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Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949 in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario, Canada) is a Jewish-Canadian-American musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian and composer currently seen as the bandleader on the Late Show with David Letterman. He is also remembered as the first person to introduce The Blues Brothers. Since 1990, he has been married to Cathy Vasapoli, with whom he has two children: Victoria (born 1993), William (born 1999). Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government - Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. ... Nickname: Motto: Superior by nature Location of Thunder Bay, Ontario Coordinates: , Country Canada Province Ontario Region Northwestern Ontario District Thunder Bay District CMA Thunder Bay Settled 1679 as Fort Caministigoyan See histories of Port Arthur and Fort William Amalgamation 1 January 1970 Government [1][2]  - Type Municipal Government  - Mayor Lynn... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government - Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... “Instrumentalist” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... A voice actor (also a voice artist) is a person who provides voices for animated characters (including those in feature films, television series, animated shorts), voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides. ... For other uses, see Author (disambiguation). ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A bandleader is the director of a band of musicians. ... Åœ “Late Show” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the year. ...

Musical career

Shaffer began his musical career in 1972 as the musical director for the Toronto production of Godspell, which starred the likes of Victor Garber, Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas and Andrea Martin. He went on to play piano for a Broadway show called The Magic Show in 1974, then became the musical director for NBC's popular Saturday Night Live television program from 1975 to 1980, though briefly leaving the series in 1977. Though Shaffer was at the piano and appeared to actually be directing the band's actions, Howard Shore was credited as musical director on SNL during the 1975-1980 time frame. SNL gave Shaffer the opportunity to stretch his comedy wings as well, when he eventually became a cast-member. Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The title of music director is used by many symphony orchestras to designate the primary conductor and artistic leader of the orchestra. ... Godspell is a 1970 play by John-Michael Tebelak. ... Victor Joseph Garber (born on March 16, 1949 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a six-time Emmy Award-nominated Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. ... Gilda Susan Radner (28 June 1946 – 20 May 1989) was an American comedienne and actress, best known for her five years as part of the original cast of the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. ... Martin Hayter Short, CM (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian/American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. ... Eugene Levy (born 17 December 1946) is a Canadian Emmy and Grammy Award-winning actor, television director, producer and writer. ... See the David Thomas disambiguation page for other people with this name. ... Andrea Martin (born January 15, 1947) is a Tony Award-winning American actor and comedienne. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... The Magic Show is a musical in one act composed and with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Bob Randall. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the television network. ... This article is about the American television series. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Howard Leslie Shore (born October 18, 1946) is an Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-winning Canadian composer, best known for composing the scores to The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and films of David Cronenberg. ...

Shaffer occasionally teamed up with the Not Ready for Prime-Time Players off of the show as well, including work on Gilda Radner's highly successful Broadway show, and a time spent as the musical director for John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, whenever they recorded or performed as The Blues Brothers. Shaffer also appeared in Blues Brothers 2000 movie from 1998. He was to appear in the original The Blues Brothers in 1980, but he was appearing with Gilda Radner in Gilda Live! at the time of filming. Writers Cast members on SNL are expected to write; those that dont write often and well end up not getting parts and eventually leaving the show. ... Gilda Susan Radner (28 June 1946 – 20 May 1989) was an American comedienne and actress, best known for her five years as part of the original cast of the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. ... Broadway theatre is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an Emmy Award-winning American comedian, actor and musician, notable for his work on Saturday Night Live, National Lampoons Animal House and The Blues Brothers. ... Daniel Edward Aykroyd CM (born July 1, 1952) is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning Canadian/American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and musician. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 musical/comedy film and sequel to the highly successful 1980 film The Blues Brothers. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Gilda Susan Radner (28 June 1946 – 20 May 1989) was an American comedienne and actress, best known for her five years as part of the original cast of the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. ...

Since 1982, Shaffer has served as musical director for David Letterman's late night talk shows: as leader of "The World's Most Dangerous Band" for Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993) on NBC, for which he also composed the theme song, and as leader of the CBS Orchestra for the Late Show with David Letterman (1993—) on CBS. Letterman consistently maintains that the show's switch to CBS was because NBC "fired Paul for stealing chalk". Shaffer has also guest-hosted the show a few times when Letterman was unavailable, including during Letterman's January 2000 medical leave that resulted from his quintuple heart bypass surgery, and during the birth of Letterman's son, Harry Joseph, in November 2003. Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) is an award-winning American comedian, late night talk show host, television producer, philanthropist, and IRL IndyCar Series car owner. ... Late Night with David Letterman was a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC hosted by David Letterman. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the television network. ... Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra The CBS Orchestra is the band that plays for David Lettermans CBS late-night talk show, The Late Show with David Letterman. ... Åœ “Late Show” redirects here. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... 2000 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December Events: January 1- Millennium celebrations take place throughout the world. ... A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or heart bypass is a surgical procedure performed in patients with coronary artery disease (see atherosclerosis) for the relief of angina and possible improved heart muscle function. ... 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for November, 2003. ...

