David Kaff, the actor known for playing keyboardist Viv Savage in the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, has died. He was 79.
His death was confirmed by his Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom bandmates in a Facebook post. They wrote that Kaff “passed away peacefully in his sleep” but did not offer details about the cause of death.
“Our brother David Kaffinetti passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday,” the statement read. “We are devastated by this event. David always had a kind word and a quick wit that would slay you where you stand. Then he'd make you smile doing it! RIP dear brother.”
Born David Kaffinetti on 17 April 1946 in Folkestone, England, Kaff was a founding member of the prog rock band Rare Bird from 1969 to 1975. Their 1970 single “Sympathy” reached No 27 on the UK music charts, topped charts in Italy and France, and sold over a million copies globally.
He also played the keyboard as a session musician for Chuck Berry in 1972 on the album The London Chuck Berry Sessions.
In Rob Reiner’s feature directorial debut This Is Spinal Tap, David Kaff played the fictional band’s laid-back keyboardist Viv Savage.
The film follows the fictional British heavy metal band Spinal Tap on a disastrous US tour, while parodying the excesses and absurdities of the rock music industry.
Though his role was smaller than those of co-stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, Kaff’s closing line became a cult classic: “Have a good time, all the time. That’s my philosophy.”
“I have a great affection for Viv,” Kaff told BAM in 1991 of his iconic character. “I played him very close to my heart, just a little bit dimmer. If people like that character, chances are they'll like me.”
Kaff contributed to the film’s soundtrack album, which ended up at No 121 on the Billboard 200, and played with the group in live performances, with a notable appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1984.
However, he did not return for the band’s subsequent studio albums Break Like the Wind (1992) or Back from the Dead (2009).
After the film, Kaff remained active in music, performing with bands like Model Citizenz and continuing his work with Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom.
A sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, with Guest, McKean and Shearer set to reprise their roles, is scheduled for release in September this year. Kaff was not slated to return for the new film.
The sequel will follow the band as they reunite after a 15-year hiatus for one final concert. Reiner will once again play documentarian Marty DiBergi who follows the group on tour with music icons Elton John, Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks all reportedly making cameos.
