Paul Shaffer is a multi-talented Canadian singer, composer, actor, author, comedian and multi-instrumentalist who has served as a musical director for David Letterman’s late-night talk shows, “Late Night with David Letterman” and “Late Show with David Letterman”. Shaffer, being in the music industry for over five decades, has provided a great contribution and also has produced The Weather Girls’ hit song “It’s Raining Men”.
What is Paul Shaffer Famous for?
- Famous as the musical director for “Late Night with David Letterman” and “Late Show with David Letterman”.
Source: @spokesman.com
When and Where was Paul Shaffer Born?
Paul Shaffer was born on November 28, 1949, in Fort William, Ontario, Canada. His birth name is Paul Allen Wood Shaffer. His nationality is Canadian. Shaffer belongs to White ethnicity while Sagittarius is his zodiac sign.
Shaffer is the son of Bernard Shaffer(father) and Shirley Shaffer(mother). His father, Bernard is a lawyer. Shaffer was raised in his hometown, Fort William in a Jewish family. Paul was always interested in music as he even took piano lessons and during his teenage, he played the organ in a band called “Fabulous Fugitives” as well.
Shaffer previously wanted to graduate with a law degree and later he completed his studies with a B.A. degree in sociology and philosophy in 1971 from the University of Toronto. He also holds 2 honorary doctorate degrees from Five Towns College and Lakehead University. Soon after then Shaffer started his career in music.
Source: @people.com
Paul Shaffer Career Highlights
- Shaffer began his professional music career as the music director of “Godspell” composed by Stephen Schwartz in 1972.
- In 1974, Shaffer performed at the Schwartz Broadway show, “The Magic Show”.
- In 1975, Shaffer became a member of the house band on NBC’s Saturday Night Live(SNL) alongside the comedian Chevy Chase for 5 years.
- In 1979, he co-wrote and produced The Weather Girls’ hit song “It’s Raining Men”.
- In 1982, he joined David Letterman’s late-night talk show as a music director, “Late Night with David Letterman”.
- Later in 1983, he joined as leader of the CBS Orchestra for the “Late Show with David Letterman” which apparently earned him more popularity.
- In 1984, Shaffer played keyboards for “The Honeydrippers”.
- Shaffer has also served as musical director and producer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and 1996 Olympic Games ceremony.
- Shaffer also released two solo albums, “Coast to Coast”(1989) and “The World’s Most Dangerous Party”(1993).
- In 2017, Shaffer reunited with his band and released the self-titled album “Paul Shaffer & the World’s Most Dangerous Band”.
- Shaffer has appeared in a number of motion pictures over the years including “This Is Spinal Tap, Blues Brothers 2000”, “Scrooged”, “Look Who’s Talking Too”.
- Shaffer made many TV appearances, “How I Met Your Mother”(2013), “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”(2008) and a voice actor in animated series “Hercules”(1997).
- He also worked in musical comedy including “This Is Spinal Tap”(1984), “Blues Brothers 2000″(1998) and “A Very Murray Christmas”(2015).
- Shaffer was also the musical director for the 2015 Netflix series, “A Very Murray Christmas”.
- Shaffer also hosts “Paul Shaffer Plus One”, a monthly talk show on SiriusXM and AXS TV in 2019.
- On December 12, 2012, Shaffer performed in “The Concert for Sandy Relief” along with Paul McCartney featuring Kanye West and Alicia Keys.
- Shaffer also competed on the second season of the TV series, “The Masked Singer” as The Skeleton.
Source: @gettyimages.com
Who is Paul Shaffer Married to?
Paul Shaffer is married to his long-term girlfriend, Catherine Vasapoli. The couple got married on August 19, 1990, and have been living together for now 19 years. Shaffer shares 2 children with Vasapoli, a son named William Wood Lee Shaffer (born in January 1999) and daughter Victoria Lily (born on April 8, 1993).
Currently, Paul Shaffer resides in Bedford, New York along with his wife and children.
How Much Does Paul Shaffer Earn?
Paul Shaffer has quiet a great earning through his professional career mostly as a music director. Shaffer has managed to amass a great fortune of the amount in million dollars through his several music albums, tours, and shows. Shaffer used to earn $5 million in salary from David Letterman’s show, which is actually his highest salary.
Shaffer enjoys his fortune which is estimated to be around $30 million. Besides, Shaffer even had sold a condo unit in South Beach, Miami, worth $6.4 million. He also had bought the 2,500 sq. ft. in 2007 for $3.75 million.
With all the fortune in million dollars in million dollars, Shaffer is living a lavish and luxurious lifestyle.
How Tall is Paul Shaffer?
The 69 years old singer, Paul Shaffer has quiet a well-maintained average body physique. Shaffer stands tall with a height of 5ft. 5inch.(1.65m) while his body weighs around 63kg(138 lbs). Shaffer has a fair complexion with bald hair and dark brown eyes.
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