David Kaff, who portrayed keyboardist Viv Savage in 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap, died July 11. He was 79.
His death was announced by his band Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom on Facebook. A cause of death was not specified, but the band said he “passed away peacefully in his sleep.”
“We are devastated by this event,” the message states. “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.”
Kaff, born David Kaffinetti on April 17, 1946, was a founding member of the British progressive rock band Rare Bird from 1969 to 1975, making the U.K. charts with the 1969 single “Sympathy.” In 1972 he played keyboards for Chuck Berry on the album The London Chuck Berry Sessions. The record spawned the #1 hit single “My Ding-a-Ling.”
In This Is Spinal Tap, Kaff’s character has the closing line, “Have a good time… all the time. That’s my philosophy.”
After playing Viv Savage in the Spinal Tap film, Kaff played with the fictional band in various live performances, including a 1984 Saturday Night Live appearance.
In recent years he continued to perform with the San Francisco-based Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom.
