Why did David Kaff leave Rare Bird? This Is Spinal Tap star’s career explored as he dies at 79

British actor and musician David Kaff, who was best known for playing keyboardist Viv Savage in Rob Reiner’s 1984 mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap, has passed away at the age of 79.

No cause of death has been confirmed yet. Kaff’s demise was confirmed by his bandmates in the group Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom through Facebook on July 13, 2025. They wrote:

“Our brother David Kaffinetti passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday. We are devastated by this event. 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.”

David Kaff went on to perform under his last name’s Kaff, and Kaffinetti throughout his career. He founded the English rock band Rare Bird in 1969. The band released five studio albums. Their single Sympathy went on to sell a million copies in 1970. He left the English rock band Rare Bird in 1975 and joined another short-lived band, called Natural Gas, from which he was later fired, according to his 1991 interview with BAM by Devorah Ostrov.

Here is more to know about the late musician.

All you need to know about David Kaff’s career as he passes away

According to a report in MakersParadise, David Kaff, who is also known as David Kaffinetti played in bands since the ‘60s. This included his stints with his band, Rare Bird.

Per his IMDb profile, he was born on April 17, 1946, in Folkestone, England. He studied classical piano while growing up.

In his early 20’s he joined the band Rare Bird in the 1970s. The group was among the first to sign with Charisma Records and released five studio albums. He left the band in 1975.

In 1972, Kaff contributed keyboard parts to Chuck Berry’s album The London Chuck Berry Sessions, per AXS TV. It included the hit single My Ding-a-Ling which was Berry’s only song to be listed in the Billboard Hot 100.

A report in Variety stated that he rose to fame when he was cast as Viv Savage, the keyboardist in the fictional band, This is Spinal Tap, alongside the film’s co-writers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer. In the 1984 mockumentary, David Kaff’s character has the line –

“Have a good time — all the time. That’s my philosophy.”

This line became iconic to Kaff, who continued to play with This is Spinal Tap after the film’s release, doing live appearances and concerts. His final performance with the fictional band came at the end of 1984 during their appearance on Saturday Night Live.

Speaking to BAM in 1991, Kaff spoke about his character, Viv Savage. He said:

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“I have a great affection for Viv. I played him very close to my heart, just a little bit dimmer. If people like that character, chances are they'll like me.”

After leaving the fictional band, David Kaff played with bands such as Model Citizenz and Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom, per a report in Variety. A sequel to Rob Reiner’s film, This is Spinal Tap, is set to be released on September 12, 2025. However, Kaff won’t be appearing in the film.

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