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Paul Shaffer

Photo: Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

File No. 032404  ·  Adjudicated

Paul Shaffer

Musician — Late Show with David Letterman bandleader, Saturday Night Live, This is Spinal Tap

Born
1949
Birthplace
THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO
Citizenships
CA

Canadianness Score

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁
5.0/ 5
Weighted across 2 scored criteria

Designation

Bleeds Maple Syrup 🍁

Born, raised, and still says “out for a rip” unironically.

Scorecard

Path A — born on Canadian soil
I. Origin
Born on Canadian soil — yes
THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO
Canadian parentage — not scored
Both parents Canadian
Citizenship on record — not scored
Automatic by birth
II. Residency
Formative years spent in Canada — yes
Raised — Ontario
Lived in Canada by choice — not scored
Residency on record as an adult
Worked or filmed in Canada — not scored
Credits filed north of the 49th
III. Cultural evidence — not scored
Section III is recorded for the file only. Birth on Canadian soil already settles the matter.
Publicly claims to be Canadian — not scored
Says so, out loud
Canada claims them back — not scored
Claimed, enthusiastically

Fun fact

Started his career as musical director for Saturday Night Live's first five seasons before joining Letterman.

The verdict

Letterman's longtime bandleader was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where he cut his teeth playing piano in local bands before heading south to become one of American late-night TV's most recognizable sidekicks. Despite decades in New York, he's never shaken that Canadian musical foundation — and Canadians have always quietly claimed him as one of our greatest exports to the Tonight Show era.

Adjudicated by
The Standings Committee
Status
Final — appealable
— Paid Notice Space —
References — en.wikipedia.org