Shaffer has served as musical director and producer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony since its inception in 1986 and filled the same role for the 1996 Olympic Games closing ceremonies from Atlanta, Georgia. Shaffer also served as musical director for "Fats Domino and Friends" a Cinemax Session with Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ron Wood. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... (Redirected from 1996 Olympic Games) Categories: 1996 Summer Olympics ... Atlanta redirects here. ...

Shaffer has released two solo albums, 1989's Grammy nominated Coast to Coast, and 1993’s The World's Most Dangerous Party. Shaffer has also recorded with a wide range of artists, including Grand Funk Railroad, Diana Ross, B.B. King, Cyndi Lauper, Carl Perkins, Yoko Ono, Blues Traveler, Cher, Chicago, Robert Burns, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Robert Plant, Scandal, Late Show regular Warren Zevon, jazz trumpeter Lew Soloff, jazz saxophonist Lou Marini and bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs. He wrote and produced, with Paul Jabara, the song "It's Raining Men" which was a #2 hit in England for The Weather Girls in 1984 and a UK #1 remake for Geri Halliwell in 2001. The Weather Girls single only reached #46 in the United States, but has more than made up for its middling chart position with a durable shelf life. Shaffer and The World's Most Dangerous Band perform the song 'Rollover Beethoven' for the 1992 hit movie, Beethoven. Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band. ... For the author-illustrator, see Diana Ross (author). ... Riley B. King aka B. B. King (b. ... Cynthia Ann Stephanie Cyndi Lauper (born June 22, 1953) is an American Grammy Award-winning singer and Emmy Award-winning film, television and theatre actress. ... Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998) was an American pioneer of rockabilly music, a mix of rhythm and blues and country music that was recorded most notably at Sun Records in Memphis beginning in 1954. ... Yoko Ono Lennon (小野 洋子 Ono Yōko), born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese-American artist and musician. ... Blues Traveler is an American alternative rock/blues rock/jam band formed in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1983. ... This article is about Cher, the entertainer. ... This article is about the American pop-rock-jazz band. ... For the chain gang fugitive and author from Georgia, see Robert Elliott Burns. ... George Clinton (born July 22, 1940) is an American musician and the principal architect of P-Funk. ... William Bootsy Collins (born October 26, 1951 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a pioneering funk bassist, singer, and songwriter. ... Robert Anthony Plant (born August 20, 1948, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England) is an English rock singer and songwriter, most famous for his membership in the rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist, but also for his successful solo career. ... Scandal (l to r): Benjy King, Thommy Price, Zack Smith, Patty Smyth, Ivan Elias, Keith Mack Scandal was a rock band from the 1980s fronted by Patty Smyth. ... Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock and roll musician and songwriter. ... Lew Soloff (born February 20, 1944 in New York City) is a jazz trumpeter. ... Blue Lou Marini is an American saxophone player. ... Earl Scruggs performing at The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 12th, 2005 Earl Eugene Scruggs (born January 6, 1924) is a musician noted for creating a banjo style (now called Scruggs style) that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. ... Paul Jabara (January 31, 1948 - September 29, 1992) was an American actor and songwriter. ... Its Raining Men is a song written by Paul Jabara and Paul Shaffer in 1979, and originally recorded by The Weather Girls in 1982. ... The Weather Girls were an American girl group that formed in 1982. ... Geraldine Estelle Geri Halliwell (born 6 August 1972) is an English pop singer and songwriter, television personality, writer, and actress, and became famous (under the nickname of Ginger Spice) in the late 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. ...

Other activities

Shaffer has appeared in a number of motion pictures over the years, including a major role in Rob Reiner's This is Spinal Tap, Blues Brothers 2000, a scene with Miles Davis in the Bill Murray film Scrooged and as a passenger in John Travolta's taxicab in Look Who's Talking Too. In addition, Shaffer lent his voice to Disney's animated feature and television series Hercules, as the character Hermes. Robert Rob Reiner (born March 6, 1945) is an American actor, director, producer, writer, childrens advocate and political activist. ... This Is Spin̈al Tap (which is officially spelled with a non-functional umlaut symbol over the N) is a 1984 mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner and starring members of the semi-fictional heavy-metal glam rock band Spinal Tap. ... Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 musical/comedy film and sequel to the highly successful 1980 film The Blues Brothers. ... Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was an American jazz musician widely considered to be one of the most influential of the 20th century. ... William James Bill Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-winning American comedian and actor. ... Scrooged is a hit 1988 comedy film based on Charles Dickens classic story, A Christmas Carol. ... John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor, dancer, and singer. ... For specific countries see Taxicabs around the world. ... “Disney” redirects here. ... Hercules is a 1997 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 14, 1997. ...

