Klaus Doldinger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Klaus Doldinger
Doldinger performing in 2006
Background information
Birth name	Klaus Erich Dieter Doldinger
Born	(1936-05-12)12 May 1936 Berlin, Germany
Died	16 October 2025(2025-10-16) (aged 89)
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician composer
Instruments	Saxophone keyboards synthesizer film composer
Associated acts	Passport

Klaus Doldinger (born May 12, 1936 – died October 16, 2025) was a famous German musician. He was especially known for playing the saxophone and for creating amazing music for movies. Klaus Doldinger also won a special award, the 1997 Bavarian Film Award. He often worked with the German filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen, composing music for many of his films.

Klaus Doldinger's Musical Journey

Klaus Doldinger was born in Berlin, Germany, on May 12, 1936. When he was 11, in 1947, he started studying music at a special school in Düsseldorf. He first learned to play the piano, then the clarinet. He finished his studies in 1957.

Early Musical Steps

Even as a student, Klaus began performing professionally. In 1953, he joined a German Dixieland band called The Feetwarmers. Dixieland is an early style of jazz music. He even recorded music with them in 1955. Later that year, he started his own group, 'Oscar's Trio', which was inspired by the famous jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. In the 1960s, Klaus became a talented tenor saxophonist. He played with many American jazz musicians and even with pop groups like Ian and the Zodiacs.

Doldinger's jazz band Passport (2008)

The Band Passport

In 1971, Klaus Doldinger started his most famous jazz band, Passport. At first, it was called "Klaus Doldinger's Passport." This band became very popular in Germany and was sometimes compared to the American jazz band Weather Report. Passport has had many talented musicians over the years. Some of them included Peter O'Mara on guitar and Patrick Scales on bass.

Music for Movies and TV

Klaus Doldinger also created music for many well-known films. He composed the exciting score for the German U-boat movie Das Boot (1981). He also wrote music for the magical film The NeverEnding Story (1984). Both of these movies were directed by his friend and frequent collaborator, Wolfgang Petersen. Klaus also composed the famous theme song for the long-running German TV series, Tatort.

Family Life and Later Years

Klaus Doldinger married Inge Beck in 1960. They had three children named Viola, Melanie, and Nicolas. From 1968, they lived in a small village called Icking in Bavaria, near Munich. Klaus shared his life story in his autobiography, Made in Germany, which was released on September 1, 2022. Klaus Doldinger passed away on October 16, 2025, at the age of 89.

Klaus Doldinger's Film and TV Music

Here is a list of some of the movies and TV shows for which Klaus Doldinger composed music:

See also

In Spanish: Klaus Doldinger para niños