# I talked to Paul Shaffer today! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-talked-to-paul-shaffer-today/304195 "2005-05-17T04:36:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-talked-to-paul-shaffer-today/304195/1 "2005-05-17T04:36:25Z")
Really! The story: I publish a newsletter that covers the IMAX film industry. At a conference a couple of weeks ago, they screened one of the very first IMAX movies, _North of Superior_, released in 1971. The film includes a brief shot of a wedding by the shore of Lake Superior, and you can hear an organist playing the wedding march. It’s a wide angle shot from a high crane, and if you look quickly, you can see someone with dark hair playing what looks like a Hammond organ. The guy from Imax who introduced the film said that that scene was filmed in Thunder Bay, and that the rumor around the company had long been that the organist was Thunder Bay’s famous son, Paul Shaffer. Being the fearless, intrepid journalist that I am, I decided I had to get to the bottom of this pressing story, and wrote Mr. Shaffer a letter, asking if it was him, and if he remembered any of the details. And today when I came back from lunch, there was a brief message on my phone from the man himself. He said it _was_ him, he remembered it, and that he’d be happy to provide some more information. But he didn’t leave his phone number. Fortunately, Google is my friend, and a little while later I called back and left a message. At about 6 pm, he called back. (I asked about this right away, since they usually tape _The Late Show_ from 5:30 and 6:30. He explained that today they were taping two shows, and he was between tapings. ) We had a nice chat for 15-20 minutes (interrupted a couple of times by other calls he had to take). He was still in college at the time. He knew the couple getting married because Paul’s mother and the bride’s mother were good friends. By coincidence he met the IMAX crew on a flight back to Toronto after the shoot. He saw the film in Toronto sometime later. I’m saving the rest of this dramatic story for my publication. Anyway, I’ve been a longtime fan of Paul (and Dave, too, of course), it was fun to speak with him, and I thought there might be a few people here who would be appropriately impressed. (Next stop: my local bar, to see if I can work this into an effective pickup line.) ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-talked-to-paul-shaffer-today/304195/2 "2005-05-17T05:33:41Z")
I just wanted to let you know that I, for one, am suitably impressed. Congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-talked-to-paul-shaffer-today/304195/3 "2005-05-17T12:05:25Z")
That’s pretty cool. I think Paul is great on the Late Show, not just the music but he’s really funny and sometimes can make me howl with laughter. Very cool indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-talked-to-paul-shaffer-today/304195/4 "2005-05-17T13:30:59Z")
Very cool! Thanks for sharing that. Check out “Spinal Tap” for another on-screen appearance by Paul, playing a groveling PR flack for the band. He also does the voice of Mercury in the Disney animated movie “Hercules.” ---
**Author:** ![shaun3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58f4c7/32.png) [@shaun3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shaun3000)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-talked-to-paul-shaffer-today/304195/5 "2025-11-14T21:37:36Z")
Hi, I came across this in a Google search. I’m curious if you ever published the rest of this story. I’d love to read it. By the way, I found a copy of _North of Superior_ on YouTube: [https://youtu.be/K3MRcpAQJ-k](https://youtu.be/K3MRcpAQJ-k) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-talked-to-paul-shaffer-today/304195/6 "2025-11-15T00:49:59Z")
I recently learned Paul was heavily involved in the production of the _Blues Brothers_. His tv contract wouldn’t let him appear onscreen in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-talked-to-paul-shaffer-today/304195/7 "2025-11-15T00:58:21Z")
I’ll @commasense, since they’re probably not subscribed to this 20 year old thread. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-talked-to-paul-shaffer-today/304195/8 "2025-11-15T02:38:44Z")
Excellent. Love Dave and Paul. Mailed in to get a photo of Dave signed back in the mid 1990s. Paul even showed up again in Spinal Tap 2!