Anton Fig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anton Fig
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Fig in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Born | 8 August 1952 Cape Town, South Africa |
| Occupation(s) | Session musician |
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Anton Fig (born August 8, 1952) is a famous drummer from South Africa. He is best known for playing in the band on David Letterman's late-night TV shows. The band was called the CBS Orchestra.
Fig is also famous for his work with the rock band Kiss. He played drums on two of their albums. He has also worked with many other famous musicians, including Ace Frehley and Joe Bonamassa. Because of his great skill, David Letterman often called him "Buddy Rich Jr.," after a legendary drummer.
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Early Life and Career
Anton Fig was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He started playing the drums when he was only four years old. He played in many local bands in Cape Town and became well-known for his talent.
To continue his music education, he moved to Boston in the United States. He studied jazz and classical music at the New England Conservatory of Music. He graduated with honors in 1975. A year later, he moved to New York City to become a professional musician.
In New York, Fig worked as a freelance musician. This means he was hired by different bands and artists to play on their albums or in their concerts. He was a member of the band Spider for their albums in 1980 and 1981.
Working with Kiss and Ace Frehley
One of Fig's most famous jobs was with the rock band Kiss. In 1979, he played the drums on almost every song on their album Dynasty. He also played all the drum parts on their 1980 album, Unmasked.
Fig was brought in because the band's usual drummer, Peter Criss, was not able to perform at his best. The band wanted to keep this private, so Fig was not given credit on the albums for many years.
Before working with Kiss, Fig played drums on the 1978 solo album of Kiss's guitarist, Ace Frehley. Later, when Frehley left Kiss, Fig joined his new band, Frehley's Comet, from 1984 to 1987.
The David Letterman Show
In 1986, Anton Fig joined the house band for the TV show Late Night with David Letterman. A house band is a band that plays music for a TV show every night. The band was led by Paul Shaffer and was called "The World's Most Dangerous Band."
When Letterman's show moved from the NBC channel to CBS in 1993, the band moved with him. They added more musicians and became known as the "CBS Orchestra". Fig was the drummer for the show for nearly 30 years, until it ended in 2015.
As part of the CBS Orchestra, Fig played with some of the biggest names in music. These included Miles Davis, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, and Tony Bennett. The band also performed at special events, like the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games.
Sometimes, Fig even took part in funny skits on the show. In one popular gag, he would be blindfolded and have to guess the expiration date of food just by tasting it.
Other Musical Projects
Throughout his career, Anton Fig has been a very busy session musician. This means he is hired to play drums for many different artists' albums.
Some of the famous musicians he has recorded with include:
In 2002, Fig released his own solo album called Figments. He wrote and produced the album himself. It featured many famous guest artists, including Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and his old bandmate, Ace Frehley.
He has also played drums for blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa on many of his albums. He has toured with Bonamassa's band, playing in famous venues like the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Selected Discography
Here are some of the famous albums Anton Fig has played on:
- With Ace Frehley
- Ace Frehley (1978)
- Anomaly (2009)
- Spaceman (2018)
- With Joe Bonamassa
- Sloe Gin (2007)
- The Ballad of John Henry (2009)
- Driving Towards the Daylight (2012)
- Blues of Desperation (2016)
- With Bob Dylan
- Empire Burlesque (1985)
- With Kiss
- Dynasty (1979)
- Unmasked (1980)
- With Cyndi Lauper
- She's So Unusual (1983)
- True Colors (1986)
- With Mick Jagger
- She's the Boss (1985)
- With Madonna
- ... (1992)
- With Paul Shaffer
- Coast to Coast (1989)
- The World's Most Dangerous Party (1993)
See also
In Spanish: Anton Fig para niños
