Editing Paul Shaffer (section)

===''Godspell'' to ''Saturday Night Live''===
Shaffer began his music career in 1972 when [[Stephen Schwartz (composer)|Stephen Schwartz]] invited him to be the musical director for the Toronto production of ''[[Godspell]]'',<ref name=cm/> starring [[Victor Garber]], [[Gilda Radner]], [[Martin Short]], [[Eugene Levy]], [[Dave Thomas (actor)|Dave Thomas]], and [[Andrea Martin]]. He went on to play piano for the Schwartz [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] show ''[[The Magic Show]]'' in 1974, then became a member of the house band on [[NBC]]'s ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' (''SNL'') television program from 1975 to 1980 (except for a brief departure in 1977). Though Shaffer was at the piano and appeared to be directing the band's actions,{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} [[Howard Shore]] was credited as ''SNL'''s musical director, eventually turning the actual conducting of the band to [[Howard Johnson (jazz musician)|Howard Johnson]]. Shaffer also regularly appeared in the show's sketches, notably as the pianist for [[Bill Murray]]'s Nick the Lounge Singer character, and as [[Don Kirshner]].<ref name=nytimes2019-12-14/> He also appeared as a keyboardist on the 1978 album ''[[Desire Wire]]'', recorded by pop/rock star, musician, and backing vocalist [[Cindy Bullens]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zuanich |first=Barbara |date=1980-01-10 |title=Saturday Night's Live Band |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/bonners-ferry-herald-saturday-nights-li/171529957/ |access-date=2025-05-02 |work=Bonners Ferry Herald |pages=64}}</ref>

Shaffer occasionally teamed up with the [[Not Ready for Prime-Time Players]] off the show, as well, including work on Gilda Radner's highly successful Broadway show and as the musical director for [[John Belushi]] and [[Dan Aykroyd]] whenever they recorded or performed as [[the Blues Brothers]]. Shaffer was to appear in the duo's [[The Blues Brothers (film)|1980 film]], but as he revealed in October 2009 on ''[[CBS Sunday Morning]]'', Belushi dropped him from the project. In a memo to fellow ''SNL'' colleagues, Belushi said that he was unhappy that Shaffer was spending so much time on a studio record for Radner. Belushi said that he had tried to talk Shaffer out of working on the album in the first place to avoid sharing Shaffer's talents with another ''SNL''-related project.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/paul-shaffers-showbiz-journey/ |title=Paul Shaffer's Showbiz Journey |first=Anthony |last=Mason |work=CBS News |date=October 4, 2009}}</ref> Shaffer later reported that he was in (unrequited) love with Radner.<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Posner|title=Paul Talk|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=October 17, 2009}}</ref> He went on to appear in 1998's ''[[Blues Brothers 2000]]''.

In 1977, Shaffer played on the Mark & Clark Band's hit song "[[Worn Down Piano]]".{{Citation needed|date=October 2017}}

Shaffer left ''SNL'' in 1977 for a few months to co-star with [[Greg Evigan]] in ''[[A Year at the Top]]'', a short-lived CBS sitcom in which Shaffer and Evigan play two musicians from [[Idaho]] who relocate to Hollywood, where they are regularly tempted by a famous promoter (who is actually the devil's son), played by [[Gabriel Dell]], to sell their souls in exchange for a year of stardom. Though the series only lasted a few episodes, a soundtrack album was released.

Following the series' cancellation, Shaffer returned to ''SNL'' during the show's [[Saturday Night Live season 3|third season]] during the 1977-78 season. He was named a cast member during the [[Saturday Night Live season 5|1979-80]] season, as a featured player. Making him the first and only band member to join the cast.<ref name="S05E5">{{cite episode|title=Bea Arthur/The Roches|series=Saturday Night Live|season=5|number=5|network=NBC|date=November 17, 1979|time=Opening credits}}</ref> In the spring of 1980, Shaffer became the first person to say "fuck" on ''SNL''.<ref>Shales, Tom; Miller, James Andrew (2002). ''Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live''. United States: Hachette Book Group USA. {{ISBN|0-316-73565-5}}.</ref> That year, ''SNL'' parodied ''[[The Troggs Tapes]]'' with a medieval musical sketch featuring Shaffer, Bill Murray, Harry Shearer, and a "special guest appearance" by John Belushi (who had left the show the previous year). In the middle of a long tirade that featured repeated use of the word "flogging", Shaffer inadvertently uttered the forbidden word. It not only escaped the censors in the live broadcast and the West Coast taped airing, but also reappeared in the summer rerun, and even in the syndicated versions of the show for several years. Shaffer, at Letterman's urging, related the story on the first episode of ''Late Night''.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}}

Shaffer, along with executive producer [[Lorne Michaels]], the entire cast, most of the writing staff, and several other band mates, left the show at the end of the season, after five years. Decades after leaving the show, Shaffer recounted that [[Jean Doumanian]] (who was taking over as producer the [[Saturday Night Live season 6|next season]]) offered him to be the new musical-director in light of [[Howard Shore]] leaving, but he turned it down. Citing in part that he didn't want to start the show again with a brand new cast, and he felt five years was enough time to do the show.<ref>{{cite news|title=Paul Shaffer - Archive Interview Part 3 of 4|date=December 17, 2009|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsm25HzHW3Q&t=790s|accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref>

In February 2015, Shaffer appeared on the 40th-anniversary special of ''SNL'', playing music to Bill Murray's lounge-singer character, a love song from the movie ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]''.