A True Fifth Beatle

If anyone could be called the fifth Beatle other than producer George Martin, it should be Klaus Voormann .

After an argument with his girlfriend in Hamburg, Germany, in October 1960, Voormann first heard the Beatles. He later introduced his girlfriend, photographer Astrid Kirchherr, to the Beatles. Astrid became the girlfriend of Stu Sutcliffe, the Beatles bass player who died in Germany.

Astrid’s photographs of the Beatles during the early 1960s in Germany are still legendary.

But that did not end Voormann’s association with the Beatles.

Voormann was an artist, but he learned how to play bass and moved to England. He maintained his friendship with the Beatles, became part of a band called Paddy, Klaus and Gibson and eventually played with the Manfred Mann Band and many others.

But when the Beatles were looking for a different cover for “Revolver,” John Lennon asked Voormann to help. Voormann created the cover, which won a Grammy award.

As a musician, Voormann played bass on John Lennon’s “Plastic Ono Band,” “Imagine,” and other albums and songs.

Voormann also played on George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” album and at “The Concert for Bangla Desh.”

Voormann played on Ringo Starr albums and created lithographs for each song on the “Ringo” album, Starr’s most noteworthy solo album.

When it came time for the Beatles to select an artist to design the “Anthology” video, CD and book series, Klaus Voormann got the job.