Trending 
David Kaff, the British actor and musician who played keyboardist Viv Savage in the 1984 mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap,” has died at the age of 79. His death on Saturday was announced by his band, Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom, in a Facebook post that stated he “passed away peacefully in his sleep.”
The band expressed their devastation, adding, “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!”
In the iconic film, Kaff played Viv Savage, the keyboardist for the fictional band Spinal Tap, alongside actors Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins), Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel), and Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls). The film, which satirised the excesses of heavy metal, became a cult classic and was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry. A famous gag from the movie featured Tufnel proudly showing off an amplifier with volume knobs that “go to 11.”
Kaff contributed to the film’s soundtrack, which included songs like “Stonehenge,” “Sex Farm,” and “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight.” He performed with the band on “Saturday Night Live” after the movie’s release but left before their 1992 album, “Break Like the Wind.” He was not expected to appear in the upcoming sequel, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” which is scheduled for release in September.
Born David Kaffinetti in 1946, he co-founded the British prog-rock group Rare Bird, which had a UK Top 40 hit with “Sympathy” in 1970. He also played piano for Chuck Berry’s 1972 album “The London Chuck Berry Sessions,” which produced the chart-topping hit “My Ding-a-Ling.” No information about his survivors was immediately available.
