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Paul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM (Surname English pronunciation: /ˈʃeɪfər/, born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982. Shaffer was born and raised in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario, Canada, the son of Shirley and Bernard Shaffer, a lawyer. Shaffer was raised Jewish. As a child, Shaffer had lessons on the piano, and moved on to playing the organ by his teenage years, in a band (Fabulous Fugitives) with his schoolmates in Thunder Bay. Educated at the University of Toronto, he... MORE

Paul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM (Surname English pronunciation: /ˈʃeɪfər/, born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982. Shaffer was born and raised in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario, Canada, the son of Shirley and Bernard Shaffer, a lawyer. Shaffer was raised Jewish. As a child, Shaffer had lessons on the piano, and moved on to playing the organ by his teenage years, in a band (Fabulous Fugitives) with his schoolmates in Thunder Bay. Educated at the University of Toronto, he began playing with jazz guitarist Tisziji Muñoz, performing in bands around the bars there, where he found an interest in musicals, and completed his studies, with a B.A. degree in Sociology in 1971. Shaffer began his music career in 1972 as the musical director for the Toronto production of Godspell, starring Victor Garber, Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas and Andrea Martin. He went on to play piano for a Broadway show called The Magic Show in 1974, then became a member of the house band on NBC's popular Saturday Night Live (SNL) television program from 1975 to 1980 (except for a LESS