15-07-2025
Spinal Tap keyboardist David Kaff, aka Viv Savage, dies 'peacefully in his sleep', aged 79
Musician David Kaff, known for playing Spinal Tap keyboardist Viv Savage in Rob Reiner's groundbreaking 1984 mockumentary, has died aged 79.
The musician and occasional actor "passed away peacefully in his sleep" on Friday, according to his band Mutual of Alameda's Wild Kingdom.
"We are devastated by this event," the band wrote on Facebook.
Comedian and Spinal Tap lead singer Michael McKean also paid tribute to Kaff, posting a simple "RIP Dave Kaff" on X.
Kaff, born David Kaffinetti, was cast in This Is Spinal Tap after previously reaching the charts in Britain with prog rock group Rare Bird, whose 1970 single Sympathy featured him prominently on the organ.
He played the fictional band's hard-partying keyboardist to perfection, delivering only a handful of lines but making each one instantly memorable, such as his spaced-out assertion of his personal philosophy — "Have a good time, all the time" — during the closing credits.
After performing with the rest of the band on Saturday Night Live following the movie's release, Kaff didn't rejoin principal stars and co-writers McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer in future iterations of Spinal Tap. Instead, he played in smaller groups on America's west coast, such as Oakland's Model Citizenz, over the decades that followed.
However, he remained proud of his association with the group, telling BAM magazine in 1991 that he regularly received fan mail addressed to his character.
"I have a great affection for Viv," he said.
"I played him very close to my heart, just a little bit dimmer."
A sequel to This Is Spinal Tap, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, has been completed and is scheduled for release in September.
Kaff is not believed to have been involved in the film.
