Paul Shaffer
Music Director
About This Interview
In his Archive interview, Paul Shaffer talks about serving as a musician/performer on Saturday Night Live , as well as his long association with David Letterman as music director of Late Night with David Letterman and The Late Show with David Letterman . Paul Shaffer was interviewed in New York, NY on June 24, 2009; Dan Pasternack conducted the three-and-a-half-hour interview.
Related To This Video
Featured Content
Embeddable video clip: Paul Shaffer creates a theme song on-the-fly for his autobiography, We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives
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Watch Interview Highlights
Watch By Chapter
- Chapter 1
- On his early years growing up in Canada
- On his musical influences and education
- On pursuing a musical career
- On becoming involved in the Toronto production of "Godspell" (and hanging out with many Second City people) which led to his move to New York
- Chapter 2
- On joining Saturday Night Live as it was being developed
- On Saturday Night Live's early years
- On some of the musical guests on Saturday Night Live including John Sebastian, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, and ABBA
- On the development of Saturday Night Live's "lounge singer," "The Blues Brothers" musical sketches; playing Don Kirshner; and working with castmembers Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman
- Chapter 3
- On Saturday Night Live castmembers Chevy Chase (and hosting 2002's Comedy Central Presents: The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Chevy Chase) and Bill Murray
- On becoming a castmember on Saturday Night Live and accidentally swearing during a live broadcast; leaving the show after five years
- On joining Late Night with David Letterman and their approach to the show
- On David Letterman and working on his shows
- On Sonny and Cher's reunion (November 13, 1987) on Late Night with David Letterman
- On Letterman guest James Brown
- On Bruce Springsteen's performance on the final Late Night with David Letterman Show
- On David Letterman's move from NBC to CBS and the changes made to the new show, Late Show with David Letterman
- On his favorite musical performances on Late Show with David Letterman (Iggy Pop, Fat Boy Slim, Warren Zevon)
- On how David Letterman's health issues affected Late Show with David Letterman
- Chapter 4
- Full Chapter Four
Discussed In This Interview
shows
people
- Cher
- Dan Aykroyd
- John Belushi
- Sonny Bono
- Sonny Bono and Cher “Sonny & Cher”
- James Brown
- Chevy Chase
- Elvis Costello
- Jane Curtin
- Jean Doumanian
- Brian Doyle-Murray
- Don Kirshner
- David Letterman
- Lorne Michaels
- Garrett Morris
- Bill Murray
- Laraine Newman
- Gilda Radner
- John Sebastian
- Martin Short
- Patti Smith
- Bruce Springsteen
- Damon Wayons
- Warren Zevon
