Paul Shaffer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Shaffer
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Shaffer in 2000
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| Born |
Paul Allen Wood Shaffer
November 28, 1949 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Occupation | Bandleader, musician, actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Cathy Vasapoli
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Rock, pop rock, jazz |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards |
Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian musician, actor, and comedian. He is best known for being the musical director, bandleader, and sidekick for David Letterman's TV shows. These included Late Night with David Letterman (from 1982 to 1993) and Late Show with David Letterman (from 1993 to 2015).
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Shaffer was born in 1949 in Toronto, Canada. He grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario. His parents were Shirley and Bernard Shaffer. His family was Jewish. His mother helped with local charities. His father, a lawyer, loved jazz music. His mother enjoyed show tunes.
When Paul was 12, his parents took him to Las Vegas. They saw shows with famous performers like Nat King Cole. Shaffer later said this trip changed his life. It made him want to become a performer. As a child, he took piano lessons. In his teenage years, he played the organ in a band called Fabulous Fugitives. He also performed with the "Flash Landing Band."
Shaffer studied at the University of Toronto. He played in bands in local bars. He also became interested in musicals. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology in 1971. In 1971, Shaffer briefly appeared playing an organ in the documentary North of Superior.
Career Highlights
From Godspell to Saturday Night Live
Paul Shaffer started his music career in 1972. He became the musical director for the Toronto show of Godspell. Many famous actors like Martin Short and Eugene Levy were in this show. In 1974, he played piano for the Broadway show The Magic Show.
From 1975 to 1980, Shaffer was part of the house band on NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL). He played the piano and seemed to lead the band. He also appeared in funny sketches on the show. He was often the pianist for Bill Murray's Nick the Lounge Singer character. He also played Don Kirshner.
Shaffer sometimes worked with the SNL cast outside the show. He was the musical director for John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd when they performed as the Blues Brothers. Shaffer was supposed to be in their 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers. However, Belushi decided to remove him from the movie. Belushi felt Shaffer was spending too much time on another project. Shaffer later appeared in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000.
In 1977, Shaffer played on the Mark & Clark Band's song "Worn Down Piano". He also left SNL for a few months to star in a TV show called A Year at the Top. This show was about two musicians who move to Hollywood. It only lasted a few episodes. After the show was canceled, Shaffer returned to SNL. He became a featured cast member in the 1979-80 season. This made him the first band member to also be a cast member.
In 1980, Shaffer accidentally said a word that wasn't allowed on live TV during an SNL sketch. The word was not censored and was heard by viewers. Shaffer, along with many others from SNL, left the show at the end of that season. He had been on the show for five years. In 2015, Shaffer returned for the SNL 40th-anniversary special. He played music for Bill Murray's lounge-singer character.
Working with David Letterman
In 1982, Paul Shaffer became the musical director for David Letterman's late-night talk shows. He led ""The World's Most Dangerous Band" for Late Night with David Letterman on NBC. He also wrote the show's theme song. Later, he led the CBS Orchestra for the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS.
Letterman often joked that the show moved to CBS because NBC "caught Paul stealing pens." Shaffer hosted the show four times when Letterman was away. This happened when Letterman was recovering from heart surgery or illness.
Since 2018, Shaffer has written and performed the music for Letterman's Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. Letterman asked him to work on the show. Shaffer wanted the music to have a "southern soul feeling." The music for the show is mostly just piano and organ.
Musical Collaborations and Solo Work
Shaffer played the synthesizer solo in the 1982 song "Goodbye to You" by the band Scandal. In 1984, he played keyboards for The Honeydrippers. This group was formed by Robert Plant, who was the singer for Led Zeppelin. Their album included the hit song "Sea of Love".
Shaffer has released two solo albums: Coast to Coast (1989) and The World's Most Dangerous Party (1993). He has also recorded music with many different artists. These include Donald Fagen, Diana Ross, B.B. King, Cyndi Lauper, Cher, and Robert Plant. In 1982, he helped write the song "It's Raining Men". This song was a big hit for The Weather Girls. Shaffer and his band performed the song "Roll Over Beethoven" for the 1992 movie Beethoven.
Shaffer has been the musical director for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony since 1986. He also directed music for the 1996 Olympic Games closing ceremonies. In 2017, Shaffer reunited with his band, now called Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. They released a self-titled album and went on tour. In 2023, the band played as the house band for an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Movie and TV Appearances
Shaffer has appeared in several movies. He had a small role in This Is Spinal Tap. He was also in Blues Brothers 2000. He had a scene with Miles Davis in the Bill Murray film Scrooged. He also lent his voice to Disney's animated movie Hercules as the character Hermes.
Shaffer has appeared in many TV shows. He hosted Happy New Year, America in 1994. In 2001, he hosted the VH1 game show Cover Wars. This show featured cover bands competing against each other. Shaffer was considered for the role of George Costanza in Seinfeld.
In 2002, he hosted the Friars Club Roast of Chevy Chase. In 2008, Shaffer made a brief appearance in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In 2013, he appeared in an episode of How I Met Your Mother called "P.S. I Love You". He was the musical director for A Very Murray Christmas, a 2015 Netflix special. In 2018, he made a cameo in the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek. Shaffer competed on The Masked Singer in 2019 as "Skeleton". Since 2019, he has hosted Paul Shaffer Plus One, a talk show on SiriusXM and AXS TV.
Charity Work
Since 2002, Paul Shaffer has been the national spokesperson for Epilepsy Canada. In 2005, he made a large donation to Lakehead University. This donation helped dedicate a boardroom to his father, Bernard Shaffer. In 2006, he received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
In 2005, he helped organize a benefit concert for Mike Smith of The Dave Clark Five. Smith had been injured in a fall. In 2012, Shaffer appeared in 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief. This concert raised money for people affected by Hurricane Sandy. Shaffer is also a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.
Memoir
Shaffer's book about his life, We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-biz Saga, was published on October 6, 2009. He wrote it with David Ritz.
Honors and Recognition
In 2002, the National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame honored Shaffer. They recognized his work in opening doors for African-Americans in entertainment. Shaffer was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2007. This is Canada's highest honor.
In May 2015, the Ride of Fame honored Shaffer with a special sightseeing bus in New York City. This was to celebrate his long career with the CBS Orchestra. In 2002, a street in his hometown of Thunder Bay was renamed Paul Shaffer Drive. He has also received two honorary doctorates, including one from Lakehead University.
Personal Life
Paul Shaffer has been married to Cathy Vasapoli since 1990. Cathy used to book guests for the TV show Good Morning America. They have two children.
Discography
- 1989: Coast to Coast
- 1993: The World's Most Dangerous Party
- 2017: Paul Shaffer & The World's Most Dangerous Band (Sire Records)
See also
In Spanish: Paul Shaffer para niños