In 1977, Shaffer left SNL for a few months to co-star with Greg Evigan in A Year at the Top, a short-lived CBS sitcom in which Shaffer and Evigan play two musicians from Idaho who relocate to Hollywood where they are regularly tempted by a famous promoter (who is actually the devil's son) to sell their souls in exchange for a year of stardom. Though the series only lasted a few episodes, a soundtrack album was released, CBS apparently having expected that the series would be a far bigger hit than it was. Following the series' cancellation, Shaffer returned to SNL, and Evigan's next series, B.J. and the Bear, proved far more successful for him as well. In 1977, Shaffer was also present on the Mark & Clark Band's hit record Worn Down Piano. The year 1977 in television involved some significant events. ... Gregory Ralph Greg Evigan (born October 14, 1953) is an American actor. ... This article, image, template or category should belong in one or more categories. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area  Ranked 14th  - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 km²)  - Width 305 miles (491 km)  - Length 479 miles (771 km)  - % water 0. ... ... Greg Evigan and his simian cohort in . ... Worn Down Piano is a song by the North-American Mark & Clark Band, from their album Double Take. ...

In 2001, Shaffer hosted the VH1 game show "Cover Wars" along with a co-host, DJ/model Sky Nellor. In this show, cover bands would compete against each other to become the ultimate winner of the series. Each week Paul would sign off by saying "Just because you're in a cover band, it doesn't mean you're not a star." The show lasted thirteen episodes and featured celebrity judges like Kevin Bacon, Nile Rodgers, Cyndi Lauper, and Ace Frehley. This is a list of television-related events in 2001. ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division... “Quiz show” redirects here. ... Sky Nellor (born 1971) is a former fashion model who is now a DJ performing in many parts of the U.S. and worldwide. ... A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays only cover songs. ... Kevin Norwood Bacon[1] (born July 8, 1958) is an American film and theater actor who has starred in Footloose, Animal House, Stir of Echoes, Wild Things, JFK, and Apollo 13, among many others. ... Nile Gregory Rodgers (born September 19, 1952 in New York City) is a prolific and influential musician, composer, arranger, guitarist and music producer, and co-founding member of the seminal multi-platinum hit R&B band Chic, with influential bassist, the late Bernard Edwards. ... Cynthia Ann Stephanie Cyndi Lauper (born June 22, 1953) is an American Grammy Award-winning singer and Emmy Award-winning film, television and theatre actress. ... Paul Daniel Frehley (born April 27, 1951[1]), better known as Ace Frehley, is an American guitarist best known as a founding member and lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss. ...

In 2002, a street which surrounds the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium in his hometown was renamed "Paul Shaffer Drive". Shaffer has also received two honorary doctorates. The year 2004 in television involved some significant events. ... Located on the recently named Paul Shaffer Drive, the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium is a impressive concert hall located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. ... An Honorary degree (Latin: honoris causa ad gradum) is a degree awarded to someone by an institution that he or she may have never attended, it may be a bachelors, masters or doctorate degree - however, the latter is most common. ...

Since 2002, he has been the national spokesperson for Epilepsy Canada.

On September 29, 2005, Paul Shaffer made a major contribution to Lakehead University to dedicate the fifth floor ATAC boardroom to his father Bernard Shaffer, inaugural member of the Board of Governors. is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In June 2006, he received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. Canadas Walk of Fame acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians. ...

On Wednesday, July 11, 2007, The New York Times reported that Shaffer is currently working on his memoir, which will be published by Flying Dolphin Press (an imprint of Random House Inc.'s Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group) in 2009. [1] is the 192nd day of the year (193rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... As a literary genre, a memoir (from the French: mémoire from the Latin memoria, meaning memory) forms a subclass of autobiography, although it is an older form of writing. ... Random House is a publishing division of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann based in New York City. ...

External links

• Paul Shaffer Bio at CBS - Late Show
• Late Show UK - fansite
• Paul Shaffer at the Internet Movie Database
• Paul Shaffer at NNDB
• Paul Shaffer at Godspell.ca