Who was David Kaff? Career explored as musician and actor passes away at 79

Well-known actor and musician David Kaff passed away at the age of 79 on July 11, 2025. The news was confirmed by Mutual of Alameda’s Wild Kingdom, a band in which Kaff used to play. He was also a member of other groups, including Rare Bird, and appeared in the film This Is Spinal Tap.

David’s band shared a Facebook post on Monday, July 14, featuring a photo of all the members together. The caption stated that Kaff died in his sleep and continued:

“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.”

Meanwhile, detailed information is still awaited on the circumstances surrounding David Kaff’s death. According to Variety, This Is Spinal Tap was recently re-released, and a sequel, without Kaff's appearance, is scheduled to arrive on September 12 this year.

According to IMDb, David’s band Rare Bird was the first group to work with the record label Charisma Records. He also appeared on Saturday Night Live with Spinal Tap in 1984.

Fans have taken to various social media platforms to recall Kaff’s contributions over the years and to praise the work of the bands he played with throughout his career. Further updates are awaited on his funeral, and his family members have not yet addressed his death on any platform.

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David Kaff played with different bands: Career and other details explained

The England native’s biography on IMDb states that he was born on April 17, 1946. He was originally known as David Kaffinetti and initially became a popular face after forming Rare Bird with Graham Stansfield in 1968. They were later joined by Steve Gould and Mark Ashton.

While speaking to the It’s Psychedelic Baby magazine in 2011, Ashton described how the band's name was decided. He explained that the members initially got in touch with their manager, Tony Stratton Smith.

“Tony came to hear us play and signed us to his new label Charisma Records. We didn’t have a name then so I asked Tony to come up with a name using Bird. Hence Rare Bird,” Mark said.

The group’s self-titled debut album came out a year after they were established. Ashton revealed in the same interview that they recorded all the songs from the project at London's Trident Studios, where The Beatles had also worked.

Following their second project, As Your Mind Flies By, the band collaborated with record label Polydor for their next three albums—Epic Forest, Somebody’s Watching, and Born Again. The group also became popular for singles such as Sympathy and Birdman-Part One. They released compilation albums like Attention! Rare Bird.

In addition to these works, Kaff also contributed his keyboard skills to the late singer and songwriter Chuck Berry’s album The London Chuck Berry Sessions. Although Rare Bird was active for only six years, David Kaff later performed with other groups such as Model Citizenz, as per ABC News.

He later had the opportunity to appear as Viv Savage in This Is Spinal Tap, a mockumentary comedy based on the heavy metal band Spinal Tap. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received positive reactions.

Although many details about his early life remain unknown, David Kaff was born to Gladys Marguerite “Peggy” Piggott and Frederick “Fritz” Ewer. As per IMDb, he married Marjolein Anna Cardon in 1982, and they divorced around four years later in 1986.