of Cramer’s piano-playing was possibly one of the biggest influences on post-50s country music. His delicate rock ‘n’ roll sound was achieved by accentuating the discord in rolling from the main note to a sharp or flat, known as ‘slip note’ Read more

Nini Rosso - 23% match to James Last

Celeste Rosso, 19 September 1926, Italy, d. 1994. As a teenager, Rosso ran away from home through parental pressure to pursue an academic career. After he was found playing trumpet in a Nice night spot, his parents relented, and he formed a small orchestra that garnered a work schedule beyond Italy to include, on one occasion, a tour of India. After a residency on Radio Turi Read more

Freddy Quinn - 22% match to James Last

Manfred Quinn, 27 September 1931, Niederfladnitz Bei Wien, Austria. With his trademark leather jacket and sailor’s hat and his image of a ‘troubadour of wanderlust and homesickness’, Quinn is one of the most popular and versatile entertainers in post-war Germany with more than 60 million records sold. After his parents separated Quinn went as a four-year-old w Read more

Frank Chacksfield - 21% match to James Last

9 May 1914, Battle, Sussex, England, d. 9 June 1995. After early training on the piano and organ, Chacksfield led small groups in the late 30s before becoming arranger for the Stars In Battledress entertainment unit in World War II. His first radio broadcast was Original Songs At The Piano from Glasgow, and during the late 40s he worked with comedian Charlie Chester’s S Read more

Roger Williams - 21% match to James Last

Ronnie Aldrich - 21% match to James Last

15 February 1916, Erith, Kent, England, d. 30 September 1993. As a gifted young pianist Aldrich undertook extensive studies, including a period at the Guildhall School of Music in London. Later, he worked with the Folkestone Municipal Orchestra before his career was interrupted by World War II. During the war he played piano and arranged for the RAF Dance Orchestra, remainin Read more