Late Show’s Paul Shaffer sees retirement through rose-colored glasses

TORONTO — You can take the man out of Thunder Bay, but, apparently, you can’t take Thunder Bay out of the man.

Let’s face it: Thunder Bay, located in rural northwestern Ontario, is not exactly what you would call a hotbed of showbiz talent. But despite growing up there, multi-instrumentalist musician Paul Shaffer — he of David Letterman fame — has carved out a remarkably successful career that any entertainer would be proud of.

However, despite having earned the right to toot his own horn, Shaffer, a 66-year-old father of two who is always the polite Canadian and nice, respectful Jewish boy, refuses to do so.

Then again, he did always prefer keyboards to the horn section.

In fact, with the incessant “nudging” of his late mother, Shirley, little Paul was tickling the ivories at the tender age of six, eventually passing his conservatory exams in the eighth grade. Growing up, Paul was inevitably the musical entertainment whenever his parents had friends over to the house.

Shaffer, whose 33-year working relationship with David Letterman came to an end in 2015, spent a decade conducting “The World’s Most Dangerous Band” from behind his keyboard on Letterman’s original 12:30 a.m. NBC show, before leading the CBS Orchestra for the Late Show With David Letterman for more than two decades.

“It was fantastic,” says Shaffer of his more than three-decade dream job. “It’s been absolutely wonderful. I can’t imagine anyone complaining about that sort of job, and the length of that job. Anyone who would complain about that should be put away.”

Perhaps a sign of his humility, Paul Shaffer is more known for his flamboyant glasses than charity work — though he is prolific about both. (Courtesy)

He credits his mom with passing her devout Zionism down to him, and has repeatedly volunteered his considerable talents to a number of worthy causes, including acting as musical director for the Concert for New York following the 9/11 attacks. He accompanied fellow member of the tribe Adam Sandler on the Concert for Sandy Relief, a fundraiser for people affected by Hurricane Sandy, and is also the national spokesman for Epilepsy Canada.

On December 13, Shaffer is the featured guest performer at the close of a United Jewish Appeal of Greater Toronto fundraising campaign at the Sheraton Centre.

“My mother taught me the importance of giving back by just being a role model for me, by doing it herself, rather than anything she really ever said to me,” Shaffer tells The Times of Israel. “She was a great supporter of local charities — both Jewish and not Jewish. She gave much of her time raising money for United Jewish Appeal in Thunder Bay, as well as Hadassah, and the ladies’ auxiliary at the local hospital. I consider it an honor to have the opportunity to participate in these types of events because it gives me the chance to use my musical talents to do some good.”

This apple clearly did not fall far from the tree.

“Being Jewish was, and has been a sort of blueprint on how to live one’s life and how to raise your children,” says Shaffer. “If you use that blueprint, chances are pretty good that they are going to do well and be good people.”

‘On some mornings, I’ll even walk the block or so to my shul and lay tefillin’

“My mother’s parents passed those values down to her, and in return, she transferred them onto me,” he says. “In Thunder Bay there was only one synagogue, and it was Orthodox. So, I learned Judaism there, and had my bar mitzvah there. When I was growing up, I went to cheder three times a week after school, and I went to shul for High Holidays, a practice that I continue today. Why, on some mornings when I get up particularly early these days, I’ll even walk the block or so to my shul in Lincoln Square in Manhattan and lay tefillin.”

And while he considers himself an ardent Zionist just like his mother, Paul has yet to make the trip to Israel — but he plans to rectify that situation soon. Meanwhile, his 23-year-old daughter Victoria will be representing the Shaffer clan in the Jewish State next month aboard Birthright Israel.

“I’m so proud of her for heading off to Israel next month, and while I’m embarrassed to say that I haven’t been there yet, it’s definitely something I intend to do, hopefully with my whole family,” says Shaffer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQH8c2iZT38

Speaking of musicians and Israel, Shaffer admits that while he runs into Roger Waters, the co-founder of Pink Floyd and a man who routinely calls on his fellow musicians to boycott playing concerts in Israel, he has not yet had the chance to discuss Waters’ position, something that Shaffer says “blows his mind.”

“Roger’s always been very nice to me, but, of course, I’m completely on the other side of the coin when it comes to boycotting Israel,” he says. “As a matter of fact, not only would I love to visit Israel, but I would absolutely love to perform there. And, come to think of it, I think Roger should play in Israel some day, too.”

‘Roger’s always been very nice to me, but, of course, I’m completely on the other side of the coin when it comes to boycotting Israel’

Appreciative of the fact that Paul’s parents lived long enough to see him become a successful artist on the Letterman show, Paul is thrilled to return to the city of his birth (he was born in Toronto’s Mt. Sinai Hospital) to lend his talents to United Jewish Appeal.

“No doubt, I’ll be thinking of my mother when I’m in Toronto,” says Paul. “Not only did she do work for UJA in Thunder Bay, but it’s the town in which she grew up and called home before meeting my dad and moving to Thunder Bay. I’m quite sure that if she were alive today, my mother would be shepping nachas.”

Daniel Horowitz is the Editorial Director & Senior Writer, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.