Overview

• David Kaffinetti, 79, passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 11, as confirmed by his band Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom, and no cause of death has been disclosed.
• He achieved cult status as Viv Savage in Rob Reiner’s 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, delivering iconic lines such as “Have a good time… all the time” and joining the band for real-world gigs, including a 1984 Saturday Night Live performance.
• Kaffinetti first rose to prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Rare Bird from 1969 to 1974, whose 1970 single “Sympathy” charted in the UK, Italy and France.
• He contributed as a session keyboardist to Chuck Berry’s The London Chuck Berry Sessions in 1972 and later performed with Oakland’s Model Citizenz before returning to Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom.
• Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is scheduled to premiere on September 12, 2025, with Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean returning but without Kaffinetti’s involvement.