Anton Fig facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anton Fig
Fig in 2014
Background information
Born	(1952-08-08) 8 August 1952 (age 72) Cape Town, South Africa
Occupation(s)	Session musician
Instruments	Drums percussion
Associated acts	CBS Orchestra Ace Frehley Kiss Frehley's Comet Joe Bonamassa

Anton Fig (born 8 August 1952) is a famous South African session drummer. He is best known as the drummer for Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. This band played on David Letterman's popular TV talk shows. David Letterman often called Fig "Anton Zip" or "Buddy Rich Jr." Anton Fig is also well known for his work with rock bands like Kiss and Ace Frehley, and blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa.

Anton Fig's Early Music Journey

Anton Fig started playing the drums when he was only four years old. He grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. As a teenager, he played in many successful local rock bands. People in Cape Town knew him for his drumming skills in bands like Hammak.

To learn even more about music, he moved to Boston in the United States. He studied jazz and classical music at the New England Conservatory of Music. He finished his studies with high honours in 1975. In 1976, he moved to New York City. There, he began his career as a freelance musician. This means he worked with many different artists and bands.

Fig was a member of the band Spider. He played on their albums in 1980 and 1981. He also played on their 1982 album when they changed their name to Shanghai.

Anton Fig was the drummer on Ace Frehley's first solo album in 1978. Ace Frehley was the lead guitarist for the band Kiss. Later, Fig joined Ace Frehley's band, Frehley's Comet, from 1984 to 1987.

He has also worked with many other famous musicians. These include Bob Dylan, Warren Zevon, B.B. King, Peter Frampton, Joan Armatrading, Cyndi Lauper, and Eric Johnson.

Playing for David Letterman

Anton Fig became the drummer for Paul Shaffer's band in 1986. This band was the house band for David Letterman's late-night TV shows. They first played on NBC's Late Night with David Letterman. The band was called "The World's Most Dangerous Band".

In 1993, David Letterman's show moved to CBS. It became Late Show with David Letterman. Anton Fig and the band moved too. They added a horn section and changed their name to the "CBS Orchestra".

During his time on the show, Fig and the band played with many music legends. Some of these include Miles Davis, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and Tony Bennett. Anton Fig also took part in funny parts of the show. One popular joke was "Anton Fig's Guess The Expiration Date." In this game, Anton would be blindfolded. He would taste a food item and try to guess its expiry date.

The CBS Orchestra also played for other big events. They backed up artists like Faith Hill and Little Richard. They also played with B. B. King at the closing of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. They performed with Al Green and Eric Clapton for a VH1 concert at the White House.

The World's Most Dangerous Band is also the house band for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They were also the backup band for The Concert for New York City. There, they played with David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, and James Taylor.

Sometimes, Paul Shaffer was not on The Late Show. When this happened, Anton Fig would step in as the bandleader.

Other Music Projects

Anton Fig has recorded music with many different artists. Some of these include Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Cyndi Lauper, and Madonna.

He played drums on two Kiss albums: Dynasty (1979) and Unmasked (1980). He played on almost all the songs for both albums. At the time, Kiss did not credit him for his work. This was because they wanted to hide problems within the band. He was only given credit many years later.

As a freelance drummer, Fig has also played live with Paul Simon. He performed with The Thompson Twins at Live Aid, a huge concert for charity. He also played with Jim Keltner for Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary concert. In 1996, Fig released a drum instruction video called In the Groove. He also released a book called Late Night Drumming.

In 2002, Anton Fig released his first solo album, Figments. He produced and helped write the songs. It took him three years to make this album. Many famous singers and musicians joined him on the record. These included Brian Wilson, Ace Frehley, Paul Shaffer, and Randy Brecker.

In 2006, Fig worked with the band Blackmore's Night. He also worked with Joe Bonamassa on several of his albums. These include Sloe Gin (2007), Ballad of John Henry (2009), and Different Shades of Blue (2014).

On 4 May 2009, Fig played with Joe Bonamassa's band for the first time at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Eric Clapton joined them as a special guest. A DVD of this performance was later released. Fig also played on Ace Frehley's album Anomaly, which came out in 2009.

Discography

See also

In Spanish: Anton Fig para niños